The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1884-06-18
and had been all her life petted and in

uulStu, anu iloWCu I nav All
way. Such children don't generally turn
out as we'll astley should do; and Emily
Gage rejected many good offers, to fall
in love with Il handsome and dissipated
fellow, who made his appearance here
for a short time. Being unable to give a
satisfactory account of himself, Mr.. Gage
forbade his visiting his daughter, and
the two then agreed upon an elopcmcnt.
This was put a stop to, and the young
man shortly aftcrward left the place.
The girl. however, was closely watched,
the parents having cause to suspect that
she was in secret correspondence with
him. And one morning she was no.
where to be found-only Il note slipped
under the door of her parents sleeping
room informed them that she had gone
to ioin her lover - that she had
taken with her all her .icwclry to-
gcther with five hundred dollars, which
her father bad left in his writing-desk;
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 find the young
man 2" asked Cecic.
They found him, after a long search,
but he denied all knowledge of Emily
and her intended flight. They had cor
responded, 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. n
was his story. Some believed it, but
others, though nothing could ever he
proven against him, had dark suspicious
of him. And the strangest thing was,
that, having once passed the garden wall,
every trace of the girl was utterly lost.
''The garden wall 2
81 forgot to mention that it was in that
manner she escaped. She mounted the
sloping trunk of the old tree at the loot
of the garden walk-thc same under
which YOU so often sit--and then stepped
along its horizontal branches to the top
of the wall. This was rendered evident
bv the broken twigs and scattered leaves
mt the foot of the tree. On the ground
outside the wall was found her shawl,
which she had doubtless dropped or for
gotten in her haste. That was all. TO
this day the mystery of her tate remains
unrevealcd. though undoubtedly there
was foul play somewhere. The jewels
and the money were great temptations
to crime"
That eveningm my wife said to me:
"That horrible tree. Charlie . Did
tel, YOU that it had a secret to reveal
Perhaps it knows what became OF that
poor girl" -,
Next day Cccic went or a visit OF Il
few DAYS to her mother, taking the chill
drcn with her. Before going to my
business | gave orders respecting the
tree. l wished every trace Of it to be
removed before her return, when perhaps
she would forget all about 1t and Its
gloomy associations.
Returning home in the evening, was
met bv the workmen with countcnancc
of interest and mystery. Their lntor-
nation startled me. While busted in
cutting down the tree, they had heard
something rattle and fall within; and on
examinations discovered within the bones
of a 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 dcsistcd
until my arrival.
I went to the spot, and with the men
and Mr.. Warren examined the tree.
Though the opening already made the
bones were clearly to be distinguished;
and l directed that the trunk should at
once be felled. When this was done
there was exposed a hollow stump. in
which lay Il mass of human bones, with
remains ola woman's dress; and beneath
these and the dccayed wood and dust
which had gathered over them cleaned
the lustrc of Jewels and gold and silver
coin.
1 looked at Mr.. Warren, who, white
as death, had staggard to a garden
bench.
MY God" he exclaimed. "1t is
Emily"
Yes, it was Emily. Of this there
could be no doubt. The tree had long
held its fearful secret, and was still un-
able to reveal it. 1t had given up
Emilv's skeleton, but how came the poor
Girl to be immurcd within this living
tomb?
Further examination, however, re-
vcaled the whole horrible truth.
81 see how it all was my old neigh
Dor said. in a broken and faltering voice,
"She had thrown her shawl over the
wall that it might not be ill her way,
and then mounted the tree to where the
three great branches meet: and there,
hidden by the masses of ivy, lay the
fatal trap. Through that great hole she
slipped, and the ivy closed over her in
her living tomb"
lie shuddercd, and the tears guShcd
into his eyes.
We neither of us expressed the thoughts
which chilled and moved our hearts to
pitving horror. Had her death been
sudden, or had she here slowly starved
and pinned to death Her cries could
not have been heard, for the house stood
apart, and her parents had left home and
zone in pursuit of her. | thought Of
Cccic's strange fancy concerning the old
tree, and lost myself in vague con lectures
as to the nature of those mysterious in
fuences which sometimes affect our
human perceptions, how or whence we
may not know.
This was the secret which the old tree
so long held. And l may add that to
this day Cecic know nothing of it; for.
beside the clergyman who gave Christian
burial to the remains of the poor girl,
no one but ourselves, who made the dis
covery, ever knew the secret. We
thought it best that it should be so.
But | observed that Cecie never after
complained of the uneasy influence which
had before so annoyed her. With the
remova! of the tree and the burial Of the
bones, nature resumed her bright and
Joyous sway in the old garden.-'Susan
4. Weiss.