The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-08
CHAPTER VII.
IN THE MINISTER'S STUDY.

CHAPTER VII
IN THE MINISTER'S STUDY.
Mr.. Granville's study was in corne,
of the house and looked out upon the
street. It was very cozy room, furnished
with moderate library and writing desk
and a snug fireplace, in which the various
kinds of wood snapped and blazed In
their season. An armchair made out OF
twisted boughs of hickory stood by the
fireplace. In this room the minister spent
most of his time, for the years had added
to his load until he was glad to retire
from his family, and 50 lose sight Of their
strange and painful condition. So, after
having finished his sermon. for the COM
ing Sunday and read for the hundredth
time his favorite volumes, he wss wont
to move his great arm chair from the
table to the side Of the fireplace, and,
leaning back in its capacious depths,
give himself up to thought. Here. sur.
rounded by the cheerfulness which every
work-room gives, the minister could al
times forget his sad affection and grow,
for few minutes, comparatively happy.
But generally in these ha!f-hours In the
dusk he sat brooding over his trials and
disappointments and the calamity which
had fallen upon his family. The dim
suspicious entertain ed ten years ago had
been increased and rendered more vivid
by the perusal of such works as Cotton
Mather, and frequently after his sermons
were finished he INDUCED in long sittingss
by his fire pouring over those stories OF
witches and witchcraft which 80 stirred
New England and spread fear over her at
the beginning Of her life.
It was a cool evening in early autumn
in fact, the anniversary Of the trial
with which our story opens, although
Mr.. Granville did not remember it. The
trial itself, however, was very distinct in
his mind, as was every point In his ene-
my@ life. The man had spent long hours
meditsting upon this one absorbing
theme, and recalling every event or word
in Mark Hillary's life, until he had be-
come a monomaniac, NJ and the thought OF
this rough wood-chopper was scarcely
ever absent from his mind. Every scrap
of intelligence concerning him had been
carefully preserved and studied. Every
word the man had ever uttered in the
ministers hearing, or in the hearing Of
any who would communicate it to the
minister, had been noted and dYelt upon
during these after-sermon m:ditations.
He had made a study of the mans life,
curing into his antecedents minutely.
But oil this was nothing compared with
the awful anxiety his disappearance gave.
Long hours the minister sat in his study
speculating upon it. Sometimes he
paused at the end of q paragraph in his
sermon to gaze abstra ctedly out Of the
window and recall that last act in Mark
Hillary's life.
Then, again, this was favorite theme
for his evening reveries, and often ex-
tended them far into the night, until his
family, and, indeed, all Saenauck, were
wrapt in sleep. So the poor man wearily
wore his life away.
On this particular evening be had been
even more troubled by his gloomy
thoughts. In his imagination he could
feel an unseen presence in the very room,
and in his heart hope died, as he said to
himself:
THE man or his spirit is near"
This feeling was so strong that he
arose and did what at no time before had
he courage to do, or wnlca nls sense OF
honor would allow. He went to his desk
and took out a little package which had
been intercepted on its way to Dorothea
two years before This evening he tore
off the wrapper, and in his hand laV
piece Of birch bark, such as was often
used by the Indians and by some set
tiers for writing paper. Upon this bit OF
birch was this sentence:
-Dorothea: Obey the one who keeps
you O, nd the one who watches over you,
but whom you cannot see, will always
provide for you"
-'Obey the one who keeps YOU That
is dsmning, murmursd the minister,
and his lips turned pale. Tits message
from the evil one, and have had it con-
cealed in my desk. No wonder we have
been afflicted But, is it not necessary,
he continued. after q pause during which
he was plunged in deep thought, is it
not necessary that I keep it for testi-
mony2"
But while he was yet undecided wheth.
or TO cast the evil bark into the fire, or
lay it away and brave the danger in the
work of convicting witch, the case was
settled by rap at the door, and, hastily
opening it, he admitted the pioneer
Squire.
lister said; you have come just as
wanted you. I have for some months
wished to speak to you upon a subject
that is troubling me. Sit down, I pray
you.
You remember Mark Hillary, who
disappeared ten years ago. he continued,
after his guest was seated in front of the
,lazing fireplace; "and You are also well
iware of the strange manner in which my
.hild has been afflicted"
Does she grow no better as she te-
comes older?"
Not at all. In lodily health she is
iome stronger, but her attacks have
taken more violent form. At one time
might have considered her frail health
Is the cause, but as she grows stronger
her whole soul shows itself to be in an
abnormal condition. If I could have
doubted it at first, when she was i'll. I
cannot now, when she is we'll. My poor
child, I fear, is the victim Of the Evil
One"
And who do you suspect?"
His daughter"
The pronoun may seem Tery indefinite,
but it was not TO the Squire.
Just before you entered T was reading
q note which I want to show you. I
have kept my eye on this daughter, and
have discovered, among other things,
that she is in communication with some
one, we know not whom, unless it is as
] suspect. This note, which wish to
show you, was intercepted. l have kept
it in my desk for some time, but tonight
opened it. See what convicting docu-
ment it is," and the minister handed the
birch bark to the Squire. ''Obey" 1t
it is written by one who has authority.
obey the one who keeps you. Who is