Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-01-31
CHAPTER XIII.
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CHAPTER XIII.
SCETrI AND SOUTH.
think for cnccin his life Mr.. Maurice
Raymond was nonpluscd Eowever
he speedily recovered.
"Ahr' he cried, "you sly little Puri.
tan, eaves,!roDpinS were you? Do you
tfiri; that is Il Eicc trick for good little
girls:''
Sir" | sail .sticly, Il &n neither a
Puritan Tor {; good little girl"
No. lie &si;c,! good hu!noredly, "are
you .tEen Il pagan and Il bad little giri:'
PLEASE remember am not on the
witness stand ! retorted. 'and do not
try TO mu,idlc me with vain questions.
At this he shouted with laughter.
Il am glad you find me amusing"
said, with considerable severity.
II do," he cried. You are delicious
with your prim little ways. and your
stiff little speeches, and your dear little
face"-
"Sir!" exploded.
pardon me, my child. have nc
right to speak of you in that way. But
come" catching my hands in his and
drawing me away from the window,
"tell me, how came you to be spying
and eavesdropping?"
81 was not spying" l sputtered indig-
nantly. 81 was reading there when you
came in. l wish now l had ma5s1Ss
| ,roconoa I'm o,,5 +1,o+ l,o6 ,,o+ baa,,
witness of your objectionable severity
to that poor, wretcheu, half mad wo-
man."
"Ohl She is half mad, is she?" he
asked, assuming his puzzled and ques-
tioning air.
"Why, cannot you see her condition
for YOURSELF" asked. "And I must say
that while it is just as well she should
know that you have remarked her cruel
ty toward Daphne l think you might
have been less harsh with her. Poor Por.
tia is not to blame. She is the victim OF
some dreadful spell cast over her by those
vile creatures, those voodoos in Dead
Mans swamp"
Mr.. Raymond caught me by the shoul-
ders and bent his head to scrutinize my
face.
"What do you know, child" he NUT,
tered, "of Dead Mans swamp and the
people there? You couldn't have been in
that CHASTITY place"
mo-" replied, 81 havenot been there,
but know enough about it and the bale.
full influence it has exerted on my poor
friends life. My desire is to save Por.
tia, to see her restored to her right mind
and bring her once more to her husband
and child"
"Why, so is mine," he answered, with
curious expression.
"Well, this is no way to go about it, u
[said, ito fly at 4 crazy woman, call her
vampire, taunt her, alarm her, talk
about claiming her in a cell and all that.
To be sure, it's just like man. You are
not to blame, | suppose, for your
brusquerie, which amounts almost to-
to- hcsitated.
"Well, we'll, out with it! Let's hear
the dreadful word," he cried.
Brutality" said.
$50 l was brutal, was r. he asked.
"Indeed you were. Ihad no idea that
a courteous gentleman could behave sc
villainously to suffering woman"
"Well. now, tell me-" said Mr.. Ray,
moId quite solicitously fancied, chow
should have approached Portia?"
at is quite right to be firm and de-
cidod with her." ] answered. II think
myself she needs Il strong hand. You
can see for yourself how little attention
her husband pays to her, and | blame
Colonel Marchmont greatly for this de.
plorable state Of affairs. He neglects
his wife, treats her with contempt and
coldncss. What can man expect;
Why, | heard him say dreadful thing
to her one evening. She was dancing in
The hall-somewhat boisterously, to be
;ure"-the blood rushed to my face as ]
recalled that abandoned dance-'and he
told her that her dancing was more suit.
able to the orgies of Dead Nuns swamp
than to gentleman house.
"Quite right, too" intcrposed Mr..
Raymond.
"Oh, you are as bad as he" l said, and
it suddenly occurring to me that Maui
rice was still holding my hands tried to
draw they away, but he only frightened
his grasp.
Don't, Prudence" he said very quiet
ly, "don't take your hands away. Poor
little fragile claws" looking down on
them, 81 could easily crush them, but
they are good hands" He suddenly bent
his head and kissed them.
1t was the first caress had ever re-
ceived from any one save Portia and
Daphne, trembled, and with an effort
released myself and left him, going over
to the fire.
Mr.. Raymond followed, but did not at
tempt to touch me. He took up his
station opposite me on the rug, and
leaning his arm on the mantel said:
POSSIBLY l was too severe with her;
but, rs you say, she needs strong hand.
She must not be allowed to harm little
Daphne, must she!"
"Oa no account" | replied quickly.
.':c;:::..c tii::.a.t night I have watched anil