Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-04-12
The Story Tellsr.
A CAROLINA GHOST STORY.
Why Young Physician Changed
His Residence.

Why Young Physician Changed
His Residence.
Il admit, gentlemen, that appear
ances are against me. Jeer at me, If
you like. l am not in position to re-
sent it. But, as God is my judge,
protest that l am no coward. / fear
no living man. But, gentlemen, can
man defend himself against the dead?
No man doubted the bravery OF
James Gunter; yet he was right when
he declared that the situation in which
he found himself was not an enviable
one. Five years before. fresh from
one Of the most renowned medical
schools Of the country, he had settled
in this community and taken up the
practice of his profession. From the
first his extraordinary talent had been
recognized. An enthusiast by nature,
we'll born, possessed of an attractive
personality, favored in mind and body,
deeply In love with his profession, he
had quickly made himself a part of
the community and his practice grew
apace. Everybody liked young DR..
| Gunter: everybody wanted him when
they were i'll. He had but one fault to
mar his character, and that seldom
manifested itself; he rarely cherished
an enmity, but when he did he was as
Sindictive as an Indian.
Clearly, however he was now due
the community an explanation. For
this morning when the earliest Of the
merchants had come to open his store
ne had found lying in front of the viii
lage inn the doctors sorrel mare,
Nellie, sprawled stiff in death. No
need to ask how. The lather Of bloody
sweat, now dry, which covered poor
Nellie's sides, the jagged marks Of the
cruel spurs, bore testimony to that.
But why" DR.. Gunter was the most
humane of men. Why, then, had he
ridden his petted horse to the death?
Naturally the village was excited.
It does not tai much to excite a place
the size of Yorkville some sixty years
ago. AS the storekeepers struggled
down to begin the days business
crowd gathered about the dead animal
and dozens of theories were advanced
to account for its condition. Here the
doctor. who lodged at the inn, found
them when a half hour later he came
out on the street
There are no secrets in a village.
This DR.. Gunter well knew, and he
knew also that the inquiring glances
which were fixed upon him as he join
ed the group would soon be followed
by open questions which could not be
evaded. Therefore he did not hesi-
tate.
well, gentlemen" he began, II see
you are specializing as to Nellie's
plight. Poor Nellie; heaven knows II
grieves me to see you as you ere! But
neighbors, remembering the experience
I underwent last night I can only
wonder that l am not myself even as
is poor Nellie there. So strange was
1t, so terrible, that / have difficulty
even now to convince myself that am
awake and not dreaming.
II was called late yesterday after
noon to attend the wife Of Tom Nc
Ginniss over on Bullock's Creek. She
| was desperately. i'll when I got there
and 1t was long after midnight before
was able to leave. The moon was
shining brightly and as logged along
on Nellie's back was as wide awake
as am at present and whistling mer-
rily, for I had left Mrs. McGinniss
thoroughly relieved and resting peace
fully.
Presently we drew near to old
Bethesda churchyard. And here, gen.
tlemen, must confess to having ex-
hibited feelings which do me no credit
heartily ashamed. 1t is we'll known to
all of you that for the last two years
of his life no love was lost between
myself and Amos Gregory who died
last week. He wronged me bitterly
and without the slightest justification
or excuse for having done so. That is
known to all Of you. l was never able
to forgive him while he lived. l never
sought to do so. With his death, how
ever, 1 should have ceased to consider
the matter.
II did not. 1 cannot say that I
have brooded over it, but the truth is
that I had nothing but hatred in my
heart for Amos Gregory. alive or
dead. So 1t was, therefore, that as I
passed Bethesda churchyard where he
was buried on Thursday last l looked
towards his new-made grave and
shaking my fist at it 1 said aloud:
There lies as foul knave as ev-
er drew the breath Of life!'
Imagine If you can my feelings,
when 1 tell you that no sooner had
the words left my mouth, sounding
strangely harsh and discordant in the
still quiet Of that lonely country road,
than up from the grave of Amos
Gregory rose Amos Gregory himself.
You lie, James Guntern he shout
ed; damn you, you lie!'
What was 1 to do. What would
any one Of you have done? Shall a
man handy words with the dead? I at
least will not l put spurs to my
horse and as 1 dashed down the road
l looked back to see Gregory wrapped
in his grave clothes, numbering after
me. shaking his fists and screaming
malcdictions at the top of his voice.
The rest is horrid nightmare. 1
was overcome by a fear the like Of
which never tugged at my heart be-
fore. l scarcely know how travarsed
the seven miles which lie between
here and the churchyard. l must
have spurred poor Nellie the entire
way. You see the result.