Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-01-24
ing on you, and giving back the girl! Yo'
ought to know that"

ing on you, and giving back the girl! You
ought to know that"
"But you can't give her back without know
in her name, nor nothin'. And, L don''
know that more'n you do, nor she neither
Better take what I'm willin' to give you,
than to count on a chance that wouldn't
turn out nothin'."
"'Spose I do both ?" he retorted, with
look of villaiuous cunning. "You can't him
der me, you know. AS to your money, OF
course, mean to have that, anyhow. Show
me where you keep it"
What could she do? She knew too we'll
that she was in his power, and resistance
would be worse than vain. Without word
she produced her little store, and emptled it
in his hand. 1t was but forty dollars, this
time, for Posy's earnings we're no longer in
her keeping. At her own request, Mrs La
combe, herself, took care of them for her,
now.
"Why, this can't be all," he exclaimed, in
disappointed tone.
"It is, I swear, Jim. You inow | don't
get the childs wages now. And even this
much I saved, mostly from extra jobs, out
side my reg'lar pay"
He thrust it into his pocket with savage
growl. "Much good mis'rable sum like
that can do me! Come now, don't fool any
longer, but tell me plain and square, where is
the girl II"
He returned with dogged persistence to
that one question. She felt, despairingly,
that no effort of hers to evade it, would be of
any avail. IF she had only told falsehood
at first, and denied all knowledge Of Posy's
whereabout? But unfortunately she had al
ready committed herself by her answers, and
it would be useless for her to try and deceive
him in that way now. As she hesitated, cast
ing about in her mind for some possible ex-
pedient by which she might still save herself,
she caught his eye, and read her danger, more
plainly than BEFORE in its expression of con-
centrated hate and rage. The fumes of the
liquor he had drunk. before seeking her, were
mounting to his brains, adding to natural fe-
rocity of temper, and provoking him, as she
we'll knew, from experience, to rashness be-
yond the control of any restraining fear. A
sudden, sickening terror rushed over her.
The sense of her peril, her loneliness, added
to physical weakness, overcame her, and
with blind clutch for support at some object
not within her reach, she fell heavily to the
floor in swoon.
Maddened by what he supposed mere
piece of acting, on her part, resorted to for
the purpose of avoiding giving him the in.
formation he desired, the intoxicated brute,
with horrid imprecation, dealt violent
blow on the PROSTATE from. you're sham
ming, are your" he exclaimed. $50 much
the worse for you get up, or Ill beat you to
death. Ill-"
He stopped suddenly, arrested in the tide
of his vindictive fury by the sight OF her
face, as he pushed her over on her side. 1t
was CHASTITY white and rigid, the halfopened
eyes staring and fixed, and small dark
stream of blood was trickling from her tenn
ple, where one of his cruel blows had fallen.
His expression changed. He bent down,
looked intently at her for moment; then
with an appreheusive glance around, noise.
lessly and rapidly made his exit. and issued
forth into the darkness and silence of the mar
row and deserted street.
Mo,ionless and senseless, though not dead,
as he had supposed, the woman lay there
through the remaining hours of the night.
Early in the morning she was discovered by
man who came to bring milk to one OF her
neighbors, and who, catching a glimpse of
her through her open door, which Stratton,
in his hurry, had not stopped to shut, entered
her room, to see what was the matter. An
alarm was quickly given, and an inquistive
group collected on the scene. 1t was pro-
posed to carry her to hospital, but before
any measures could be taken, the exertions OF
charitable individual to restore her to con-
sciousness proved successful, and she came
to herself sufficiently to ask for Posy, aud to
give Mr.. Lacombe's address,
In half hour her adopted child was with
her, and lying on her bed, her wounds ban.
daged up by surgeon, who had left her with
the assurance that nothing more was to be
done. Mrs. Manuel, with strange peace on
her poor. bruised. pallid face, spoke Of what
was coming, while Posy, cliuging to her
hand. hid her face on the pillow and listened
in an agony of grief:
II didn't look for this, nv darlin', to be
the end, but it's all for the best. Me and you
would have had to part, sooner or later, and
you're in good hands now, a heap better than
mine, and I'm satisfied to leave you with
them, as know'll treat you good and kind. y
Oh! nanny, nanny" sobbed Posy, the
old childish epithet coming more naturally to
her lips, in this hour Of distress, than the
more formal mother" by which she had
lately learned to call her adopted parent
"Dont die and leave me. Oh whatll
do? What'll become of me?"
II knew you'd fret, darlin'-you've al
ways been good, lovin' child. But Posy-"
the weak voice faltered, and spasm of pain
crossed the coorless face, at the thought Of
the revelation she felt bound to make-"Posy,
my precious, I've got a secret to tell you, be-
fore we part. as I've had weighing on my
heart this long time, and may be it'll make it
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