Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-08-24

through, and give her her medicine. Thinl
how much evil speech Jesus bore, and we ar
his followers"
Ruth went to her room ; when she returned
to the study her adopted mother again advised
her to 60 back to old Aunty Markham. Sh
gave her jar of jelly to take with her, ant
Ruth put it in a little basket on her arm
All what bitter reason the good woman sool
had to repent of what she did with the bes
and highest motives.
As Ruth passed out of the gate the old ser
want ran after her.
''Please, Miss Ruth, be you going past tn
hardware mans ?" she asked.
eyes, Phoebe" said Ruth.
s'Then won't you leave my bread-knife tt
be sharpened ?' said Phoebe ''it's getting
dull"
Ruth nodded, and took the knife in her bas
ket and departed. She was gone along while
The tea-table was set, the sun setting In tht
sky, and still no glimpse CT her simple blue
muslin and broad shade hat was seen along tht
road and at last the old minister put on his
hat and declared that he would 60 to meet her
The street seemed very quiet he did not meet
the usual people standing about but at last
he saw them all gathered together in portion
of the road that divided the lower town from
the ''heights.
On the ''heights'' lived the gentry down
in the ''hollow'' lay the poorer dwellings,
A bit of road led under great rock, over a
bridge which crossed stream which made
their boundary line. Here was the crowd
With great foreboding of evil the minister
pressed into it's midst, and saw old Aunty
Markham standing uttering curses loud and
deep as she shook her shriveled fist toward
the sky group of women bending over
something that lay on the bank; and, stand
ing like one petrifed, his own adopted daugh'
ter, Ruth Gedney, in the midst Of rude, in
sulting crowd.
ooh, papa - she cried, when she saw him
and he hurried to her, and took her hand.
"Don't tremble 50, my DEAR" he said.
''What does this mean ?'
It was Mrs. Chalmers who arose and with
her strong arms pushed away those who inter
posed between the minister and what the
crowd had gathered about.
sIt means that the girl that calls you papa,
the daughter of John Gedney, that we all
know was hanged, has followed him to the
gate of the gallows," she said.
And now Mr.. Martin saw lying on the
ground little dead boy covered with blood,
staring upward with his terrible dead eyes.
"Who is ?'' he cried. "What does this
mean 20
s'It is my poor little grandson that she has
killed for telling her the TRUTH" shrieked
Aunty Markham. 'sShe threatened to do it..
She said: 81 could kill you for that!' and
off she went. 1 was looking up the child for
his supper, and I found him here, and her,
with her knife, beside him. I'll hang her
III hang her. Oh ! poor little SamP'
Uttering shrek the old woman fell down
on her face in sort of a fit.
''Papa," cried Ruth-''oh, papa, did say
81 could kill you," but was not even angry
when I went out of the house. I came down
the road to cross the bridge, and there under
the bushes I saw poor little Sam lying dead.
I shrieked and my basket fell out of my hand.
I could not speak or take a step. held by
the rails of the bridge and everything was
blank before me. Then Mrs. Markham came,
and other people. They said killed Sam. L
l, oh, papa!"
''They are all mad, my child" said the poor
CLERGYMAN; but what he said and thought
was of little avail.
The sheriff appeared upon the scene and
took the poor girl in custody. Her adopted
father went with her to Jail, and alas left
there and went home with the awful news to
his wife,
He believed Ruth's story, but alas the lit
tie basket, the knife, the package of medicine
had rolled into the pool of blood at the boys
side. All were bedaubed with it. 1t was GER
tain to him that Ruth had tainted and that
she did not know how time had passed but
people had seen her 60 toward the bridge long
before, and evidence was against her. Three
or four swore to her threat to kill Sam for his
speech, and their own old servant had heard
her say that she had felt like killing him.,
The poor girl, beside herself with shame,
still never doubted that her innocence could
be proved But the trial came. All the NAL
ice of years and all the indignation that was
inspired by the evil deed they really believed
the girl to have committed had its full infiu-
ence.
The young creature, with her blonde hair,
who looked liked IN angel, was declared guilty
by a jury WHO Thought themselves unbiased
by prejudice, but who all remembered that
John Gedney was hung, and the girl was con-
demned to death. The murder was premedi-
tated. She had knife with her. Vainly old
Phoebe swore that she never would have taken
it but for her. No one believed her.
Ruth lay in prison. The dreadful day drew
near. But she was strangely calm.
Her adopted parents believed her word and
she asked no more.
81 was so afraid,' she used to say, "that
you might come to think / killed the poor lit
tie boy. But was wicked to feel so-you who
are always so good"
Mrs. Martin never left the prison, and was
with the girl day and night. Mr.. Martin
came often. Their hearts were well nigh bro
ken. Every effort was being made to obtain
pardon, but so far fruitlessly, and the end was
hard at hand.
"Papa," Ruth said, 81 have one comfor,
out of this believe my own father was in
nocent, too, and when 1 shall meet him il
Heaven shall be glad. You see any one Cal
be hung who is innocent, if must be.''
The poor clergyman burst into tears for tht
first time, but Ruth soothed him and kissed
him, and bade him good night. On the NOR
row the dreadful end would come.
Mr.. Martin walked out of the prison doo
with his head bent down, but as he woult