The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-09-25
Wronged and Righted.

Several years ago I was member of a
dramatic company doing the interior Penn
sylyania towns. At g., among the
"sights" pointed out to the stranger is n
huge tree, and about four feet from the base
the bark has been cut in the form of a cross
in dimensions about two feet by three feet.
"What is the meaning of that2" asked
of my "guidc "-the clerk of the post
officc-as l pointed to the cross so deeply
craven in the tree.
"There's a story goes with that" said
he, "and it's been the cause of my being
against capital punishment ever SINCE"
GA story2"
eyes," interrupted he, "and one that
even the youngest child in our town has
learned to relate. Let us sit here, and I'll
tell it you"
Lighting fresh cigar, nc began the
following, and l will give it in his own
words rs near as / can:
"Lct's scc-it's now almost forty years
incc the events which am going to relate
ccurrcd. Two miles to the west, over
there, is an old run-out coal pit, or should
say, pit sunk for coal, but which never
yielded much of the 'dusky.' One of the
men employed in the first working and
sinking was named John Harris, collier
from over the water. He was sort of
superintendent or boss of gang of the
workers, and had built himself a neat little
home about a mile from here, between this
place and the pit. His family consisted Of
himself and daughter, his wife having died
in England. The daughter was beautiful
girl just turning her eighteenth year, and
was the magnet that drew all the gay
young gallants for miles around Among
tho number of swains who were ready to
fight, bleed or die for her were Henry
Lewis and Charles Jenkins. Both figure
prominently in my tale; so I will name
none of the others who had entered the
lists for favor from Lucy Harris.
cit appears that Lewis, a quiet, orderly
young fellow, had the inside track in the
affections of the divine Lucy, and accom-
panied her to all the merry -makings, fcasts,
more so than Jenkins, who fattercd himself
that, were Lewis only removed from his
track, he could come in winner of the
hand of the fair one Old man Harris
really favored the latter, being, as he often
remarked, 'youngster of the right sort,
and none of your milk and water babies, ;
which eulogium of the talents of Jenkins
was occasioned by the fact that old man
Harris in his drinking bouts found right
good companion in Jonkins, and one who
could 'down as much mountain dew as
he, while, on the other hand, Lewis was
about the only teetot'ler among the visitors
at the Harris house. In his carousals the
old man swore roundly that Jenkins alone
should possess the hand, If not the heart,
of Lucy, and forbade Lewis from coming
to his house. Clandestino meetings, of
course, followed between Lucy and the
latter, but not unknown to the vigilant
Jenkins, who was watching the lovers for
all that was out.
"Things reached crisis when the old
man, informed Of these meetings. took to
drinking harder, and swore by all the gods
to rid the earth of that dough-faced baby
WIN "uS uJLlBS,t W eICttl nls CLllu away
from him. Lucy, who had of late been
treated shamcfully by the old reprobatc,
used to como here to this spot to hold tryst
with her lover, or to weep alone in anguish
over her unhappy life, made now doubly
x wretched by her continued opposition to
her fathers wishes. ip rs
"Jenkins came to tho house one beauti-
full day in May, and having brought a plen-
tiful supply Of whiskoy with him, the old
man was soon under the Influence, and
Jenkins was not far of, either. Lucy, see-
ing how affairs stood, silently stole from
the house, and wended her way towards
hcr favorite spot here. She was seen to
leave the house by Jenkins, and he imme-
diately followed her, aseertaining first that
Harris was in a drunken sleep, and obliv-
ious to all around him.
Tho knoll yondernear the tree was the
only place around here for quite distance
+ free from brlsfl, and through q little lane
Lucy would come here to pray, weep, or
s meet her lover. Just as she reached here
) on that fatal day fatal to her, at least