Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1877-09-15

can scarcely say what fever OF sus
pense both my wife and my self were in
until the eventful day dawned, nor how
we tntored Priscilla in the important part
she was to act. I was much afraid he,
very natural agitation when she saw Mr.
Maitland would draw his attention to
her before the denoxenseit; but She prom
isSd faithfully to be calm and collected:
1t was with mucl. trepidation however
that took my seat at the table, and my
nervous anxiety did not diminish, an
maybe easily surmiaed; during the pro-
gress of the meal. Clarke, said Mr.. Gle
burne as the desserts were set upon the
table; and agrceably to q r,revsious mn
derstanding g. '1have been Watching atten:
lively that negress who waits upon us ST:
deity, and from the moment We sat down
untilnow, 1've not heard her utter q sing.
word. what ais her, is she dumb f''' This
was the opening had been waiting for,
eyes," answered, "she is dumb, not I,
! sina te word can she speak, ssAnd vet"
remarked another Of the company, ss One
would think she understood every word
spoken to her, how expert deaf-mutes be-
come in the use Of those senses se. ie5t then,
by nature when she so cruelty deprives
them of those of speech and hearing
I'm this case, you mistake" said, .'this;
woman is dumb, but not deaf; her sense
of heafiDg is as acute as your own, and
until some years stree she spoke as fluent
]y as do 10 s'How singular rejoined
my interlocutor, {" is her dumbness the
effect Of disease: "No, a fea rful cir
cumstance deprived this poor creature of
speech, if you care to hear it viii re-
hearse the sad tale: All expressing tleir
desire to have it, then related the whole
circumstance, withholding however ih
the commencement the name. of the State
and county where it occurred. ....
Me-. Maitland upon whom kept my
eyes closely riveted, as did also my friend
'Cleburno, was busily engaged with his
fruit and at first seemed no moro inter
estea than were. the others, but as pro
cecded and told of the midnight visit,
the murder of poor Miss Peyton and thu
diabolical mutilation of her maid, tlieltt,
was no mistaking the sudden start; tho
quick pallor tliat ovcrspread his couten-
ancc and the furtive glance he cast around:
Alas! had SO hoped these evidences Of
guilt would have been spared ME: As i
spoke of finding the dead woman and the
scarcely breathing servant, my account
was suddenly interrupted by a groan, so
deep and anguishcd that not only but the
whole company were startled. Every
eye was Instantly directed toward Mr.
Maitland from whom it proceeded.
What a countenance was his! Every
muscle i'll his face seemed rigid, the veins
upon his forehead were swollen almost to
bursting, and his eyes appeared distend-
cd in Mortified alright, following the
direction of his gaze which was fixed
him, saw Priscilla standing
erect and menacing, her eyes, wild,
fierce and burning with tho fires of un-
quonchable hate and revenge were riv-
eted basilisk-like upon the miserable
man before her. With hand extended
she pointed to him, her1ooks and attitude
speaking, though speech was denied her.
vengeance is mine, at las is Justice ap-
peased, ut last is mine emcmy delivered
into my hand" An ebony Nemesis she
so rigid and yet so threaten.
ing and rigid her pose. Poor Maitlandt
he stood as he had risen from his chair,
his hands grasping tho table; and his
guilt so plain and evident, that it was
needless for me to say to the astonished
guests, "At last one of the lnurderers is
found, after so many years, retribution
has overtaken tho man who participated
in that midnight tragedy" As we looked
at the guilty spectacle before us, wo saw
the blood, purple in its sudden flow,
overspread Maitland's face, he turned and
looked around to SEQ the horror with which
every ono gazed at him, he tried to speak
but no articulate words passed his lips,
then with a heavy crash he fell forward III
a fit of apoplexy. Uuhappily for him he
from this attack, recovered tc
80 a preliminary examination, at which
he made full and unreserved confession
He made no attempt to conceal his guilt
and his confession only seemed to exem-
phfy once moro the danger of taking the
first wrong step, that step whose down
ward course leads to misery and despair
For some serious misdemeanor COM
nitted against the laws, he had been
sxpelled from College, and his father il
answer to a contrite letter, begging for
5ivencss and assistance, sent him {; draft
for $40, saying his son need look for no
more help from him, as he had made his
bed SO must he lie i'll it. Young Matt
and not knowing what to do, and in des-
pair at his fathers cruel words, at last
decided to go to a Cousins who lived i'll
tho adjoining State, and while on his
way fell in with q man some years his