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The Thurstons of the Old Palmetto State; Or, Varieties of Southern Life. Illustrated in the Fortunes of a Distinguished Family of South Carolina
The Thurstons of the Old Palmetto State Or Varieties of Southern Life Illustrated in the Fortunes of a Distinguished Family of South Carolina Author:John H. Caldwell General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1861 Original Publisher: J. Russell Subjects: American fiction Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-... more »Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER III. WHIT PURDIS. " "TT7"HAT on earth is the matter, Garland?" asked VV Mrs. Thurston, as she approached the gate. "Let me go," said the man on the horse; "you have no right to detain me here." " You shall not go" said Captain Thurston, emphatically, and in an excited tone of voice. " I must, I will go," said the man, and he leaped from the saddle; but the strong hand of Tracy grasped him by the arm, and held him fast. Captain Thurston fastened the horse, and then took the other arm. They led the man into the cottage. He was of diminutive stature, gray eyes, repulsive countenance; and a tangled mass of hair covered his head, and stood out in sharp points like the quills of a porcupine. Finding it vain to struggle against the two powerful men who dragged him into the cottage, he submitted, with an air of sullen reluctance, and seated himself by the partition door, between the two rooms. Mrs. Thurston's heart ached with anxiety to hear an answer to her question. " Matthew," said Captain Thurston, " run over toMr. Fuller's, and tell him to come here immediately. Whit Purdis and Jim Strange have killed his negro man, George. Hasten, my boy, tell him I have secured one of the murderers." " Murderer !" exclaimed the man, with a peculiarly malignant expression, and in a tone which he evidently affected for contemptuous. " Yes," said Captain Thurston, " if I understand the meaning of the term, it is murder." "Is George dead, Garland?" asked his wife. "Yes, Betsy, I saw the poor fellow breathe his last." " Where is he ?" " On the ot...« less