Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-10

Ou can got IL, auuI uohuJ. 1hks
Topmark's there right now-jest went.
You better hurry an ketch him. Like
as not the man that called him didn't
want nothin much-ter ask the way er
buy 5 cents wuth of stuff" Mrs. Top
mark said, walking to the piazza steps,
Just outside of which stood weazened
old black woman, leaning upon crook
handled stick and holding curiously
aloof from herself big bunch Of q
strange looking herb. 1t was ragged
and dropping, yet the glimmering light
showed here and there amid the tangle
of stems knots Of bloom half withered
and of livid, reddish yellow. The bear
er of it had thin, clawlike hands and
shut, strong, yellow teeth upon the stem
Of a cob pipe Setting one foot on the
middle step, she said meditatively:
81 lowed ter fine Marse Ben right
yere on de po'oh wild you. Dat how
come I fotched him dis yere passel er
truck. He say t'urro day he want er
bunch er dem swamp yarbs''-
"Leave 'em with me. I know he's
been wantin 'em. He's sure ter give
you all the Ticker you want fer bringin
'em, Aunt Pbemy." Mrs. Topmark said
kindly. "You lay 'em right there on
the steps. I'll tell him ter put 'em in
the lumber house soon as ever he comes
in. He wants 'em ter drive away rats.
We're pestered ter DEATH
"Sayl Don't talk erbout death wild
de moon jest risin an she er-dwindlin, "
Aunt Phemy returned, with little half
shudder. But she dropped her lids low.
er than ever as she went on: "I'll lay
um right yere on de groun, Miss Lou
izy, an don't you let dem li'l children
or yourn play wild no pieces er um.
Dee's-dee's bad bout maxim sores on
i'l', tender hands,.
As she hobbled away Mrs. Topmark
smiled, then sighed deeply and put her
arms above her head. II don't know
what is the matter with me-" she said
to herself. "I've got the most curious
feelin, jest like was afraid of some
thin. do hope Mr.. Topmark will come
back soon, but for fear he shouldn't I'D
better put the p'ison YARDS where they
can't hurt the Children. Oh, my, don't
they smell!' as strong, half fetid odor
came to her nostrils from the weedy
things she had taken up and was look
ing curiously over. "No wonder rats
don't like the stuff. 1t makes me sick.
But I'll put it in place before it loses
strength. 1"
Still holding the herbs, she got Ian
tern, lighted it and went toward de-
tached building in the yard. Some little
time later she came back with only the
lantern. She set it down heavily and al
most dropped into her chair. calling to
the black nursemaid as she did it:
"Ca'line, you tend ter the children.
I'm goin ter stay in the air till I feel
better"
Someway she did not feel better.
The herbs had been bound together with
long, thready cat brier. Her hands
had got more than one prick from the
thorns. Each Of the wounds began to
throb and send darting pains through
her. Her sight dulled. At last she saw
only flaming circles before her eyes.
She tried to cry aloud, but could only
moan thickly, though she heard with
preternatural clearness through the open
window overhead Ca'line singing her
flock asleep with:
"Birdeye lady, sooner in de morninl
Birdeye lady, sooner in dc mornin!
Birdeye lady, don't you try ter stop me!
I'm gwine crway when It's sun up in de
mornin"
The sound became blurred. like the
light. In vain the listener tried to rise.
Her feet were leaden. her hands weigh
ed so she had no motion in them, yet
there were fine twitches flying moment
ly through and through them. With a
last glimmer of consciousness she clincb-
ed them upon the chair arms and tried
to lift herself to q standing posture.
Cold'sweat ran from her face, but there
was fire in each vein. Blind, stif1ed,
deathly faint, she could only propel her
self far enough from her seat to fall q
gasping, twitching heap upon the floor
beside it.
Aunt Phemy hobbled off muttering
under her breath. As she passed through
the trim, green painted gate in the
white fence she half turned and looked
back at the woman she had left. She
even halted as though she would &c
back, but after second shook her head
and hobbled on, muttering more vigor-
ously than ever "Wait, Phemy," she
said half aloud as she came near the
store. "Don't you 60 bulgin in dar.
Mabby you amt wanted. Time fer you
ter 20 in when dem whut is in comes
out"
With that she moved to seat herself
upon a remnant log of the wood pile
some five feet from the door. But before
she was down she caught sound that
drew her irresistibly to the small Win
dow around the corner. 1t was open as
to sash, but had thick wooden shutters,
now tightly barred. A minute Aunt
Phemy listened beneath it, then gave a
smothered snort and hobbled back to
the door, outside which she stopped to
say to herself: "Knock, Phemy. Ell
doe kills you fer it. you better had find
out eff dat ole Miss Annis er her ghost
in dar talkin wild Ben Topmark. "
Then she gave laundering rap.
When the door was set cautiously aJar,
she thrust her foot within and pushed
it wide, saying, with sniff:
"'Tain't des nobody but me, Teddy
Barton. You needn't ter be 'fraid. Why,
de lawsy, Marse Ben! How come you
yere in de sto' dis time er nightf"
| ooh. that You. Aunt Phemy? Come