Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-29
TffE PARTISAN
A Romance of the American Revolution
By w. GILMORE s1MMs
CHAPTER XIX.

Ny judgment Is her fear"
Leaving Singleton, as we have seen
as soon as the absence Of Google from
the camp was certainly known, Hum
phries hurried on his returning route
to the village Of Dorchester. Cool and
calculating. but courageous, the risk
which he ran was far from inconsid-
erable. How could he be sure he was
not already suspected: how know that
some escaping enemies had not seen
and given intelligence Of his presence
amcag the rebels; and why should not
the fugitive be already in the garrison
with Proctor preparing the schemes
which were to wind about and secure
him? These questions ever rose In
his mind as he surveyed his situation
and turned over his own Intentions;
but, though strong enough as doubts.
they were not enough as arguments,
to turn him from a purpose which ne
deemed good and useful. II not abso-
lutely necessary. He dismissed them
from his thoughts, therefore, as fast
as they came up. He was man
quite too bold, too enterprising to be
discouraged and driven from his plans
by mere suggestions Of risk; and
whistling as he went a merry tune,
he dashed forward through the woods,
and was soon out of the bush and on
the main road Of the route-not far
from the spot where. in the pause OF
the storm, they had stumbled upon
the half-blood, Blonay.
The tree which the lightning had
stricken just beside the path. was still
in fame The rain could not quench 1t,
as the rich light-wood, traced through
every cavity of the bark by the greedy
fire, furnished a fuel not easily ex-
tinguishable. The flame licked along
the sides, at intervals, up and down,
from top to trunk; at one moment,
lost from one place-the next, furious
II darting upon another. Its blaze
showed him the track through the hol-
low to old Mother Blonay's, and, as he
beheld 1t, a sudden desire prompted
him once more to look into the dwell
ing of the old woman. He was strange
ly fascinated In this direction, partic-
ularly as he remembered the equivo-
cal nature OF the threat which she
had screamed in his ear in regard to
his sister Google. Google, Goggle!"
But that he already entertained much
anxiety In respect to the girl he
would have attached no Importance to
the, unmeaning syllables. But now.
shiver ran through his frame while
he thought upon them!
"She shall tell me what she means! =
he muttered as he went.
Alighting from his horse, he ap-
preached the hovel. hitched the ami
NAL to hanging bough, and, with as
light a footstep as possible, quietly
approached the entrance. Peeping
through an aperture between the loose
logs he gazed upon the inmate. There,
still in her seat beside the fireplace,
she kept up the same croning move
ment. to and fro, maintaining her bal
ance perfectly. yet fast asleep all the
while. Sometimes her rocking would
be broken with start, but sleep had
too far possessed her; and though
her dog barked once or twice at the
approach OF the stranger, the inter-
ruption in her seesaw was but for a
moment. and an incoherent murmur
indistinctly uttered. only preceded her
relapse into silence and slumber as
before. Beside her lay her twin cats
twin in size though not in color-a
monstrous pair. whose sleep emulated
that of their mistress. On bench be-
fore her, clearly distinguishable in the
freight Humphries noted her travel
ing bundle with a staff run through
1t. This. indicated her itinerant hab-
it's, and his conclusion was. that the
old hag. who wandered usually from
plantation to plantation, from hovel to
hovel. pretending to cure or charm
away disease. and taking large collec-
tions in return from the charitable,
the ignorant, and superstitiOus alike
had made her preparations for an ear
~ Journey in the morning. While he
looked. his own superstitious fancies
grew active. and, a cold shiver which
he could not escape, but Of which he
was heartily ashamed, came over him.
and. with a hurried step, he darted
away from the contemplation OF pic
ture he could not regard In any other
light than as one horrible and unholy
Humphries was not the slave OF
feeble and childish superstition; but
the natural influences which AFFECT
the uneducated mind commonly. had
their due force on his. The secret
cause Is always mysterious, and COM
monty produces enervating and vague
fears in the bOsoms OF all that class
Of people who engage in no thoughts
beyond those called for by their every
day sphere and business. So with
him. He had doubts, and in proper
ton with his ignorance were his ap-
prehensions. Ignorance is of all things
the most apprehensive in nature. He
knew not whether she had the power
that she professed. or that any one
could possess such power and MS
active imagination gave her all the
benefit of his doubt. Still he did not
fear No one who knew his usually
bold character his recklessness OF
speech and action, would deem him
liable to any fear from such influences
as We're supposed to belong to the
withered tenant of that isolated hovel
And yet. when he thought upon the
cheerless life which she led and seem
ed to love-when he asked himself
what might be it's pleasures or Its
solace-he could not avoid feeling thai
in it's anti-social evidence lurked the
best proof OF it's evil nature. Where
fore should age, poverty, and feeble
ness fly so far, and look so harshly
upon. the whole world around 1t? Why
refuse its contiguity?-Whyd deny. why
shrink away from the prospect OF Its
comforts and it's blessings? Why
unless the mood within was hostile