Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-07-10

Inc portion Oh the Wall 10 when aluutt
separated our garden from that Of our next
door nCighb0r. 1t WAS of stone, but the
mortar had fallen out and left it little NOR,
than 4 pile Of loose stones, which feared
might at any moment topplc down on the
children. aS they played about it, So con.
rludcd to have it pulled down, and light
wooden pailing placed in its stead
over there, in the next house, lived an
old gentleman and his wife, who passed
much of their time in their garden, cul-
tivating flowers and small garden fruits,
in which, they appeared to take great dr,
light They ha,l called on Us, Il cheerful
and kindly old couple; and when the old
wall was pulled down and before the new
one was up, the way lay open to a more
familiar Intercourse.
One evening, by their invitation, we
stepped over into their garden to see Il col
lection of roses upon which Mr.. Warren
pritlcd himself. These duly admired, the
old lady expressed to Ccri" her pleasure in
having nci"hbor- who We're ncighbors.
She had lived ten years in their present
abode. and in that time had only twice seen
Mrs. Gage.
! 'Shc wasn't always such Il rcclusc,' said
/ the good lady. 81 remember that when she
and her husband first came here, q young
married couple q WAS a child thcn), they
| We're merry, gay and fond of society. 1t
was their daughters fate which 50 sadly
changed them. You have heard the Story:?'
We had not been long in this town, yet
trcic remembered to have heard something
about 4 daughter of Mrs. Gage running
away to join Il lover III 4 distance, and be-
ing never aftcrWard heard of.
"llcr name w;ls F.mily,' said Mrs. War;
! rcn, land she was the handSomcSt girl in
the town. She was an only child, and had
been all her life pcttcl and indulgcd, and
! allowed to have her own way. Such chill
drcn don't generally turn out as we'll as
they should do: and Emily Gage rejected
many good offers, to fall in love with a
handsome and di>>ipatcd fellow, who made
his appearance here for 4 short time. Be-
ing unable to give 4 satisfactory account of
himself, Mr.. Gage forbade his visiting his
daughter, and the two then agreed upon
IN clOpclnent. This was put Il stop to- and
the young man shortly ;,ttcrWaru left the
place. The girl, however, WAS closely
watched, the parents having cause to sllS-
pcct that she was in secret correspondence
with him. And one morning she was no.
where to be found-only Il note slipped UNI
der the door OF her parents sleeping room
informed them that she had gone to join
her lovcr-that she had taken with her all
her .icWrlry, together with five hundred
dollars, which her father had left in his
Writing-dcSk since she would need money
for travelling and other expenses. And that
was the last that they ever knew about her"
"But could they not iind the young man: :'
asked Cccic.
"Thcy found him, atrra long search, but
he denied all knowledge Of Emily and her
intended flight. They had corr,Spondcd,
and she had assured him that she would
yet find means to join him, but her letters
had then ceased, nor had he ever since
heard from her. This was his story. Some
believed it, but others, though nothing could
ever be proven against him, had dark SlS-
picion> of him. And the Str;lngcSt thing
WAS, that having once passed the garden
wall every trace of the girl W;lS utterly lost"
"Thc garden Wall:'
II forgot to mention that it WAS in that
manner She escaped. She mounted the
>lupiny trunk of the old tree at the foot of
the garden W;llk-thc same under which
YOU 81 often St--and then stepped along itS
horizontal branches to the top of the wall.
This WAS rendered evident by the broken
tWig> and scattered leaves ut the foot OF the
tree. On the ground outside the wall was
found her shawl, which she had doubtless
dropped or forgotten in her haste. That !
WAS ail. To this day the mystery of her
fate remains unrcvralcd, though undoubt
rdly there WAS foul play somewhere. The
jewels and the money were great tcmpta-
tiOnS to crinlc.'
That cvrnin" my wifi said to me:
"That horrible tree, Charlie! Did not
tell YOU that it had a>rcrct to reveal? Per-
hap> it knows what became of that poor
girl.'
Next day Crcic went on Il visit Of Il few /.
days to her mother, taking the children |
with her. Before going to my business
gave orders respecting the tree. | wished .
every trace of it to he removed before her
return, when perhaps she would forget all
about it and its gloomy associations. I
Returning home in the evening, | WaS
met by tn" Workmcn with countrnanrc of
interest and mystery. Their information .
startled me. Will" busted i'm cutting down .
the tree, they had hrard something rattle .
and fall within: and on examination dis .
covered within the bones of Il skeleton,
though whether human or not they could .
not tell. Communicating the fact to Mr..
Warren, who WAS in his garden, they had .
by his advice dr>-tcd until my arrival.
| went to the spot, and with the men and .
Mr. Warren examined the tree.
Through the opening already mad" the .
bones were clearly to be distinguished and
| directed that the trunk should 1T once be .
trllrd. When this Mas done there WAS cN-
posed Il hollow stump, in which lay Il mass
of human bones, with remains Of Il wonEln's .
dress and beneath these and the urcaNrd
wood and dust which had gathered over
them %irAmrd the lll~trr of jewels and gold
and silver coin.
looked at Mr.. Warren, Whn whit" a>
death he'd staggered to Il garden bench.
''NIy Cod" hrcXclaimr,l. III iS-E.mily!"
Ir~, it was Emily. OF this there could
be- no doubt. The tree had long held its
fearful secret, and was still unable to reveal
it, 1t mad given up Emily'> skeleton, but