believe he loved better than his own soul, made poor Dan completely forget
himself--and made him forget too, in that fatal moment what he afterwards
wished he had remembered. Dan seized a pitchfork and plunged it into young
Tillotson's back; the prongs went in between his shoulders, and one of
them had penetrated the left lung. Young Tillotson expired almost
immediately, and Dan seeing what he had done, ran off at once to the woods
and swamps, and was seen no more for about two months. Mrs. Tillotson, who
had heard Mary scream, was on the balcony, and called out to Dan to know
the cause, Dan made no reply but took to his heels. Mrs. Tillotson alarmed
at this, and suspecting at once that something was wrong, hastened to the
barn, followed by William's wife who happened to be there, and when they
saw poor William's corpse, and Mary standing by, they both fainted. Poor
Mary, frightened to death, turned into the house and informed her young
mistress, Susannah, of what had happened. Miss Susannah spread the alarm,
and called some of the slaves to her assistance. She went to the barn and
found her mother and sister-in-law lying in a state of insensibility, and
her brother William dead. With the assistance of old Aunt Hannah and
several of the female servants, the two ladies were somewhat restored to
consciousness; and William was carried into the house by the servants. The
Doctor himself was away from home attending one of his patients, who was
very sick. When Mrs. Tillotson had somewhat recovered, she sent for Mary
and enquired as to how William came by his death in the barn. Mary told
the whole story as previously related in the presence of about sixty or
seventy of the neighbours, who had collected together on hearing of the
murder. Of course Mary's story met with no credit from her mistress, and
poor Mary stood in the eyes of all as an accomplice in the conspiracy to
murder young Tillotson. When the doctor arrived it was dark, and after
seeing the corpse and hearing from his wife the story that she had made up
for him, he called for Mary, but she was nowhere to be found. The house
and plantation were searched in all directions, but no Mary was