Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-03-04

Mrs. 1nOrQQale nluu GIldI Slt luuSL Ue III
sane. She felt too frightened to be able t.
understand all that the woman said ; but sh'
did comprehend that she was the object O.
her hatred, and therefore liable to suffel
some terrible injury at her hands in her pres
ent dangerous mood, and with no help near
She rose to her feet, with confused idea oftry
ing to make her escape; but with mockine
laugh, Charity pushed her back to her chair
"You cant go; l want you to listen tc
what have to say, before l make an end o.
it. 1 want you to understand that you've
been fool and dupe all these years, and
that I made you so. I helped Helen Dud
ley to run away with her lover. l knew Of
her lawful marriage, and carefully concealed
it from all of you. kept her from coming
back to ask her fathers forgiveness, soon
afterwards, by telling her how enraged he
was against her, and kept up the breach all
the time by intercepting her letters, from
which you might have learned the truth. |
knew how her husband ill-treated her, and
finally deserted her; and was glad to know
that she suffered. She hated me always, as
much as l did her; though pretended to be
her friend in helping her to elope-ha, ha
l knew we'll enough what would come of it
dissipated, worthless young scamp When
she lay on the parlor sofa, stiff and dead, |
slipped her wedding ring off her inger-and
I have it yet When | took off her wet, rag
ged gown, I found her marriage certificate
sewed into the lining, and put it away
and l have it yet. Many time I've exulted,
secretly, to think Of my own sharpness, and
how managed it all When your husband
died-your husband that should have been
mine-I found his will, and destroyed i'll
took care not to keep that"
"Wretch !" base, per6dious creature" cried
her mistress, quivering from head to foot.
"Do you dare to stand before me and confess
such guilt?'
"Guilt? Pshaw! it was all for revenge
And l wouldn't confess it to you now, you
may believe, if it was not that am not going
to leave you chance to profit by the knowl.
edge. No one shall ever learn from yoasr lips. ="
She sprang forward, with the look Of de-
mon, and clutched Mrs. Thorndale's throat.
One wild, piercing shrek of terror rose from
her victim, before the grasp tightened so ef-
fectually as to prevent farther utterance. In
the meantime, loud knocking was to be
heard at the front door, but no one paid any
attention to it. 1t was the messenger from
Woodford, with the telegram from Harve,
who had ridden over in the storm, in order
to crafty the anxiety of the old lady to hear
from her darling boy. That shrek reached
his ears, and without hesitation he forced open
the door and rushed in. The inner door, com.
municating with Mrs. Thorndale's room, stood
ajar. Quickly passing it, he found himself
in time to prevent what, in another moment,
would have been murder.
Pinioning the arms Of the frantic woman,
he dragged her backward from her helpless
victim, who fell prone to the floor. Charity
turned upon him look of such baffied rage
and vindictive hatred as wild beast might
show when robbed of its prey; Missed out
something inarticulately from between her
clenched teeth then frightful spasm passed
over her features; her eyes rolling upwards,
became fixed in CLASSY stare; a sudden rigid
ity seized her entire form for one moment
she remained thus, then her head fell forward
on her breast, and she slipped, a dead weight,
from his grasp.
Her day of reckoning had come; in one
flash, she had passed into Eternity!