Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-08-19

We close our eyes anu go 10 sleep
Ah: me, the grave is still and deep.
TIse. Iron Safe of San Francisco.
live in San francisco, and am a lock
smith by trade. My calling is strange
ons eandpossesses a certain fascination
rendering If enc of the most agreeable
pursuits. Many who follow it see moth
ing in it. but labor-think. of nothing but
its. return in gold, and silver To me ii
has other charms than the money it-pre
duces. | am called upon almost daily
u. epen doors and peer into long neg
ected,apartments; to spring the stubborn
locks Of safes, and gloat.upop; the treas.
:. nses piled within; to quietly enter the
apartments of ladies with more beauty
than discretion, and pick the. LOCKS OF
drawers containing peace-destroying mis-
; siTes, that. the dangerous evidence OF
wandering affection may not reach the
+. eye of q husband ora father. possessing
theemystic key; to force the faStenings
of cash-boxes and repositories of records,
telling of men made suddenly rich, Of
=. corporations plnndered. or orphans rob-
bed, of hopes crushed, of families ruined.
Is there no charm in thi$Anos food for
speculationa 'Fhen who would not be a
locksmith, though his face is begrimed
with the SCOT Of the forge, and his hands
are stained with rust.
But have story to tell--not exactly
--asstorx implies the completion as we'll
as the beginning of narrative, and mine
is scarcely more than the. introduction to
one. Let him who deals in fancy write
therest. In the spring Of 1861 think
it was in April opened q little, shop
ON Kearney street, and soon. worked my
r.self into fair business Late one eve
ming, lady, closely yelled, entered my
shop, and pulling from beneath her cloak
"a small! japanned box, requested me to
!, open it. The lock was >curiously con-
atracsed, and | was all Of an hour fitting
it with 8 key. The lady seemed nervous
ct the delay, and at length requested me
TO close the door. i was q little surprised
as the suggestion, but of course complied.
Shutting the door, and, returning to my
s#ork, the lady withdrew her veil, dis
closing as sweet face as can well be
imagined. There was q. restlessness in
the eye and o pallorin. the cheek, how.
ever, which plainly told Of heart i'll at
case, and in moment every emotion for
Der had given place to that of pity.
~ Perhaps you are, not well, madam,
and the night air is too chilIys {" said |,
rather inquisitively. / felt a rebuke in
her reply:
q In requesting you to close the door.
| had no other object than to escape tn
attention of the persons passing"
did not reply, but thoughtfully con-
tinued my work. She resumed:
The little box contains valuable pa
pers-private papers-and / have lost
the key, or it has been stolen. should
not wish to have you remember that |
ever came here. on such an errand," she
continued with hesitation, and giving me
look which was no difficult matter to
understand.
s.s-.lsrtainly, madam, if you desire it;
il eannot forget your face, will at
tempt to lose the recollection Of ever
seeing it here"
TbeladY. bowed rather coIdly at what
IAcousidered. a ine compliment, and |
proceeded with my work, satisfied that q
sudden discovered partiality for me had
nothing to do with the visit. Having
succeeded, after much filing and fitting,
instnrntng ,the lock-. was seized with
curiosity to get.a glimpse -at-the present
contents of the box and suddenly raising
the lid discovered o bundle Of letters and
. dasuerreotype, as slowly passed the
h5y.to it's owner. She seized-it hurriedly,
and plnci1g the LISTERS and picture in her
Socket, locked the box, and drawing the
veil over her face pointed TO the door. |
.opened-it, and as she passed into the
street, she merely whispered" Remem-
ber.." We met again, and, | have been
thus particular in describing her visit to
the shop, to- render probable a subse-
quent recognition.
About two o'clock in the morning, in
hetattef part of,ths May following, |
$as awakened by q. gentle tap on the
window Of the little room back Of the
little shop where lodged. Thinking of
burglars, | sprang out of bed, and in a
omohens was al; the window, with heavy
shainmer in. nay hand, which usually
kept at that time within convenient reach
osnlS bedside.
SWhos there-2" Inquired, raising
the hammer, and peering out into the
darkness, for it was as dark. as Egypt
when under the curse of lsrael's, God.
Hist !" exclaimed figure, stepping
in front of the window; g g open the door !:
have business for you"
"Rather.past business hours | should
say but who are youP
e...Np one that -wonld sharm you," re-.
turltd the voice, which fsimagined was
,rJfhsr feminine for. a burglars.
Nor one that cat" ! replied rather
semphaticalIy, by way Of warning, as