The Beaufort tribune and Port Royal commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1877-1879, 1877-05-10

ale seems to me to have grown very sim
gular."
"Others have remarked it," I replied
but l have made his acquaintance SC
lately"--
She interrupted me with slightly ex.
cited manner.
He used to be gay, frank fellow. He
is like---he is like She hesitated, then
concluded with a gesture OF abhorrence--
"a ghoul :"
Hooked at her with surprise. She said
no more. She was silent until she reached
the hotel. Then going with her father to
their rooms, she bade me good night in her
usual manner.
When she had gone, turned instantly
back toward the bridge. The moon was
coming up round and full. The air blew
in nv face dense and dewy. | walked rap
idly up to the road, and hurriedly entered
the wood.
The light fell in broken patches through
the branches upon the shrubs of Towering
clusters, deliciously fragrant in the dew.
As rapidly broke the brittle stems start
ed at sound of bushes cracking behind me.
Turning l saw the dark figure OF man
J gliding off through the trees.
"Some poor tramp taking a nights rest
here. | have disturbed him." / thought.
Nv hands were already full of the lavish
bloom, and turned away.
The next morning presented the flowers
to Velore.
"What! Did you get them there?" was
her first exclamation.
HNae I wont hack last NIGHT I"
Chow kind and thoughtful of you. But,
Mr.. Derford, did you see no one? ?"
"No; all was as quiet and beautiful as
a scene of enchantment. Yes," interrupt
ed myself. can old straggler stole off
through the bushes as / was gathering the
flowers"
| saw her shudder as she turned away.
Four days later little Helen We're came.
She was a petite thing, but very pretty,
with a torrent of bronze brown curls that
| almost enveloped her dainty figure.
could not but notice that at this time
Sloewick was so moody as to be almost un-
civil. And he seemed to regard me with a
furtive dislike---I who had always wished
to be his friend--that made me most un-
comfortable. had no feeling for him but
one of pity. ! thought him ailing, un-
happy. l would have rendered him any
relief in my power. So l said to Eelore.
She turned very pale, appeared about to
tell me something, but stopped.
"Did YOU ever think" she said, after a
moment, "that he might not be quite
quite sane"
"No indeedw l answered. ooh, that is
quite impossible"
She heard me eagerly.
"I am glad you think So" she said.
At dinner She was missing. Mr.. We're
| was petulant. "Where could Velore be?
He would not dine without her." But
Helen and coaxed him to his place at
table. and she did her best to take her sis
ter's place.
1t was strange what had become OF her.
| Singularlv enough she had gone to walk
alone at about eleven o'clock during the
| forenoon.
Making only feint of dinner, yet doing
that that old Mr.. We're might not have his
anxiety increased by perceiving mine, l
set forth to find her.
1t was FIVE o'clock in the afternoon. The
sun was gliding toward the west. Nelore
had been gone nearly all day. AS time
passed, her absence began TO have terrify-
ing significance.
"Keep Mr.. We're quiet, if possible" /
said to Helen, who showed a womanly COM
posure l had hardly expected under the
| circumstances. But there was strained,
absent look in her eyes that filled me with
compassion. ~ will get out some men,
and scour the whole neighborhood before
nightfail. She will surely be found"
But it was nearly dark before l could
get efficient help. About seven o'clock,
however, three men rode away in different
directions, while / took the road to the
bridge on foot.
A thunder storm was coming up; it was
almost dark. The lightning that cleft the
heavy purple of the sky was sharp and zig
gag.
had nearly reached the bridge. The
| thunder clouds gathered so thickly in the
| sky that almost entire darkness enveloped
me. | hurried on, but stopped upon the
bridge, with a hand on the railing. In
spite of the rattle of the now fast descend
ing rain, ] could hear the soft gliding OF
the water that l could hardly see, and l
| fancied there was an ominous significance
| Ill tudt dlLiOst lHauulpiS Ho". iioeSheu,
shuddering at the loneliness, and straining
my frowning gaze into the black tide.
A savage clutch---fast, furious blows
raining upon my defenseless h cad, into my
eyes, upon my gasping mouth! | was down,
and beaten blind and deaf before | could
make stroke of resistance so powerful and
overwhelming was the attack.
l can seem to see what l never knew
my enemy raising my passive body, and
casting it over the railing OF the bridge into
the water, the lightning playing over us,
and the solitude of nature around.
came to my senses making half effectual
efforts to swim. Having been an adept at
swimming from child, think it was
almost impossible to drown me, half dead
as was. / padded about in a half-uncon-
scious state for while. At last, my senses
clearing, / realized my situation, andstruck
out collectedly, but feebly, for the bank
When l crawled up the grassy slope l put
nv hand to my temples, which felt strange
ly, and found them Shiny with my own
warm clotting blood.
stood for while unable to tell which
way to 60, and still somewhat dazed. did
not even have the thought to fear the re
appearance Of my enemy. | only felt des
parately the need Of a place OF rest and
refuge and unable to tell my location
stumbled blindly and dizzily about in the
dark until a stroke of lightning showed me
winding path in the hillside leading to
road above.
In,lled n,vself IN hv the bushes and by