Do you know of any one, now, who has
been hired to put me to death?" said he, smiling.
"Don't talk so, dear; remember, 'In the midst of life we are in death.' It
was only this morning I learned that Celeste--you remember Celeste, don't
you?--I cannot recall her last name."
"No, dear, I really can't say that I do remember whom you refer to."
"I can bring her to your recollection, I think," continued she. "One
afternoon last fall we were riding together on the Augusta-road, when you
stopped to admire a very neat cottage, before the door of which two pretty
children were playing."
"Oh, yes, I remember something about it--I admired the children so
excessively that you became quite jealous."
"I don't remember that part of it," she continued. "But let me tell you my
story. Last week the father of the children started for Washington; the
cars ran off the track, and were precipitated down a high embankment, and
he and some others were killed. Since his death it has been discovered that
all his property was heavily mortgaged to old MacTurk, the worst man in the
whole of Savannah; and he has taken possession of the place, and thrown her
and the children into the slave-pen, from which they will be sold to the
highest bidder at a sheriff's sale.
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