The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-03-27

had not, he concluded that, recollect-
ing the address he had mentioned,
he had gone stright to his mothers
home; this seemed probable, and yet
he felt degree of dismay and alarm
which he had never before eApe-
rienced even when there were good
grounds for such feelings.
The more he thought of this, how
ever, the more probable it seemed,
and he blamed himself as he walked
quietly homewards for not having
thought of it sooner. He remember
ed the anxiety his brother had ex-
pressed to see their mother, the plan
they had discussed for their all being
together, and the many little schemes
of future happiness which they had
talked over in their hurried inter
view, and in all of which he was COM
prised. He reached home, and COM
posing himself as we'll rs he could,
entered the little room in which he
usually supped after the play. His
brother was not there; but his mo-
ther was, and as she looked much
paler than usual, he thought she had
seen him.
"Well, mother" he said, shas
anything strange occurred here to-
night?"
''No, nothing that I have heard
Of"
"What no stranger arrived; no
long-lost relative recovered?" ex-
claimed Grimaldi, oil his former ap-
prehensions returning.
"What do you mean?"
"Mean! Why that John is come
home safe and well, and with money
enough to make all our fortunes"
His mother screamed wildly ut this
intelligence, and tainted. She re-
covered after q time, and Grimaldi
recounted to her and his wife the
events of the evening, precisely as
they are here narrated.
They were greatly amazed ut the
recital. The mother held that he
would be sure to come before the
night was over; that he had p badly
met with some of his old friei S, and
would be there after he had left
them. She insisted that Grimaldi.
who was tired, should 60 to bed, while
she sat up and waited for her son.
He did so, and the mother remained
all through the long winter night
axiously expecting his arrival
This may appear long story, but
its conclusion invests it with de-
gree of interest which warrants the
details. The running away to sea of
n young man, and his return after
lapse of years, is, and ever has been,
no novelty in this island. This is
not the burden of the tale. 1t pos
ssessed an awful interest to those
whom it Immediately concerned, and
cannot fail to have some for the most
Indifferent reader.
From that night in November,
1903, to this month of January,
1868, the missing man was never
seen again, nor was any intelligence
or any clue of the faintest or most
remote description ever obtained by
his friends respecting him.
Next morning, and many morn
ings afterwards, the mother still
anxiously and hopelessly expected
the arrival of her son. Again and
again did she question Grimaldi about
him, his appearance, his manner,
what he said, and all the details of
his disappearance; again and again
was every minute fact recalled, and
every possible conjecture hazarded
relative to his fate. He could scarcely
persuade himself but that the events
of tho preceding night were q delu-
sion of his brain, until tho inquiries
otter his brother, which were made
by those who had seen him on the
previous night, placed them beyond
all doubt. He communicated to his
friends the strange history of the last
few hours, with all the circumstances
of his brothers sudden disappear
ance. He was advised to wait little
while before he made the circum-
stances public, in the hope that he