Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-05-25
Au 0riaiual Sturg.
THE IRON CHEST.
BY AN OLD CONTRIBUTOR.
CHAPTER XVIII.

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knew that this meeting was inevitable, and
that the longer the delay which preceded it,
the more painful to me it would be.
1t was nightfall when I came in sight OF
the castle. The moon shone indistinctly
through the clouds, and the black shadows OF
the mountain obscured my path, typical Of the
darkness and perils which encompassed the
course I was destined in life to pursue.
As I neared the portal, I saw what seemed
to me the figure of man gliding away through
the trees. stopped and looked again. 1t
had disappeared. I called, but received no
answer; and concluding that my fancy had
deceived me, and that what had perceived
was but delusion of the changing light, l
proceeded on my way. I Ientered the hall OF
the castle. All was dark and silent. | ascend
ed the winding flight of stone steps that led
to the upper story. Here glimmer of light
from the sitting-room at the end Of the passage
greeted me. I went forward-opened the
door-oh! Heavens, what tableau met my
horrifed vision! My wife and my brother,
with clasped hands, stood together near the fire.
place. Her head bowed, as if in mute distress,
tears stealing down her face, while he, with
every appearance of tenderness and solicitude,
seemed to be uttering words of consolation
and support The sight wrough me up to
kind of frenzy. My jealous and excited feel
ings, but partly and imperfectly subdued,
sprang into play with tenfold force, rekindled
by this apparent confirmation Of all my sus'
picions and fears. Ever rash in action, and
prompted now by fierce impulse which
had no power to resist, drew my revolver,
which carried habitually about me, levelled
it at my brother, and fred. .......-As the smoke
cleared away, 1 saw her-Olive, my wife
oh how can T write the words ?-stretched
in a pool of blood upon the floor. My bullet
had missed its aim.
"Madmanp' I heard Rudolph's voice ex-
claim; "what have you done"
1 answered not. Stricken dumb with an
awful despair, cast myself down BY the
white and senseless form. Olive still breathed.
A faint Autter of her heart beneath my hand
assured me that life was not extinct. A sur
geon was brought, after an intolerable delay
having to be fetched from the village, and was
absent when the messenger arrived there.
"How did the accdently happen?" was his
natural inquiry. Rudolph replied that in
carelessly handling my pistol it had gone of
and the agony ani detraction of mind which
/ evinced, seemed to corroborate the asser-
-tioa and aisaza, him -as ssasaiai0a 0f faal
play which might have entered his mind.
There was no time now for reproach, for ex-
PLANTATION. Every ones attention was concen-
trated on the lovely, hapless sufferer-the in
nocent victim of my blind and cruel rage
Too late, I now began to suspect myself OF
having taken groundless revenge. My broth
er betrayed no consciousness of guilt He even
pitied my anguish, and forbore to upbrald
me for what had done. But oh .! the tor
ture endured. No martyr on the rack was
ever torn by keener pangs than l. l waited
in horrible suspense for the fiat of the sur
geon. 1t came at length after all the resto
1stives had been tried in vain. My doom was
sealed. I was murderer! Olive, indeed
still fingered, but her recovery was impossl'
BILE. A few hours at most, her attendant
said, would end her suferings, which, on hel
return to consciousness, appeared to be in'
tense. The surgeon, finding that his skill
could avail nothing, left US, being forced to
return to case of Importance which he had
on hand. On couch in the chamber to
which she had been removed, lay my dying
wife-dying by my hand-pale as breathing
corpse, her struggling breath becoming faint
er and fainter as the life-blood ebbed from he1
heart. I stood within the shadow of the cur
tain near her feet, my eyes riveted by an aw
full fascination upon her face, lovely even in
her anguish, yet not daring to approach her
I felt myself unworthy to touch her hand, fol
was not mine polluted with her blood? Sud
denly she espied me, and in scarcely audi
BILE tone, murmured my name.
"Phillip-come to me-"
I obeyed, trembling in every limb, and
knslt at her side. She made an effort to hold
out her hand, but was too feeble to accom-.
plish it. could not refuse her mute entreaty
and took her cold and nerveless fingers in
mine.
"Phillip, we are parting. 1t must not be
in anger" she muttered, brokenly. "Let us
forgive-as we hope for forgiveness"
"Forgiveness" I groaned. "Alas, there
can be none for mep
She raised her dying eyes. "Seek it there
But one word must say-you will trust me
now. have never wronged you, nor hashe-
Rudolph. I loved him once, unasked-bu'
that is past-he never knew or returned it
He came, when you found him, in time tt
save me from insult. Selwyn had striven tt
induce me to abandon you and fly with him
He is base, basel knew it always! | an
swered him as he deserved-and in his anger
l know not what he would have said Of
done-when Rudolph came He had JUS
arrived-came from home longing to see III
both"
She paused, exhausted. wiped, with
shaking hand, the cold dew from her brow
and held cordial to her lips. Oh righteous
Heaven, what was this she was telling me
Every word fell upon my tortured heart like
heated iron on gaping wound
"selwyn rushed of, know not where.
was half fainting from agitation and terror
and Rudolph tried to soothe me. 1t was this
you saw as you came in. In that one instant
as read your face, I saw what you thought