The Beaufort tribune and Port Royal commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1877-1879, 1877-10-11

Hmpet. There was no shrleklng tnen
it was struggle in dead silence-Alice
too rntent, the thief too cautious.
"Come now, little one," he said, hoarse-
". at last, "no more of this. It's no
use. Twas mine before twas yours.
You'd never have had any of it if I
hadn't sent him back the will-fair
division % A blow of his fist on her
temple or from the butt of his pistol
wonld have finished her and left him
free; but somehow he had hesitated in
giving it, thinking to shake her off, and
the moment of his last hoarsely whis.
pered word, Mrs. Magilvray-an awful
sheeted vision, in night-cap that would
have terrified ghost issued from her
room, holding aloft kerosene lamp,
and the three boys burst upon the scene
with orange-wood sticks and the old
queen's-arm. and there was nothing for
the unlimited guest to do but to make
coaoe, which he did at once; and Alice
was picked up in a dead faint, but still
clasping the box.
Eugene came back that night, and he
was speechless and cold with horror
when he found to what he had exposed
his darling. And Alice was i'll with a
raging fever, and with that housebreak-
er's face sealed upon the space before
her eyes-a dark and ,pallid face strange
ly evil and strangely beautiful, with the
straight lines of its features and the
brilliant blaze of its eyes, but with a
great scar running like cash along the
cheek. She did not even know she saw
it at the time, but it seemed to hang
before her like mask, just as when the
light of her mothers lamp first fell on it;
and turn which way she would, she could
not escape it's evil glance, its dark and
beautiful fascination. ooh, it is Satans
own !" she would cry. "Lucifer looked
Just so! Am I always to see it ?"
The doctor said it was hallucination
owing to nervous shock, and that it
would take long season for her to re-
cover entirely, if she ever did. But
youth is great deal stronger than doc
tors are wise, and before as many months
as he had prophesied years, Miss Alice
was about the house again, as gay as
ever, only very tremulous, when night
time came, and unwilling to be left alone
in the dark minute.
It was month or so after Alice's we'd
ding that an officer waited upon her one
morning with the request that she should
go to the city prison in order to identify
a party suspected of breaking open the
Wamsutteag bank on the same night
that Mrs. Maglvray's house had been
entered and the little fiat tin box 80 near
ly made away with. If Mrs. Descamps
could identify the scamp, he could be
detained; otherwise they would be
obliged to let him go, the officer had
told Eugene. eff he could be identified
as the wretch with whom Mrs. Descamps
had the struggle" he said, /" it would be
a benefit to the community"
"Is he so very bad?" she said, shiv-
ering.
"Well, ma'am, he has been," the
officer replied. "Just now he's been
playing off. We found him at trade,
with some custom, and he begged hard
to be let off and left to lead an honest
life. That's his blind. Oh, he's a bad
'un! It II only take half hour"
ooh, Eugene, I can't 60 !" she ex-
claimed, shrinking back and covering
her eyes. "I couldn't be the means OF
keeping him-and, oh I couldn't see
that face again. 1t would drive me
Wild"
cit made an impression" said the
officer. "You're the very person we
need, Mrs. Descamps. 1 haven't the
power to force you to 60 with me, except
as criminal witness, but L can bring
the prisoner here"
"That would be Objectionable for
many reasons" said Eugene. 81 will
go with you, dear, and perhaps it would
be really best to make the effort"
And sure that it could only bring back
all her old trouble of two years ago
should she see that evil face in its dark
beauty and with it's gash-like scar, Alice
put on her hat and cloak, and stepped
into the carriage with Eugene and the
officer.
It was strange contrast that was pre-
sented by Aice's entrance into that dark
place where that group of fettered fierce
looking men, with their generic coun-
tenances, were defled before her under
their guard the brilliant, beaming
young wife, with her shining hair, her
shining eyes-great, innocent eyes-her
snowy brow, her blooming cheek, the
sweetness on her trembling lips, taking
the one sunbeam that slanted through
the place on her golden brown velvets
and furs and plumes, like an aura of sue
cess and happiness. She felt it herself.
"Oh, what have they done to be shut
in here?" she cried, and she burst into
tears. "No, mol" she said, looking up
with streaming eyes. 81 do not see a
face I ever saw before" In spite of the
evasion, she told the truth; the tears in
her eyes hindered her seeing single
face among them all.
They selected one man from the rest
and brought him nearer. "Have you
no recollection of this face ?" they asked.
The dark and evil beauty of that face,
with its gash.like scar! Perhaps the
evil was wearing off it; perhaps that was
only a look Of yearning petition fol
mercy-he had been merciful; he could
have taken her life. And then, was il
not to the return of that will that she
and Eugene owed everything? ooh,
don't! don't! don't!' she cried, turning and
burying her face on her husbands arm,
the very personifcation of the repulsior
of innocence from vice. "I told you ]
never saw one of them before; what
more do you want"
And the man went back to his trade,
for there was nothing to hold him
"I'm living new life" he said to him: