The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-10-26
AJI AN ACCIDENT.
a Strange story.

It was at the opera. An opera-glass
had fallen from one OF the upper boxes
on the lead OF gentleman sitting in
the stalls.
Now I had seen the glass fall; had
seen a round, white, braceleted arm and
gloved hand stretched out to arrest,
rs it seemed to me, its descent. II was
all done in moment.
The gentleman upon whose head the
glass had descended had been carried
into the lobby. An ugly wound had
been inflicted.
he was not killed, but gradually re-
viyed, and turned his head toward me.
I knew him-it was Stericker.
Then he moved airemulous hand in
my direction. He knew me, II seemed.
He tried 10 speak; but II was some
time before he could utter any intelli.
gent sound. AT last we discovered his
meaning. he had lost something which
he desired us, meaning myself and by.
ISLANDERS, to search for.
Search was instituted accordingly.
After o while, very near TO the stall lie
had occupied, there was picked up-a
glass eyel
He was gratiaed at the recovery Of
his glass eye, but something else was
missing and that was soon found-a
curious.looking stud II was not pearl
exactly. It was OF an oblong shape,
milky white, and semi.transparent, In
n handsome setting OF brilliants.
Stericker expressed great satisfaction,
in a rather incoherent way, that the
stud had been found. He clearly
priced it highly.
Z" II was a nasty shock 10 q fellow, +"
said Stericker, not long after this, as
we talked the matter over.
Iquite agreed that IL must have been
very nasty shock-a most unfortu.
nate accident. At this he laughed
rather wildly.
Whatever you call it, don't call it
that he said.
lyon mean that IT was not an 90.
cident? 2"
II appears that he did mean that.
"But I saw the glass fall, |" Isaid.
"You mean that you saw her throw
1t downp
asaw? who?" I demanded, un.
consciously adopting the interrogatiyes
Of Hamlet.
"Arabellap
l thought him wandering in his
mind. Iknew nothing OF Arabella. I
could not remember that I had ever en-
countered, out Of works Of fiction, any
woman OF that name. And then Icame
TO ask myself what, after all, did I
really know Of Stericker himself? In
truth, 1t was very little.
at was Arabella's doing, OF course, !"
he continued. 81 know that very well.
I know the opera.glass, for tho matter
OF that. fought TO. gave It to her. !"
Where I had first met Stericker am
by no means clear. lam almost Ger.
tain that I was never formally intro.
duced to him. But I had seen him at
various places upon numberless occa.
sions, until ] seemed TO have acquired
quite o habit Of seeing him. So at
last-the thing was becoming quite ab.
surd-there was no help for it but TO
recognize him rs an acquaintance, at
any rate. Finding each other SO fre.
quently face to face in the same place,
beneath the same roof, and even Of the
same table, what could we do, eyentu.
ally, but laugh and nod, and say,
"What you here?" And then we
shook hands.
Still protest that I knew little Of
him beyond what he told me.
And now had occurred this accident
at the 0pera.house, confirming as II
were my acquaintance with Stericker,
and converting II almost into o friend.
ship. He expressed great gratitude for
the assistance had rendered him,
although, in truth, II had been little
enough. But again and, again he
thanked me, and presently, his wounded
head having been skillfally dealt with
and relieved by the application Of strips
Of plaster, I found myself Of his lodg.
ings in Half.moon street, sitting In on
easy chair, smoking cigar and drink
ing q temperance mixture OF brandy
and water. Until then | had never
really known where stehcker lived.
"And you saw her throw down the
opera.glass p he said, returning to the
subject Of the accident. ! corrected
him. Ihad seen no such thing. But
he did not pay much attention to what
! said.
"And how did she looki Hand
ONE, Of course. She was always that
though she certainly Is not now nearly
so young as when I first met her-and
loved her. For what could / do then
but love her9