The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-07-23

mot in all the country rounu 30 smart't
man AZ Henderson. Any woman Of mar
TisIeSble age in the town would have
, Ljssei me. Ground 20 b. alberto call helA
eli Nina HmdsfSon. But Win Hender-
Son was not matrimonially inclined, he
Maid no attention 10 any Of the young
ladies Of tho town. He attended closely
10 bis business, and was now well.to.do Ia
tho world. His chief delight in the even
iDgs and on Saturday afternoons was 10
romp and play with the little children oil
the village and 10 engage in athletic
games, such as call and quOits.-, 7 u &
But some six months before the open
ing Of this sketch letter had come from
an unknown place, directed in fine
lady hand, to "Mr. William Henderson,
OF bis friends, Nealton -" The post.
master tried his best 10 decipher the post
marks, but he could not. He called in
many 81 the villagers, but none OF them
could make 5out even the State And
then with o strong light behind the letter
they tried 10 read few words, or more II
they could, OF its contents. But not a
word could they make out. And so they
gave 1t up. In a week another came d.
Fected in the same hand, and again the
postmaster and his assistants" wero
Eoiled. In another week another came,
and then the following week three. The
postmaster was certain that these letters
were not answered, or If they were the
answers were not mailed from his Office.
And all this afforded food for gossip.
Alter the sixth nom0re came. The post.
master and his assistants" looked long
and anxiously, but none came.
Henderson was sounded and pumped
and pumped and sounded In every known
and conceivable way, but no satisfaction
was CLEANED from him. None had the
brass to ask him right out where the let
tiers came from, or who wrote them, or
what they meant but they beat around
In every way and asked everything except
the direct question.
10 about four weeks, or five, after the
last letter came q telegram came TO Hen.
derSon; and its contents could not be
kept secret. The operator felt the re-
spOnsibility Of his position, and made q
copy Of it, which he kept for the purpose
OF showing his friends and the villagers
generally. The dispatch was very short.
1t contained only the words, II shall
come; be ready for me-" Had 1t con-
tanned the particulars for murder plot 1t
would not have stirred up as much ex.
element, for about this dispatch there
was mystery Henderson received the
dispatch, read 1t slowly and coolly, with
a hundred eyes peering upon him from
every window and door on the street,
tore 1t in bits, and went on playing with
his companions.
And the good people of N. remembered
this on this memorable Saturday alter.
noon. They concluded that this mystic
rious lady was the writer Of those mys.
FERROUS letters and the sender oil that
mysterious dispatch.
But Henderson was not In town. He
had been called into the country, and
would not return until morning, so he
could not be questioned as TO his opinion
Of the strange lady and her business.
On Sabbath morning Henderson did not
return as was expected, and at dinner
time he had not arrived, and now the
people are positive that he knew some
thing about, the strange. lady and hef
visit Zen O'Clock atliSt arrives and the
people start for church, but few Of them,
however, enter, for they wish to remain
where they can have q good view Of the
strange lady when she arrives. When the
time Tor the commencement services ar.
rives but handfnl of people are In the
church. But Just now the strange lady
Is seen 10 emerge from the hotel and ap.
proach tho church. All eyes are upon
her. Each ono Is remRrking 10 hisneigh-
Dor ow,beautiful she Is and how elegant.
ly she Is dressed, but she looks neither to-
the right nor 10 the left until she reaches
the church door, where she stops and
looks quickly at every face, for all are
turned towards her, then turning lair
around upon them In the yard she gives
one quick, sweeping, piercing glance. II
Is only an instant, but she seems 10 catch
the eye Of every person In the crowd. II,
however, she Is looking for familiar face,
she finds 1t not, and she then slowly en-.
tens church and takes seat nearly In the
centre: No one seems TO care about tax.
ing seat close to the stranger. They all
seem TO think they can obtain better
view from distance, and a few seats
each way from tho elegant lady are there.
fore sparsely filed. And now, as the
choir Is singing the opening hymn, vii.
liam Henderson enters and takes the sec.
ond seat behind the strange lady. How
the congregation can now stand the suS-
pense Is more than any one, even any Of
them, can ever tell. The words spoken
by Father Barrett are words full Of power
and meaning, but they arc unheard, or at
least not understood, and his sermon, long
though Il be, seems three times longer
than the longest one ever before preached
by him. The only persons in the congre.
cation who seem at all interested arc Mr..
Henderson and the strange lady.
The sermon atlsst ends, and hehymn
Is announced and sang, and the old minis.
ter arises to pronounce the benediction.
It Is never but half finished. Just as the
words abide with you all" are uttered,
The strange lady turns quickly around In
her seat, and levels at Mr.. Henderson's
heart a revolver. 1t Is done so quickly
that every heart seems 10 stop beating.
Every sound Is hushed, but the only sp-
pSrently sensible people in the house arc
Henderson and the unknown lady. He,
with the quicknCss Of q tiger. bounds
lightly over the seat In front OF him,
grasp the lady's wrist and the ball which
was aimed at his heart passed up through
the ceiling. In an instant another report
follows and the ball goes Grabbing through
the window, and In moment tho revolt
yer Is gently taken from tho lady and fol-
lows the ball through the glass. No
struggle, apparently, has ensned. No
word has been spoken. No noise has
been made save that made by the reports
Of the pistol. -. -
And now Mr.. Henderson walks into
tho aisle; the unknown but beautiful lady
follows; Mr.. Henderson offers his arm,
which Ia politely accepted, and the two