The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-07-24


pointment, but:there was something even
handsome in the large gray eyes and the
4 broad forehead, from which swept the
neglected white hair So -
There was an@imperative question con-
:cerning my intrusion in his eyes as ne ne
looked at me. Ihastened to say
HI learned that you were ILL and alone,
and : came to see if might do something
for YOU. You will allow. me TO send Tor '5l y q;
= % ann not i'll enough for physician. /
shall do very well without help. sup
pose you mean kindly
s. Had 1 meant otherwise l should have
bIancheds before his earnest, searching
look. did not reply to his words save
by meeting that glance with the honesty
| of my purpose in my eyes.
"If you will not allow me. to get doc.
tor" I said, at last, "is there nothing l
can do to make you comfortable
ssI don't know anything. My limbs are
paralyzed, and must lie here.
17eI1e spoke with an attempt at resigna-
l;tion that had great deal OF. impatience
init.
Notwithstanding his words, there was
something SO despondent and weary about
Ehis appearance that I did not like to take
this as my dismissal. AS fingered, nm
l.certain what to do, he asked with sudden
asperity: .,,a go.
s.How did you know I wasiH? Maggie
has been blabbing.0 . - J;
gaIf Maggie is thesittle girl, she did tell
Eme, sir. She was very much frightened,
as was natural.
i spokemore boldly than had inten,
ded, for though felt strange, weird
power about the house and its occupants,
II did not feel afraid of him.
81 suppose the child is 6dgety, shut up
Iiso close" he muttered, with Il half groan,
land moving bis head wearily, "but.I can't
have this house full tot people now
aBut if you are ill ?o / said..sI had
seated myself at. his bedside, and was
Hooking full at him. -.
He Interrupted my remark by saying
Iquickly:.ss.Do you work for living?"
Eyes, sir"
What do you do2"
81 write.
aWhat do you write ?1 with curious
/ glance at my hands.
aStories, reviews-anything can" 8
aAnd you get money Z"
ga little--1 live"
sAnd that is all, Of course. You look
very honorable. Are:you?"
was silent, for I did not know what to
SAY, and / could not imagine at what he
Twas driving
.ssAre :yon honorabler' he repeated.
ssirry me, if you please" lsaid flush
mounting to my cheek at his intense
scrutiny.
"You- have offered to help me; now we
will see; if you will,," he said, and / wait
Led vividly interested.
"How much do you generally earn in q
week ?s
: I.named the sum.
,"I will give you that and insure you
against losing any situation if you will
stay here q few weeks. T don't want you
ito work Iexpect to be helpless a long
while. Will you stay here, and when one
Ewhom expect shall come, will. you re-
Fceive him and keep him secreted in the
1.house until he can get away" !"
i 5hesttated. The proposition was so
strange that / could not;at first say any
thing. I w.ssinclined: to refuse, and he
saw it. ~. :;
.Yous offered to help the sick old man, !"
he said, ironically but whenshep proposes
! the only way in which you can do so--a
I:sirpIe;y innocent wa y-yon retreat. -
.sIff IL retreat, it is. because Il fear it; is
.notinnocetlt, j. exclaimed, indignantly.
He smiled for the first time, and insuch
way L knew he did not think less OF me
for the exclamation.
but Iswear to you chat what | ask of
You is. entirely innocent, he said, with
I.earnestness. ,"Could I ask q girl to do
what was not 2" zs4s.5 81
Hooked at him, and felt that be spoke
the truth, and there was something in his
request so strange as to be rather attrac-
tive. IS Z.
s"That person whom yousexpect is not
4 a criminal2",I asked
s.Never" he said, with indignant fire
/ flashing in his eyes. 80
lThen will stay, I replied, rising to
return to my lodgings. 4;
/ Sand you WILDE silent 2" he asked. de
tanning nae with "a glance. 1 promised,
/ and went down stairs, letting myself ont
alone, and hurried across they wet street.
IL was now dark, and the street. lamps
were shining in at my room.
/ thought had done very curious
] thing, but T did not feel that I had done
a wrong one. / put my room to rights
conscious of an exhilerating interest," very
(: different from the stagnant indifference
that had been mine so long .,4s-
I felt that 1 was to be- surrounded for q
while with slightly mysterious influences
Ebut no premonitory fate warned me how
] completely my destiny was to be chang.
/ ed-how. the next few weeks were to