Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-15
THECURSEEC EECARNE'SH HOLD.
A TALE OF ADVENTURE.
BY G. A. Hentv-
Author "Jnder Flag" India" etc,
ALL RIGHTS RESERTED.


usually indulge, though sometimes when we
are at anchor the youngsters get the lines
overheard and catch few fish. Yes, am
a sailor, and belong, worse luck, to the flag
ship at Plymouth. By the way" he went
on, turning to Jacob Carey, ''you said last
night, just as you were going out, some
thing about the curse of Carne's Hold.
That's the house up on the hill, isn't it!
What is the curse, and who said it?''
cit is nothing, sir, it's only foolishness,
the landlord said hastily. Jacob meant
nothing by it."
"It 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 nonsense; he
knows all about it if anyone Does"
81 don't think it ought to be spoken OF
before strangers" Hiram Powlett put in.
"Why not?'' the smith asked 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 your rent you amt
beholden to them; and as for you, Hiram,
why everyone knows as your great-grand-
father bought the rights of the mill from
them, and your folk have had it ever since.
Besides, there amt nothing but what is
true in it, and if the Squire were here him
self he couldn't say no to that"
''Well, well, Jacob, there's something in
what you say" the landlord said, in the
tone of man convinced against his will;
but, indeed, now that he had done what he
considered his duty by making protest, he
had no objection to the story being told.
"Maybe YOU are right; and, though should
not like it said as the affairs of the Carnes
were gossiped about here, still, as Mr.. Guls-
ton might, now that he had heard about the
curse on the family, ask questions and 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 it were
better he should get the rights of the story
from him."
''That being SC" the sailor said, ''perhaps
you will give us the yarn, Mr.. Claphurst,
1or 1 own that you have quite excited my
curiosity as 10 this mysterious curse"
The old clerk, who had told the story
scores of times, and rather prided himself
on his telling, was nothing 10th to begin.
''There is nothing mysterious about it,
nothing at all; SO / have always maintained,
and so l shall maintain. There be some as
will have it as it's a curse on the family for
the wickedness of old Sir Edgar So it be,
surelie, but not in the way they mean.
Having been one of the officers of the
church here for over 40 years, and knowing
the mind of the old parson, ay, and of him
who was before him, 1 always take my
stand on this. 1t was a curse, sure enough,
but not in the way as they wants to make
out. It wouldn't do to say as the curse of
that Spanish woman had nowt to do with
it, seeing as we has authority that curses
does sometimes work themselves out; but
there amt no proof to my mind, and to the
mind of the parsons as L served under, that
what they call the curse of Carne's Hold
amt a matter of misfortune, and not, as
folks about here mostly think, a 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 In answer to grunt of dissent
on the part of the blacksmith.
'They amt all had my advantages, and
looks at it as their fathers and grandfathers
did before them. Anyhow, there is the
curse, and a 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 Marmaduke fitted out
three ships at his own expense to fight un-
der Howard and Blake against the Span
iards.
of the property, for he went up to 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 of, as
many another one did, if he would have
given it up when it was clear the cause was
lost; but whenever there was rising any,
where he was off to join it, till at last house
and land and all were confscated, and he
had to fly abroad.
'How 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 Main and Joined
band of lawless men and lived pirates
life there. No one knows about that. I
don't think anyone, even in those dsys. did
know anything, except that when he came
back with KING Charles he brought with
him Spanish wife. There were many tales
about her. Some said that she had been a
nun, and that he had carried her off from
convent in Spain, but the general belief
was-and as there were good many Devon
shire lads who fought with the rovers on
the Spanish Main, it's likely that the
report was true-that she had been the
wife of some Spanish Don, whose ship
had been captured by the pirates.
"She was beautiful, there was no doubt
about that. Such beauty, they say, as
was never seen before or since in this part.
But they say that from the first she had A
wild, hunted look about her, as if she had
either something on her conscience or had
gone through some terrible time that had
well-nigh shaken her reason. She had a
baby sdhe months old with her when She
arrived, and nurse was engaged from the
village, 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 DOS
session of his estates, being in that more
lucky than many another who fought for the
Crown, than he sat to work to rebuild the
Hold; living for the time in a few rooms
that were patched up and made habitable in
the old building. Whatever he had been
doing while he was abroad, there was no
doubt whatever that he had brought hack
with him plenty of money, for he had
host of masons and carpenters over from
Plymouth, and spared no expense in having
things according to his fancy. All this
time he had lot introduced his wife to the
county. OF course, his old neighbors had
called and had seen her as we'll as him, but
he had said at once that until the new house
was fit to receive visitors be did not wish to
enter society, especially as his wife was en-.
tirely ignorant of the English tongue.
"Even in those days there were tales
brought down in the village by the servants
who had been hired from here, that Sir