The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-01-08

sAnd with that he almost caushcd my
hand. I yelled with pain.
"'It hurts, does it? growled the old
man, savagcly. Not SO soft and tender
as the hand you expected to squeeze you
vilain.''
"Bcforo this | had been too much sur
prised to speak; now I cried out angriy:
e'Lct my hand alone, Major Shorter.
What right have you to treat me IN this
"Rlghtp he shouted, right! zounds
sir, what right have you to stick your
hand into my window? Pve notion to
have YOU arrested rs a thief
Take. care, sir" exclaimed. trying to
wrench my hand from him. "You may
regret this" -,
await till I get out there, and I'll make
You regret it,"
,"nc released my hand, and started to
come out after me, but | did not walt tor
him, so l took to my heels.
"The next day received note from
the major. 1t was short and sweet, and
somewhat to this effect:
"SIR You are an impudcnt black.
guard. In chasing you last night l tell
and hurt my leg, which prev mo from
seeing you this morning write now to
inform you that if | catch you lurking
around my house again, l shall certainly
shoot you.
every respectfully yours,
JOHN SHORTER"
"This letter, especially after my expo
ricnce of the previous night made me feel
very uncomfortable, but | consoled my
self with the reflection that you must
catch a man before you can hang him.
set to work to devise another plan, and
when | had arranged it to my satisfac-
ton, communicated it to Jenny by slip
ping a note into her hand at church.
In the rear of Major Shorter's dwelling
was an alley. The back building extend
ed to this alley, and in the second story
was a window overlooking it. I asked
Jenny in my note TO tie her letters to
string and lower them from this window,
after dark / would then get them, and
tic my letters TO the string in return.
This plan worked admirably for while,
but, like the other, was not to last long.
One evening I had just tied my letter to
the string, when was startled by a loud
bang from the window above, and a
smarting in my hands. Away | sped fol
lowed by another report. | heard the
old man shouting after me, but did not
wait to hear what ho had to say. When
I got home examined my hands, which
smarted painfully, but the wounds were
very slight; the major had evidently
loaded his gun with salt, which while it
was quite painful at first was not danger
Gus. / sorcly attempted to retaliate upon
him, and givo him thrashing; but the
reflection that such o course might lose
my Jenny, determined mo to take it as
quietly as possible l encountered the
major on the street the next day but al
though he called to me that he wished to
see mo, I avoided him. l had had enough
of him for some time to come.
III did not see or hear from Jenny for
at least Il month after this AT last / TO-
ceived a note from her one morning, tell
inc me to come to the house that night,
that her father had left the city and would
not return until next day.
"When night camo | hastcncd to the
house, and was met by Jenny at the door.
| spent pleasant evening with her, and
was just rising to go away, when we
heard the front door open.
80, dear, there's papa now. What
shall we do?'' asked Jenny, in alarm.
''Wc had no time to lose, so l told her
to be quiet, and concealed myself behind
tho sofa.
:'Tho Major came in directly after, ami
scoinr Icnny's anyions and furricd look.
at once suspected tho cause Of it. He
seated himself on the sofa behind which
1 was concealed, and heard him give an
angry grunt. 1t was clear my presence
was known to him.
"Jennie, DEAR he said. ego into the
kitchen and tell Tom to bring mo buck
ct of hot water.''
"Shall I tell him to take it mp to your
room, papa?" asked Jenny, trcmulously.
"No, dear, tell him to bring it hcrc.''
eIn the parlor, % she began
lie cut her short and replied sharply:
"Yos, in the paror. Tell him to bo
quick aboutit. Goalong girl. What are
you hcsitating about 2"
"Jcnny left the room, and as she went
out heard hor crying. | was confdont
the old man wanted to scald me, and had
no idoa Of waiting quietly for him to do
so. Still it was no oasy matter to retroat
I glanced up over the sofa TO take look
at the state of affairs. Tho Major waa
sitting with his back to me, and his face
to the door through which Jenny had
disappeared He knew well where I was
concealed. but paid no attention to me, so
sure was he that lie had mo in his clutch
es. My position was desperate, and so
was the resolution | formed
"While his back was still turned to me,
| [ nnranr 10 MY feet. and .civinm the snt:; q