Newspapers / North Carolina Argus (Wadesboro, … / Jan. 15, 1863, edition 1 / Page 1
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J. .-V 'i- i i .WHOLBJO.-213. V v fur i v I . m I IBS v, . -. - i ..; nALLOR,U TOR P.ULAR., AN IRISH STORT. ' Dy tho writer of the DUry of an Eanuvee." .- V- ; ' .-- VoI net before her, she chanced to see the eyes "xittWolJ' Woman fixed jtpon the ruorsel In her hand with such an envious 4 and famished look, that from a sodden impulse of benevolent feeling, she instantly -heMJtout to her. The-woman started, drew back her extended hand; and gazed at her wildly. , " What is it then ails je ?" said Cathleen, look iujj at her. with wonder ; then to herself, 44 huu ' ger's turned the wits of her, poor soul ! Take it take it, mother' ad Jed she aloud : 41 eat, pood 'mother; sure there'flCpleuty for us all, and to 'spare," and she pressed it upon her with all the (kindness of her nature." Tho old woman eagerly sclied it. ? " ". r Cod reward ye,' wild she, grasping Cathleen's hand, convulsively, and retiring to a corner, she devoured the food with almost wolfish voracity. While they wen eating, the two I logins, fath er" ad! ton came in. They had been' setting snares for rabbits and game on the neighbouring ' Villi; and evidently were botrritariled and dis pleased to Hud the house occupied ; which since, ftirny Hogan's disgrace with my lord," had been entirely shunned by the people round about. The old man pre the pedlar a sulky welcome. The son, with a muttered curse, went and took his seat in the chimney,' where, turning his bick he set himself .to .chop a billet of wood. The Cthcr was a, lean stooping - figure, 14 bony, and Tguf7"dgrToj rr ho was either deaf or affected deafness. The sou was a short, brawny, thickset man, with features not naturally ugly, but ren dered worse thaiTugly by an expression of lour ing ferocity disgustingly blended with a sort of stupd drunken leer, the effect of habitual intoxi cation. "r " irr r. "". ' ". -"xr-HalSoran stated at them awhile with visible astonishment and indignation, but pity and sor- j row fof a change to lamentable, smothered the old man's wrath ; and as the' eatables were by this time demolished, he took from his side pocket -a tin flask of whiskey, calling to the old woman to boil some water " screeching hot ," that he raight make what ho termed " a jug of .stiff punch 'enough to make a cat tpakc." He offered to (-hare it with his hosts, who did not decline drink ing; arut the noggin went round tq all butCath- ken steps into a. aortof loft, where she showed her two beds standing closo together ; ouo (of these she btimated was for the Pedlar, and tho other wr norseir. flow uatnleen had been born ana bred in an Irish cabin, where the inmates are usually lodged aftcf a very promiscuous fashion; our readers, therefore, will not wonder at tho ar rangemuL Cathleen, however, required that. 'fjjbk wroe kind of skreen should be-placed between the beds. The oU hag at first replied tatbis request with the must disgusting impu uence : out Lath een Insisting the beds were moved asunder, leaving a spaco of abouC two feet between them ; and after a long search a piece of old frieze was dragged out fromvamong some rubbish, and hung up to the low rafters, so as to form a curtain or partition half way across the roooi. Having completed tis arrangement, and wished her 44 a sweet sleep and a iound, and lucky dreams," the old woman prt the lanthorn on the fliKjr, for there was neither chair our table, and left her guest to repose. Cath ecu said her prayers, only partly undress ed herself, and lifting up the woru wit coverlet, lay down upon the bed. In a quarter of an hour af terwards thTiVd!ar staggered into thcroomand as ho passed the foot of her bed, bid God bless her, in a low voice. Ho tlien threw himslfdown on bis bed, in a few minutes, bins judged by his hard .and equal breathing that the old.maa was in a dceo slecn. ; All was qow still iu the house, but Cathlecn could not sleep. She was fevemh ar.d restless: her limbs ached, her head throbbvd and burned, undcuhable fears beset her fancy ; and whenever she tried to compose herself to slumber the faces of the two men she had left below-flitted and glared before her eyes. A sense of heat and suf- leen, who, feverish with travelling, and, besides, disliking ; spirits, would not taste it. The old J'edlar, reconciled to his old acquaintances by this show of good fellowshipLbegtin togrow mer Ty under tho influence of his whiskey-punch : he boasted of his late success in trade, showed "with exultation his almost empty pack, and taking out th(Tonly two handkerchiefs left in ir, throw one -Cat hleenaodtho-othcr-to t he-old i womaw-of the house ; then, slapping his pocket in which a quantity of loosoluoncy was heacd to jingle, he 6wore be would treat- Cathlecn to a good break :fat next morning;, and threw a shilling on the ablo, desiring tho old -woman would provide stirabout for a dozen," and jiaveit ready by the first liht, . . ' Oahlcen listened to this rhodomontado in some alar'; she fancied to detect certain suspicious glances between the father and son, and began to feel an indescribable dread of her company focation, accompanied by a parching thirst, camo over her, caused, perhaps, by tho unusual close- new of the room. This feeling of oppression -hi creased till the very walls aod rafters seemed to approach nearer and closo -.upon her all around. Unableaay lunger to cuduro this intolerable smothering sensation, sho was just-about to rise, and open the door or window, when she heard theTwhispering of voicesviihe lay still aud lis tened. The latch was raised cautiously, the door opened, and tho twojlogans entercdr ihef trod so softly that, though the saw them more before her, she heard no foot tall They approach ed the bed of IIalloran,"and presently sho heard a dull heavy blow, and then sound. appalling sickening sounds as of subdued struggles and smothered agony, which convinced her that they wtvrq murdering the "unfortunate Pedlar. Cathleen listened, almost congealed with hor ror, but shedid not swoon : her turn j, she thought," must come next, 'though In the saino instant sho ielt instincjtiveiy that her only chance or preser- would preserve my life T tnust' keep the sense to me, anJ I did." . Now and, then she fancied she heard the mur dered man move, and creep about in his bed, and this horriblo 'concert almost.maddenodthcr with terror t But "she act herself to listen fixedly, and convinced her reason that all was still that "all was over. . - " She then turned her thoughts to the" pose tbili ty f escape." The window, first suggested itself the faint moon-lmht was iust strunirlinz through its dirty and cob-webbed panes': it was very small, and Cathleen rcflectod, that besides tho difficulty, and, perhaps, impossibility of getting through, it must be some height from the ground : neither could she tell on which side of the house it was situated, nor in what direction to turn,' suppos ing sho reached tho ground ; and, above all she was awaro that the slightest noise, must cause her instant destruction. She thus resolved, up- on remaining quiet. It was moat fortunate that 'Cathleen came to this determination, for without tho slightest pre vious sound the door again opened, and in the faint light, to which her eyeswero now accus tomed, she MWho cnbe-tddwomatt bent forward in a listening attitude : in a few minutes the door closed, and then followed a whispering outside. - She ' could not at first distinguish a word until the woman's sharper tones broke out, though in suppressed vehemence, with ',If ye ti'uch her life, Darny; a mother's curse go with y z I enough's dono." ' v , - " "She'll live, then, to hang us all," said tho niscreant ton. . ... . . :C""" '. :"'"r"' ' nijrht. 4vatiorK-was-to-couiiterlt4t-profou4-epT murderers, having donj their- work on the- poor neither iaw nor heard any more of them - that Pedlar, approached her bud, and threw, the glcam of their lanthorn full -on her - face ; she lay quite stillj - breathing caJinly -and'-Tegular, I yr : TJjpy brought the light to her eye lids, but tbey ftidf not wink or move.;- there was a pause, a tcrriblo pauseL and then a 'whimpering ; and presently Cathlcen"thouh shj could distinguish a third voice, if as expostulation, but all in so very .low a tone that though tho vuicesR were' closoytc.her she could not hear a.word that was uttered. AL "She arose from the table, urging the Pedlar good humouredly to retire to rest, as lhey intended to le up ami away sqarly next morning ;.then con cealing her apprehensions under an affectation of extreme fatigue and drowsiness, fiho desired to be thown where sho waVto sleep. The old woman a lanthorn, and led ihe 'way up somobro lighted ter some moments, which appeared .an ago of agonising suspense, the wretches" withdrew, and Cathleen was left alonei an din darkness -Then, indeed, she felt as ono ready to die.: to uso her own aflecting language, 4' the heart within roe," saiJshe, " melted away like water, but I was reso lute not to Bwoon, and I did not. knew that Jf I 44 Sooner than that, I'd draw this knife across her throat with my own hands ; and I'd do it again and again ; sooner than they should touch ygur life, lJarny; jewel .but no fear, tho creature's asleep or d 'ad already, with tho fright of it The son then said something which Cathleen Could riot hear ; the old womau rt'plfed, Hi.tht ! I tell ye,. no, no; the ship'snowin tho Cove of Cork that's to carry her over thealt seas far enough out of the way ; and haven't wed all sho has in tho world ? and more, didn't she take the bit out of her own mouth to put into mine V - ... .. The son again spoke inaudibly ; andnthcnlho voices ceased, leaving Cathleen uncertain as to her fatcL . Shortly after the door opened, and the father and son again entered, and carried out the body of tho wretched "Pedlar.-C They seemed to have the art of tread in r without noise. foY tboush Cathlecn saw them move, she could not hear. a sound of a footstep. The old woman wasall this time standing by frer-bed," and every now and then casting the light full upon her eyes; but as she remained quite still, and apparently in a deep It ended at lenglhrthat Iongj ' long night of horror. - Cathleen lay quiet till she thought;-the moruiitg 'sufiicienily advanced. Sho then rose, and went down into the kitchen : tho old woman was lilting a pot oft the fire; and nearly let it fall as Cathleu suddenly addressed her, and with an appearance of surpriso. and concern, asKed lor her friend the Pedlar, saying she had just looked into his bod supposing ho, was still asleep, and to her grout amazement had found it empty. !fho old woman replied, that he had set out at early day light for Mallow, having only just ro mem bered" that his business'callcd him that way before ho went to Cork. Cathleen. affected great wonder and i perplexity and reminded the woman thafTljfc"had promised to pay for her breakfast' , " An' so he did, euro enough' ahe replied, "and paid for M toD: and by the sama tokea did'nt I go down to Balgown'a myself for the milk and the male before the sun - was over the tree tops ; and here it is for ye, ma colleen :" so saying, she placed a bowl of stiraboct and come, millf before Cathlecn, aod .than sat down on the stool opposite to her, watdhing her intently. Poor 'Cathlecn! she bad but little inclination to eat, and felt as if every bit would choke her: yet she continued to force down her breakfast, aud apparently with the utmost ease and appetitr even to the" last morsel set before hen While" eating,she enquired about tho husband and son, , and the old woman replied, that they had started at tho first burst of light to cut turf ia bog, about five miles distant. When Cathleen, had fioished her breakfast, si returned the old woman many thanks for her kind treatment, aod then desired to know the nearest - way to Cork. The woman Ilogan informed her that the distance was about seven miles, and though theusual road was by the high way from . which they had turned the preceding evening, there was a much shorter way across some fields -which she-poiuted out -Cathloenlistenod attea r- tivcly to her directions, and then bidding fare- well with many demonstrations of gratitude, sho proceeded on her fearful journey. The cool morning air, tho cheerful song of the early birds,1 ' the dewy freshness of the turf, were all unnoticed and un felt : tho sense of-daoger was paramount. ... ., while her faculties were all alive and awake to meet it, for a leveiuli and unnatural strengui seemed to auimato her limbs.Sho stepped on shortly debating with herself whether to follow tho - directions given by tho old woman. The high road appealed the safest; on the other hand, she - was aware that the slightest betrayal of mistrust -would perhaps bo followed by her destruction; and thus rendered brave even by the excess of her feurs, she determined to take, the cross path. Just as she had come to this resolution, she reach ed the gate which' -sho had been directed to paw, through . -and without-the -slizht- est apparent nesiiauon, sno turned in, and pur ' sued the lonely way through tho fields'., Often did she fancy she heard footsteps stealthily fol lowing her,nd never approached a hedge with out expecting to .800 the murderers start up from behind it ; yet sho never once turned" her head, nor quickened nor slackened her pace ; . I Like one that, on a Idnsoaie road " Doth alk ia fear iiud dr hd, Becnae t'o.uows frglitful fiend. ; Doth close behind him treadx .' 1 Sho had proceeded in this manner about thrco quarters of a mile, and approached a thick and dark grOvo of underwood, when she beheld seat ed- upon the opposite stile an old woman in a red cloaksThe sigh t of la. h umarjbeiog jma,d e hcr, heart throb more quickly for a moment ; ' but on approaching nearer, with all her faculties sharp ened by the sense of daugtr, she preccived that IrwM'notd woTnan;btf murderer of Halloran, who was thus disguised His face was partly concealed by a blue handker chief tied round his head and jaadhkehin, but. shelkael almost incredible self-possession, she continued to advance without manifesting tho least alarm, or sign of recognition and walking up to tho pretended old woman, said in a clear voice, "Tho blessing of tho morning on yo, good mother I a fioo day for travellers like you and me I" . - " A fine day," he replied, coughing and mumb- I ling in a feigned voice, 4,.but yespe hugh, ugh ! yo soe I'vo walked this mornin' from the Cove To be continued. 4 ''t' I J I .1,1 ' i V V 1 . ; i ! 1
North Carolina Argus (Wadesboro, N.C.)
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Jan. 15, 1863, edition 1
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