Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-02-09


ly such devotion as his would, at last, conquer
all obstacles For pity, if for nothing else
she would grant his desire, and once his own,
she must learn to accord him warmer feeling
He had no fear but that he could make he1
happy, if ever she became his wife.
His resolve once taken, he lost no time in
acting upon it. That very night he packed his
portmanteau, and in the morning he went up
the hill to bid his friends adieu.
He saw, with a pang, that the announce
ment of his intended departure could only
arouse in Sophy's mind transient feeling OF
regret. 1t cost her a momentary wonder; but
she was far too much engrossed by other
thoughts, to dwell upon it long.
'sYou will be back, suppose, before very
long ?" she asked, when he had said he was
going to New York eve shall miss you. /
am sorry you have to CO."
That was ala few commonplace words, a
conventional expression of sorrow. Yet she
did miss him, when he had gone, more than
she had dreamed Of doing His presence, in
trouble, had unconsciously been her stay
He went to New York, and there he learned
farther particulars Of the wreck. Fresh ac-
counts still kept coming in, and all tended to
point at the conclusion that those on board of
the unfortunate vessel had perished. Still,
there was a doubt one or two might have es-
capped, such miraculous presentations were oc-
casionally heard of, and sometimes not until
long after their occurrence. The topic was
one of general interest, and was likely to con-
tinue so for considerable period. The great
est sympathy was felt for the families of the
lost officers and crew, some of the former being
we'll known in New York. Mr.. Erskine gath
cred every scrap Of intelligence none knew
how keen, how vital an interest, he felt in the
subject, though he met many who were as
much interested as himself.
At last ship came into port bringing some
fragments gathered from the wreck-the ship
which had soonest, after the disaster, passed
near the same course the Southern Star" had
taken. Floating bottles had been picked up,
containing messages of farewell to loved ones
at home, hastily written and cast upon the
mercy of the destroying sea. A cap, identified
as having belonged to the second officer, from
mark he had placed inside, and showed to
some friends before leaving and the Captains
log book, utterly defaced and illegible, but
still whole. Sad, mute evidences these of the
fate of those to whom they belonged This
ship reported that strictest investigation had
been made throughout the neighboring coasts,
and that it was absolutely certain no lives had
been saved it was impossible, under the cip-
cumstances, that such could have been the
case.
Surely, thought Mr.. Erskine, such concur
rent testimony could not be doubted.
Still, he would not 60 Immediately home.
He would wait a little, on the chance of hear
ing yet farther tidings. .'-
August and September passed away. Other
ships came in, all bringing the same news
Gradually, the last remnant of hope, in the
breasts Of those whose loved ones were among
the lost, died away. There was no longer a
chance that their worst fears would not be
confirmed and the fate Of the unfortunate
crew of the ''Southern Star" was decided In a
manner that left the room for no shadow OF a
doubt.
Mr.. Erskine at last resolved to remain away
no longer from home, as nothing could be
gained by this useless delay. He accordingly
left New York early in October, and arrived
in due time at his destination.
As he passed through the little village,
where he was now we'll known and UNIVERSAL
ly liked, many were the greetings bestowed
upon him.
$50 you're back again, Mr.. Erskine," said
old Hardy, grasping his hand. '1'm glad to
see you, sir. know you're a good friend to
them up on the hill, and think they need all
the friends they've got, just now."
''How is everybody, Mr.. Hardy? Are Mrs.
May and her daughter well ?"
''Mrs. May, sir, is even more poorly than
when you left. It's my belief that she won't
hold out through the winter. Her misfor-
tunes have told mighty hard upon her. And
Miss Sophy, poor thing, goes about like a
ghost. I'm told she never complains but it
makes me sorrowful to see how she looks since
she's given up all hope of that poor lads
return.'
''She has given up hope, then ?" said Mr.
Erskine, in low tone.
"Who could do otherwise, sir? There's
not straw left to hold by, as one may say. l
was among the last to give up-1 and old
Cap'en Russell. Poor old Cap'en, you'll pity
him; he's got all the spirits clean knocked
out of him by this trouble. He seems con-
fused-like and not himself at all. AS to the
NAYS, there seems no end to their misfor-
tunes. do hear as Miss Sophy makes some
talk of going as goyerness, but how she's to
do it, with her mother in this state, can't
imagine"
"Going as a governess Why, what can
have put such an idea into her head 20 ex-
claimed Mr.. Erskine, startled.
"Well, to earn support, sir Of course
you've heard of their recent loss ?"
ssNo; do not know what you allude to-"
"Well, you know they had every cent of
their money, except a hundred or so, in the
Bank of East Chatham"
stWell?"
"And the Bank-haven't you read of it's
failure?'
''Not word You don't mean to say that
all Mrs. Nays money has gomez
"Every dollar of it, except, as, said just
now, little sum that she had CHANGED to
draw, for some special purpose, but which
she didn't use it for, week or two before the
smash-up I'm surprised you hadn't heard
the news before. You'll see full accounts of
the failure in the Chatham Gazette"
To BE CONTINUED.
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ANGLO-SAXON NUMERALs.-Our Saxon
forefathers formed words for the numerals up
to nine, but there, their power of invention
seems to have abandoned them, for ten is not