The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-21
A TALE OF ADVENTURE,

w nat Is Uhe curse, ana VINO SAID ltg'
1T is nothing, sir, it's only ooishness, ="
the landlord said hastily. Jacob meant
nothing by it,"
st amt foolishness, John Beaumont,
and you know it-and for that everyone
knows it. Foolishness indeed: here's
Reuben Claphurst can tell you if it's non
sense; he knows all about 1t if anyone
does. "
II don't think it ought to be spoken of
before strangers" Hiram Powlett put in.
why notw the smith ass ed, sturdily.
There isn't man on the countryside but
knows all about it. There can be no harm
IN telling what everyone knows. Though
the Carnes be your landlords, John Beau
mont, as long as you pay the rent you
amt beholding to them; and as for you,
hiram, why everyone knows as your great
grandfather bought the rights of the
mill from them, aud your folks have had it
ever since. Besides, there amt nothing but
what is true in it, and if the squire
were here himself he couldn't say no to
that"
well, well, Jacob, there's som ething in
what you say" the landlord said, in the
tone of man convinced against his will !;
but, indeed, now that he had done wha1 he
considered mis- duty by making MS protest,
he had no objections to the story being Id.
Maybe you are right; and, though
should not like it said as the affair of the
Carnes were gossiped about here. still, as
Mr., Gulston might, now that he has heard
about the curse on the mily, ask questions
aud hear all sorts of lies from those as
don't know as much about it as we do, and
especially as Reuben Claphurst here does
maybe 1t were better he should get the
rights of the story from him. y
THAT being So" the sailor said, perhaps
you will give us the yarn, Mr. Claphurst.
for [ own that you have quite excited my
curiosity as to this mysterious curse"
The old clerk, who had told the story
scores of times, and rather prided him
self on his telling, was nothing lotn to be-
gin:
There Is nothing mysterious about it,
nothing ct all so have always maintained,
and so shall maintain. There be some as
will have it as it's curse on the family for
the wickednesS of old Sir E lgar. So it be,
surelie, but not In the way they mea d..
Having been one of the officers of the
clurch here for over forty years, and
knowing the mind of the old parson, ay,
and of him who was before him, l always
take my stand on this. 1t was a curse.
sure enough, but not in the way as they
wants to make out. IL wouldL't do to say
as the curse of that Spanish woman had
nowt to dc with it, seeing as we has author
lty that curses does sometimes work them
| selves out; but there amt no pro f to my
mind, and to the mind Of the parsons as |
have served under, that what they call the
curse of Carne's Hold amt a matter of mis-
fortune, and nos, as folks about here mostly
think, kind of judgment brought on them
by that foreign, heather woman. OF
course, don't expect other people to see it
in that light
This was answer to a grunt of dissent
on the part of the blacksmith.
They amt all had my advantages, and
looks at it as their fathers and GRANDPA hers
did before them. Anyhow, there is the
curse, and bitter curse it has been for the
Carnes, as you will say, sir, when you have
| heard my story.
''You must know that in the old times
the Carnes owned all the land for miles and
miles round, and Sir NJ armaduke fitted out
| three ships at MS own expense to fight under
| Howard and Blake against the Span
iards.
sit was in his time the first slice was cut
off the property, for he went up 10 court,
| and held his own among the best of them,
and made as brave show, they say, as
any of the mobiles there. His son took after
him, and another slice, though not a big
! one, went; but it was under Sir Edgar, who
came next. that bad times fell upon Carne's
| Hold. When the trouble began he went
| out for the king with every man he could
raise IN the country round, and they say as
| there was no man struck harder or heavier
for King Charles than he did. He might
| have got off as ma another one d d, if he
would have given it up when it was clear
the cause was lost; but whenever there was
rising anywhere he was off to Join it,
| till at last house d la aud all were con-
| fscated, and he had to fly abroad.
"Aow he lived there no one exactly
knows. Some said as he fought with the
| Spaniards against the Moors; Others and
| think they were not far from the mark,
that he went out to the Spanish MAN, and
| joined band OF lawless men, and lived a
pirates life there. No one knows about tn t.
ldont think anyone even in those days, did
know anything, except that when he came
back with King Charles he brought with
MIN a Spanish wife There were many
| tales about her. Some said that she had
been nun, and that he had carried her off
from a convent Spain, but the general
belief was-and SIS there were a good many
Devonshire lads who 70 Ight with tae rovers
on the Spanish Ma n, it's likely that the re-
port was true-that she had been the wife
of some Spanish Don, whose ship had been
ctptured by the pirates.
''She was beautiful, there was no doubt
about that. Such a beauty, they say, as
was never seen before or since in this part
| But they say that from the first she mad
Win, uulIou lOOh dDOuG ueE, as IL size Dtll
either something on her cons fence, or had
gone through some terrible tilne taat had
well-nlgh shaken her reason. She had a
baby some months old with her when she
arrived, and nurse was engaged from the
villa e, for strangely enough, as everyone
thought at the time, Sir Edgar had brought
back no attendant either for himself or his
lady.
mo sooner was he back, and had got
possession of his estates, being in that more
lucky than many another who fought for
the crown, than he set to work to rebuild
the Hold; living for the time in a few rooms
that were patched up and made habitable
in the cid building. Whatever he had
been doing while he was abroad, there was
no doubt whatever that he had br ught
back with him plenty OF money for he had
| a host of masons and carpenters over from
Plymouth, and spared no expense in having
things according to his fancy. All this
! time he had not introduced his wife to the
county. OF course, his old neighbors had
called and had seen her as well as him, but
he had said at once that until the new
house was fit to receive visitors he did not
wish to enter society, especially as his
wife was entirely ignorant Of the English
tongue.
Gwen in those days there were tales
brought down in the village by the servants
who had been hired from here, that Sir
Edgar and his vi fe did not get on wei to-
getner. They ali agreed that she see ned
unhappy, and would sit for hours brooding,
seeming to have no care or love for her lit