Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-09-23


He did not like his position, and began to sus
pect that all was not right. They kept uttel
silence.
They seemed to drive great distance, turn
ing and turning many times. Once he In
ouired: "Had they far to 60 ?" and received
the brief answer, mo" At last they drove
into the courtyard of great house. The
door opened as if by magic. There were nc
lights, be might as we'll have been blindfold
ed there would have been total darkness
but for the moonbeams, which struggled
through the stained glass window and fell in
fantastic shadows at their feet as they ascend
ed the wide stone staircase. On reaching the
first landing they threw open door, and tor
a second he was almost blinded by the blaze
of light that streamed out upon him. The
door closed behind him as he stepped into the
room. He took in the whole aspect Of the
room at a glance; it was gorgeously furnished
and brilliantly illuminated with wax candles
at a table near the heavily curtained window
man of stern, commanding appearance, sat
waiting. He raised his head as they entered,
and, pointing to the far end of the room, ex.
claimed:
"Your patient lies there, sir"
NV grandfather's eyes followed the direc-
ton Of his finger and observed a woman
stretched upon couch. Where had he seen
that face before? Slowly it dawned upon his
memory. A few days back he had been to the
theatre, and, glancing round, was struck by a
beautiful, fair face, which, for the time, tascl'
mated him; he thought it the loveliest there.
He looked upon it again, now; but oh! how
changed. The hands were clasped upon the
breast as though in prayer; dumb, white
terror was written on the face and in the
great, uplifted eyes there was hopeless, des-
pairing agony, sickening to behold.
He inquired what was the matter-how she
had been attacked, and seeing that she was
gagged, he begged them to release her mouth,
that she might answer his questions, adding ::
81 must know something Of the symptoms
before | can attempt cure"
"Your business here is to kill, not to cure,
DOCTOR" said one, in strangely sad tone,
which accorded ill with his stern, fearful
phrase. "Your patient has spoken her last
word in this world. She is doomed to die by
a secret, though strictly just tribunal but we
would temper justice with mercy and spare
her the shame of public disgrace. You can
cause her to die easily and secretly; there
fore we have brought you here"
"If this Ii dy has committed any crime
so great as t. deserve DEATH" he answered,
full of compassion for the unfortunate, "she
must meet her punishment from the hands
of the public executioner, and not by
mine"
"By yours, and yours only" said one of
his conductors, gravely. There is no time
to waste in mere words. She knows that she
has deserved death, and she knows that she
must die"
"God forbid !" exclaimed the physician,
for frozen terror was stealing over him.
The ominous stiffness, the grim aspects of
the terrible men, struck chill to his heart.
He realized all the horror of his position.
"a doctor never travels without his tools,
resumed the stranger; and as he spoke ne
turned the lace frill back from the tender
throat, and, pointing to it, added significant
ly: "Open the jugular vein it is the easl-
est and quickest way she can die"
My grandfather started back amazed and
horror struck. These were the very words
he had uttered during one Of those pleasant
gatherings at the house OF a Neapolitan, few
days back.
allow dare you propose to me such a terri
be crime !" he exclaimed. II am an English
man, and will not commit murder"
"Pshaw| Your nation produces as many
honorable criminals as any other. To your
work, sir, and quickly. If you have con-
conscious scruples, remem Der an enforced
sin lies on the conscience lay that comfort
to your soul No more words" he added,
peremptorily ly-"not onc this is the time tor,
action"
II refuse to obey your cruel command.
Let me co."
The man who had been writing, and until
now had taken no part whatever in the scene
that was passing round him, rose up and
Joined the group Laying his hand lightly
on my grandfather's shoulder, he said:
"There is no escape for you, doctor ; and
every moment you hesitate you prolong that
womans pain. She must die and you can
dispatch her with painless speed.
"What if l refused You cannot force
me to commit so foul murder"
He pointed to two swarthy figures (either
soldiers or liveried servants of some noble
family, my grandfather could not tell which)
who had been standing motionless by the
couch, and answered:
"Then those faithful fellows will dispatch
you and afterward her; they are not pro-
fessional, and their work will be clumsily
DONE If the operation be not performed
upon your patient before the clock strikes,
you know your fate; if you are obdurate,
remember you throw away your own life
without saving hers. She is doomed; and
10 power on earth can save her"
1t was vain to speak or expostulate with
those fends in human form. He felt they
were as stern and inexorable as fate. 1t was
as cruel, as horrible and cowardly. Five
men assembled to witness the professional MUIR
der of a young and beautiful woman What
had she done? Whom had she offended ?
Some secret machinery was at work, these
men were mere instruments in the hands OF
a higher power-they had owned as much ;
they had no personal interest in the matter.
They were there to carry out justice, they
said-secretly, it was true, but the woman
had been lawfully con demned, and the SEN
fenced of law must be privately executed.
The woman's eyes were fixed upon them
throughout the whole of this conversation,
and travelled from one face to the other in
hopeless agony; not word passed her ears,
and only the one despairing changeless ex'
preston sat like seal upon her face. She
knew there was no escape for her-none.
There was only the one question to be solved :
Was she to die by the unwilling hand of a
pitying stranger, or be killed cruelty by pro-
fessional murderers? What world ofterror
must have been compressed in those few