Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-01-11
CHAPTER |.
THE CRY ~ THE NIGHT

The night had grown very dark Black
clouds were drifting over the moon and
fast blotting out the somber light OF the
cold stars.
AS leaned from the carriage and with
straining eyes vainly sought to pierce
the gloom of the night the soughing of
the wind through the great pines fore
told the oncoming storm.
A feeling of intense depression seized
me. Why had come? At this moment
wished myself miles away. What
senseless quest this upon which | had
entered! Suppose were to find my old
friend; would she be glad to see mef
Was it not an objectionable intrusion to
arrive thus, unheralded, at dead of night?
Was there, in fact, any greater imbeclle
on earth than l, driving here, near mid
night, over miles of rough country road
in search of Portia Vane?
Ten years had gone by since Portia
and l were graduated from the Canadian
convrnt in which we had spent four
happy, uneventful years. During that
time we were as inseparable as any
schoolgirl friends. Ihadidolized the beau
tiful, amiable southern girl, whose tales
of plantation life in all its tropical color
and Incidence had completely captivated
me. Born and brought up in a rigid
northern atmosphere the glimpses got
through her conversation and letters OF
Portals home life were visions of fairy
land. Portia was stately, clever and
talented. | was Door, inferior and plain.
But the lovelicst and wealthiest girl in
the convent singled me out as her friend,
and my gratitude and devotion to her
were unbounded.
After our graduation we corresponded
for two years, during which time | was
employed in teaching and laying by
money, for intended some day to visit
Portia in her southern home. She wrote
ne of her approaching marriage, urging
me to be che of her bridesmaids. which
pleasure was forced to forego.
received few letters after her mar
rage, in which she spoke in glowing
terms of her new life. Then heard no
more. We drifted apart, as all school
friends invariably Go.
1t is always the unexpected which
happens. Whoever would have fanc!ed
that from his numerous train of rela-
tives my uncle, John Mason, would have
selected me, poor Prudence Mason, as
the heir to his great property? When |
had finished gasping oyer the Announce.
ment his lawyers made me, my first
thought was of Portia, and that | would
seel, her at once to tell her the good
news. Perhaps we might travel tcSeth-
er; perhaps she was poor and needed as
sistance. Possibly there were children
for whom might do something. Re-
member an obscure plain teacher has
few trends, and never in all my desolate,
colorless existence had so clung to any
human being as to Portia Vane. |
thought of her now as the carriage went
iolting through this wilderness over the
uneven roads, occasionally banging
against stump or the root of tree. |
saw her sweet face and heard again her
gentle voice and remembered all her
gracious and kindly acts.
"Will we soon be there?" I asked my
driver.
He was typical specimen Of the
southern "cracker," and in the monoto-
nous, mellow accents borrowed from the
negroes drawled out:
Putty soon, nla'am. 1t ah bout tu
mile. Soons we uns git by Dead Mans
swamp ye kin see the lights down yon-
dah."
dead Mans swalnp!" repeated in
voluntarily, "What a horrible-a dis
NAL name"
Dismal place, tu," he replied, "thah
hain't white non niggah dah go in thah
at night All sorts o Gurus an awful
COINS on thah."
What do you mean3" asked.
WAL" he droned, 81 hardly know
myself what du mean. Thets it. You
know, ma'am. thet it's the mystery,
thet's what skahs. Now, if ye knows
what's happened, it takes half the scah
off, but if thah's only stories an nobody
willin to find out it's kind o awful
Anyway, kin tell ye this much-thah's
lights seen in thah at midnight and ter
rible sounds heard. An some says, an
they don't hahdly like to whispah the
word, thet thah's whah the voodoos
meet"
"The voodoos?" said.
"Yes, niggahs, ye know, what do un-
earthly things-eat dead babies, tab out
folks hearts an play with sahpents"--
"Oh, don't tell me anything more!" |
exclaimed. "I've read of them"
"Waal, ma'am, it is somethin disgustin
an awful to think on. I'm allus powah-
full glad when I'm past the place"
A few rods farther the great forest
broke away a little, and in the pallid
light l could discern under the scattered
trees stretches of morass, black, Shiny
and filthy. From the gaunt trees the
long gray moss hung like lifeless Igures
dangling and dipping in the sullen sur
face of the stagnant pools. The swamp
seemed interminable, reaching away in
endless gloom under the low hanging
branches. The moon came out from
| the ClOuuS lOr Olo luOlllclI dlIII oOi4o q
cheerless light down on the forbidding
scene, but quickly withdrew, as if
alarmed at what she saw.
1t was a frightful place-weird and
uncanny. The wind shuddered through
the trees, and ghostly shadows seemed to
lurk beneath their swaying, writing
branches.
"What a horrible placer | exclaimed.
Horrible? Yes, this hyah is Dead
Mans swamp" whispered my compan,
ion.
Though | was oppressed by these hid,
eous surroundings, yet was at the same
time unaccountably fascinated, and lean,
ing out looked as far into the black
vistas as the waning moonlight would
permit It seemed to my excited fancy
that the trees beckoned me, and that the
moaning wind muttered that this awful
place held secrets for me. was con-