Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-10-03

"Help! Oh! God helpl' -
At this Ineligible appeal to our manhood.
our superstitious weakness instantly disap-
peared. Selling torch from our shoulder
ing FIRE, we made our way, hastily, toward
pile of rocks few hundred yards distant,
whence the sound seemed to have proceeded.
Scrambling up the height, we came suddenly
upon a strange and mournful scene Before
us stood small wretched-looking hut, evil.
IDENTIFY constructed by hands unused to such,
unglazed and without chimney. There was
dim light within, and through the door we
saw the body of man, apparently lIfeless,
lying prone upon the earthen floor. Beside
him, with arms flying wildly over her head,
knelt the figure of woman, evidently the one
whose cries had alarmed us. 1t needed but
glance to assure US that some strange tragedy
bad taken place, and, without moments hes
itation, we entered the hut. = re@l:2G .st.
The woman raised her eyes as we approach
ed, but gave no further heed to us. Appa-
rently her great sorrow had driven her dis
tracted She was young creature, hardly
twenty, should Judge and despite the signs
of hardship and sorrow visible on her features,
very beautiful. Her form was slight and
even attenuated, but in its shabby dress pre-
served traces Of former refinement.
Her companion, young man of about her
age, attired in coarse woodman's suit, had
evidently succumbed to hardship or disease,
and was either insensible or dead. His pinch.
ed and ghastly countenance must have been
once very handsome, but now it looked old
and worn as that of man of sixty. He had
apparently fallen in his present position, and
the girl had been unable to raise him.
NY friend, the doctor, continued the worthy
Professor, surely, uncouth and cynical as he
commonly appears, has as kind heart as
ever beat in mans breast-no hattery, my
dear fellow-for it must be confessed that
you have faults that more than counterbal'
ance your one good trait! Well, gentlemen,
be bent over the poor creature, and in voice
as gentle as woman's, endeavored to arouse
the girl from her lethargy.
"Who are you" said be, land what has
happened?'
He is dead-dead!" ]" she muttered hoarse-
ly.
"Perhaps it is not so bad as that" be re-
Joined "tell US all about it. We are friends,
my dear, and medical men, and may be able
to assist you"
"He died this morning, before my very
eyes" she moaned "died, oh my God, of star
vation. And never knew that he was de-
priving himself for my sake. Oh my hus.
band, why did you not let me die with you +
And she threw herself across the body, ,sobbing
as if her poor heart would break. There were
tears in the Doctors eyes as he looked at me,
added the Professor, with tremor in his
voice, and the rascal has always sworn that
my own were not dry. That, however, is
aside from the subject.
Though we knew nothing of these chill
dren-for they were but little more-we felt
that we had chanced upon a strange, sad
story of love, pride and suffering, such as is
rarely told, even in this unhappy world.
The Doctor stopped down and felt at the
heart of the PROSTATE man.
He is dead" he whispered, motioning me
to initiate his example,
"Yes, Dead" l replied, after examining the
corpse.
How we made the truth known to the wife,
| do not remember 1t would seem that she
had preserved some faint remnant of hope
until over-assurance destroyed it utterly.
With low groan she fell utterly at our feet,
ipsensible Although at loss as to what
course to pursue, we felt it no more than our
duty to remain in the hut for the night; and on
the morning to make the best arrangements
for the poor girls comfort that we're possible.
Fortunately the Doctor had his medicine case
in his pocket. Administering powerful
sleeping potion to her, he placed her upon the
wide couch and left her in happy uncon.
seriousness of the events that we're to follow.
We then proceeded to a more careful exami-
nation of the man.
Without vanity, I can say that both the
Doctor and myself have received some few
testimonials as to our scientific ability from
the world. You will probably believe, then,
that we are capable of deciding upon a very
simple case of death by starvation. He paus-
ed and looked gravely around. Very good;
remember, then, that assert, upon my pro-
fessional reputation, that the man was stone
dead.
EYES," added the Doctor, who had hither-
to remained silent, 1.-The life must have been
extinct more than FIVE hours when we found
him."
well" continued the Professor, With in.
creasing gravity, "having satisfied ourselves
upon this point, we covered the corpse de.
Gently and sat down to wait for morning.
Though in no mood for conversation, the
startling experience of the evening kept US
both awake for several hours. But at length,
completely Y overcome with WEAKNESS and ex-
element, fell into light sumber
Almost Immediately, it seemed, was
awakened with shock. The Doctor was
bending over me with an expression of wonder
and alarm upon his pale face.
wake up he said, in a troubled whisper,
''sometbing very strange has been going on IN
this room for many minutes past"
"What is it?" l asked, IL thought that l
heard some one speaking" .
"You did, he replied" II have distinctly
heard voice beside US, yet there is no one
in the room except ourselves and these two
poor people,
"Perbaps the woman has been talking in
her Sleep" suggested, or it may be that the
man is not dead after all"
mo, I have looked at BOTH he returned.
"One sleeps soundly, and the other will never
speak again in this world. So satisfy your
SELF"
arose, and trimming the lamp, proceeded
first to the couch where the girl lay. She. at
least, could not have spoken, for all her
senses were locked in profound stupor. l
then examined the corpse and found it as we
had left it, except that the features were more
shrunken and sallow than before. No voice
could have come from those rigid lips. Con-
cuding that we had both dreamed or had
mistaken some nocturnal cry for human