Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-07-02
between their trembling hands and sought
to keep out the light of the sun which had
| hoo hofo -

to keep out the light of the sun which had
become hateful to them.
Suddenly caught sight of Dirk Sylvester.
He was sitting on the side of the foremost
wagon, his arms folded across his chest,
and look of eager expectation on his finely
moulded face, thin and pale with confine,
ment and suffering. / called to him, but
he heard not; his gaze seemed fixed on
some far-away object, and a smile played
on his wan lips.
/ hurried on in advance of the cavalcade
toward "The Oasis" which I knew it must
pass on its way to the open veldt. remem-
bered that the governor Of the Jail had told
me the night before that he had allowed a
last interview before the fearful journey to
Cape Town between man and wife, and that
they spoke some words in French, which
he did not understand, but which seemed to
have wonderful effect on Dirk.
AS neared the gates of "The Oasis" over
which the blue gums cast their shade, and
where the trailing flowers were in their au-
tumnal beauty, saw SylVester's wife stand
ing motionless. She was attired in the
plain white dress she wore on the day of the
trial, and also when she crowned Dirk's
hopes and rendered him the envy of the
bachelors of the Fields by becoming his
own. Her golden hair floated unheeded on
the lazy breath from the distant palm; her
eyes were turned upward to the deep blue
sky above, and her lips seemed to be moving
as if in silent, prayer. There was no need
to tell her of the approach of the convict
party; their coming was heralded by the
wild refrain of dismal song chanted by
the prisoners; and adoWn the startled air
came the sound of creaking wheels, the
cracking of whips, the shouting OF orders,
and the responsive curses of the mob. l
4o
notice, and therefore did not speak to her,
but merely took up position close by the
gate.
Nearer and nearer came the rolling Wag-
ons and the crowd rushed on through the
eddying dust, till suddenly they caught a
glimpse of the lonely watcher in the gate
way. There was not a man there who did
not know that the slight, pale woman stand
ing with her hands clasped convulsively
together, and her whole gaze concentrated
as it were in one long gaze, was Sylvester's
wife. Even the officials knew his history
they knew he was no midnight purchaser OF
stolen gems, but only passionate, helpless
man; and, as if by instinct, the melancholy
procession slowed and paused before what
was once the home of pure and happy
love.
Dirk was standing now the smile on his
lips lit up his whole countenance; he looked
like the careless happy Dirk of former days ;
the lines of care and deep dull agony seemed
to soften and disappear from his face.
He made motion with his left hand to
his breast with his right he pointed to the
awful blue of the cloudless heaven, and
then-a thin stream Of flame leaped from the
midst of the creepers, sharp report rang
out upon the morning air, a puff of smoke
curled upward from the gateway, and Dirk
Sylvester, with that strange, glad smile up.
on his lips, fell heavily forward, shot right
through the heart by his wife!
She never lived to take the trial, indeed
she was unconscious from the time when by
one supreme act she broke the fetters which
were wearing Dirk Sylvester's spirit down
into the dust and ashes of misery too keen
for his endurance, till within a few minutes
of her death.
Then a new light shone in her fast closing
eyes; she stretched out her arms as if to
embrace a viewless form, and with the
words, "Dirk Dirk! Free forever, dear
Free, Dirk, free!" trembling on her lips,
her soul went forth rejoicing on the mystic
journey to the dark hereafter.
Soon after she had been laid to rest by the
side of her husband in the cemetery, white
with many a memorial stone to ruined
hopes, lives wrecked and shattered, and af-
fections sundered by the cruel hand of Death,
a Kafir, sentenced to the extreme penalty
of the law for an atrocious murder, confessed
that he, and he alone, was the true cause OF
the Frenchman's tragic end. He had watch.
ed, through the half-draWn blind, the mis-.
erable man toying with golden chain to
which miniature was attached, and his Gu
pidity fired by the sight, crept on him una
wares and tried to wrest it from him. A
struggle ensued; the Kafir snatched re.
volver from the Frenchman's hand and shot
him then, fearing discovery, fled with on
ly the miniature in his possession. The
size of the bullet and the spoor were coin
cidences only; but there is one mystery
which will never be cleared up. Was the
miniature that Of Sylvester's wife Bel
graria.