Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-02-03

apprehensive Of being overheard, "is it tina
tall, dark man that comes here sometimes
the one With whom the Se6or rode away tina
day." .....5 ..... .....
eyes, the same. believe it was through
him that my husband met with his fate, what
ever it has been However that may be,
fear him too much now to stay in bis reach.
"sehora, fear him too! His face is nc
new one to me. Ihave seen him before long
ago, in some place and at some time which
but dimly remember-but it haunts me like
dark, ugly dream. remember bis fierce
eyes, and that short black beard; only he had
not that long scar then across his face, and he
wore different dress"
"Perbaps so," said Esther, too much occu'
pied with her own thoughts to pay much at
tention to Picciola's words. "Come, We have
no time to lose-help me quickly to collect
such things as we may find necessary. We can
carry but few, 30 we must use our own judg
ment in selecting them. The child must be
carried, and a small bag is all we can take.
"If We could make our way to the coast,
said Picciola, 1--WE might get on steamer and
20 away. Would that not be our safest
planf' .. Il. ..
II do not wish to 60 90 far; aud, indeed, l
have not money sufficient to pay for our pass
age, except for very short distance. And
yet," she added musingly, as if considering the
feasibility of the suggestion, "if We could get
to some settlement little way of, among peo-
pie from whom I could seek protection, /
might obtain work and earn enough tosupport
US, and perhaps in time to take US to my
home in New York. But am resolved not
to leave California before next Spring. In
the meantime we must trust to get on the
best way we can. My present wish is to OBJ
tain secure hiding place-anywhere, even
among the rocks and caves, provided that
man does not discover U.s."
"But, Sehora, you would perish-you could
not stand such life!" .t... ...
"For a short time, Icould-and the wealth
or now is not severe"
"But the babyp
II tell you, 1 have no choice" said Esther.
II put my child, and all of us, in Gods pro-
lection! I believe He will shelter us, and
provide for US in our needs. Though forsaken
by him to all appearance, still trust in His
goodness and care"
Picciola said no more, for she saw that her
mistress resolution was taken. For herself
she feared neither exposure nor hardship.
She had been accustomed to both in her for
mer rude life, and did not shrink from them
now. But for the Sehora, whom she regarded
as the embodiment of delicacy and refinement,
and for her precious charge, the beautiful
child, who was the delight Of both their lives,
she feared the possible perils they might en-
counter, in going forth in this uncertain way,
on an unknown journey, to seek refuge they
knasu- DOT ,shara- In her -aeoara nhical-iana-
rance, she was quite as much at loss as her
mistress in what direction to turn only her
instinct warned her that their greatest safety
would lie in taking contrary direction to the
one in which Alasquez usually approached
them, and this idea she impaired to Esther,
who fully concurred in it.
"We will go toward the North and seek
path across the mountains Somewhere, we
will find sheltered spot-perhaps some de-
serted hut, or cavern in hill-side-where we
can make temporary home. We will carry
food enough to last US for while; and, per-
haps, by making short journeys, we may
come, in time, to settlement Of some kind,
where we will be safe"
"If could take gun" cried Picciols, ca
gerly, II could shoot birds and squirrels, tor
food. I know how to shoot we'll, Sehora
have often got dinner in that way"
"a gun would be too heavy to carry, my
child and, moreover, the only one in the
house is now out of order, and there is no
ammunition here that I know Of"
"That is pity; but at any rate there are
plenty of nuts and wild fruit at this season.
Oh, think we can manage, Sehora-if only
the baby does not suffer i!
"Heaven will protect him." sighed poor
Esther. "God knows I would not expose him
to danger if 1 could help it i; but | see no al
tentative but to go-worse danger threatens
me, and all of US, if we remain"
Thus the forlorn woman and the simple
minded girl laid their plans, which were not
destined, however, to be carried out.
Esther retired, completely worn out, at
later hour than usual that night, having sat
up to make some final arrangements for the
contemplated journey, on which they we're to
start at an early hour on the following day.
But in the morning she awoke with high
fever and headache-the effects OF undue ex'
citement-and when she attempted to rise as
usual, she found it utterly impossible to make
the exertion. She sank back on her pillow,
feeling almost too i'll to care about the disap.
pointment; and summoning Picciola, told
her that, for the present, their departure must
be postponed, and placed her in charge of the
household arrangements until she could again
attend to them herself
Her fever continued through the day, and
Picciola prepared some simple remedies which
she had seen used in similar cases, and in
duced her to make trial of them. Towards
evening she became easier and dropped
asleep and her young attendant, seeing her
50 quiet, stole off to another part of the house
to attend to some necessary duty, leaving the