The Sweetwater forerunner. [volume] (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1867-1869, 1869-01-14

tion to you. Now You know all sir; will
you accompany me :"
"To the end Of the world, on such an
errand"
"Then prepare yeurselfi a cab is watt
ing at the door,"
was little surpassed, for I had not
heard the sound OF wheels. Hastily
drawing on coat and providing myself
with the revquired implements, | was ut
the door. There, sure enough, was the
cab, with the driver in seat ready for the
mysterious journey. | catered the vehr-
Gle followed by the lady. As soon as
was seated she produced heavy handker-
chief, which by the faint light of an ad'
jacent street lamp, she carefully bound
around my eyes. The lady seated her,
self beside me, and the cab started. In
half an hour it stopped--in what part of
the city am entirely ignorant, as it was
evidently driven in anything but direct
course from the point of starting,
Examining the bandage to see that my
vision was completely obscured, the lady
| handed me the bundle Of tools with which
I was provided, then, taking me by the
l arm, led me through gate into house
. which knew was OF brick, and after taxi
b, ing me through passage way which could
: not have been less than fifty feet in length,
! and down fight of stairs into what was
J evidently an underground basement, stop
r ped, beside vault, and removed the
S handkerchief from NY eyes.
:, "Here is the vault-open it." said she,
e springing the door of dark lantern, and
: throwing beam Of light upon the lock.
o seized bunch Of skeleton keys, and
It after few trials, which the lady seemed
!: to watch with the most painful anxiety,
e, sprung the bolt The door swung upon
its hinges, and my companion calling me
! not to close it as it was self'locking, sprang
into the vault. ! did not follow. Iheard
d the murmur Of low voices within, aud tho
y next moment the lady reappeared, anl
leaning upon her arm man, with face
re so pale and haggard that started at the
'e sight. How he must have suffered during
ne the long three days of his confinement
"Remain here," she said handing me
r. the lantern. 81 will be back in mo-
q ment."
The two slowly ascended the stairs, and
," l heard them enter a room Immediately
so above where I WIS standing In less than
er minute the lady returned.
''Shall I close it madam ~ said I, plac-
IT. ing my hand npoH the door Of the vault:
eNo! Mop she exclaimed, hastily seiz-
y ing my arm sit awaits another occupant"
lpF "Madam, you certainly do not intend
'st care you ready?" she interrupted me
ny patiently, holding the handkerchief to my
eyes. The thought flashed across my
mind that she intended to push me intt
OF the vault and bury me and my secret to
ell gether. She seemed to read the suspicion
and continued. "Do not be alarmed
yer You are not the man! !"
could not mistake the fearful meaning
of the remark, AMI shuldered as | ben
the my bead to the handkerchief. Ny eye
re- we're carefully bandaged as before, and
ind was led to the cab, and thence driver
to home by more circuitous route, if posi-
BILE than the one by which we came. Ar
;sa- Ewing in front of the honse, the handker
81 chief was removed, and l stepped fror
to the vehicle. A purse Of 6ve hundred dol
lars was placed in my hand, and in mo
18th ment the cab and its mysterious occupall
not had turned the corner and were out 0
sight.
I | entered the shop, and the purse wa
the only e, ,idence | could summon, in m
re- bewildermel!t, that Ill had just dou
and seen was not dream.
her Months after that saw the lady an
eln the gentleman taken from the ,aui
oh. walking leisurely along Mputgomer
9 &c street. | do net know, but believe ii
i'm sleeping husband awoke within the vaul
nit. arc his bones are there to this day. I'll
d;a wife is still resident of San Francisc
lfn- r The military "took charge of IL
my Ogeechce troubles" in Georgia on Il
that 9th instant. The preliminary organic
ing, tiOn of the cirizens to act on the Sheriff