The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-12-31
sec Evidently says Denmark:

the same side she ID, ana you cIoss osef
and speak to her and try to make her
take your arm, then she'll scream and
I'll rush up and rescue her, and, OF
course, see her home aud get acq1aint-
ed"
"Rather IN ancient DEVICE" I re-
marked.
"Perhaps It'll now, said Singlemann,
in an irritated manner. "Young men
of the present day are up to almost any.
thing, but I never heard Of it before; OF
course, it was silly-I guess I know that
without being told of it, but nowadays
people think
Ono they don't, Singlemann; 60 on
with what you were saying. Denmark
consented, OF course2"
"No, he didn't; that is, not at first.
He got indignant at having all the dis
grace of the operation and none of the
pleasure, but I explained to him that he
didn't care a cent for the girl, while I
was madly in love with her, and c%onjur-
ing him by all the ties of friendship, he
at last reluctantly consented. You see,
Denmark never cared anything about
girls, or such as that; he was all bust
ness. I have often said to him, joking
~, of course, that I believed that if
"Singlemann-go on with that dia-
bolical plot of yours, and never mind
Denmark. I know him we'll enough"
"Of course you do. Well, all the
way down to the store where she work
ed, Denmark was saying what a mean
thing it was for two young men to con.
spire to frighten the life out of q girl on
the dark streets of a city. We got there
at last, and she was at her desk. All /!
John, when I picture how she stood
there-but that's no matter. I thought
she would never come QUIT seemed
ages. I never could have stood it, only
it kept all my attention getting Denmark
to stick to his promise, for he wanted to
back out now that VIC were at the spot.
You know Denmark is the very soul OF
honor. Why, when Beat & Embezzle
failed, you know, we needn't have paid
a cent, for they held no.
"Singlemann, do you remember that
I know the whole particulars OF that
failure"
"C~ertainly. That's a fact. I forgot
that. Well, Denmark wanted to 60 home
again, and begged me to release him
from his promise, but 1 wouldn't, and
he stuck to his contract like a man
he always does, you know. Well,
Just as the city hall bell struck eleven
"Oh, oh | Singlemann-keep straight
now. Why, man, the city hall was not
built then"
"That's SO Il am telling a straight
story for all that slip. Some bell struck
eleven. I had my face pressed close
against the pane. but where she could
not see NE, and as the hour vas tolled
she shut the heavy ledger with a bang
that made me start, and I heard her say,
Only an hour till Christmas, and she
smiled. John, she looked divinely-like
an angel, only angels don't keep books,
excepting the Recording Angel. But
just then Denmark began begging off
again. She came out, and as before
walked rapidly away.
"'Now, I whispered to Denmark,
remember your promise
"He crossed the street without q
word, and I followed the girl. Denmark
acted his part like a man, or a villain,
rather. He crossed back again, and
coming up to her, said:
"sMadam, allow me to see you
home and offered his arm.
my heart beat wildly, but I prepar-
ed for a rush on Denmark.
"She didn't scream-she hurriedly
looked up and down the road and saw
apparently she was alone with this man.
L could see by the light of the lamp
that her face was deadly pale, but in a
calm voice (the sweetest voice I ever
heard) she said:
"'You may walk beside me, if you
will
"Demark would rather have taken
my knock-down than that, and looked
exceedingly sheepish as he walked along
with her, and / followed behind not
knowing what to do, as this was a total
~ unexpected turn in the affair.
"Thus did the strange trio proceed
for about a quarter of a mile, when sud-
denly a policeman and a lantern doomed
up from a doorway he was examining.
Like an arrow she sprang from De-
marks side and grasped the astcnished
policeman by the arm with both hands.
"Sir, sir" she cried, now in the Wild
est excitement, which showed how pent-
up her fear had been before, "that man
has insulted me, when he thought no
one was near-arrest him, and her eyes
fairly blazed with scorn rs she pointed
at Denmark.
"Madam," said my unfortunate
friend, "if YOU
"Don't speak to me, you-you COW.
ard" she replied CONTEMPORARY. Then
suddenly and without q word she turned
and walked rapidly away.
The policeman placed his hand on
Demark's shoulder. Denmark had been
standing there trans61ed, with his eyes
following the %retreating figure OF the
girl. He seemed to wake up, and flung
the hand of the policeman from his
shoulder.
"Come, my man, none O that" said
the officer.
"Keep your hands from me-" cried
Denmark.
The policeman drew his club and
grasped Denmark again, and I sprang to
to the rescue of my friend, but somehow
I ran against that club, and so if you
want the details of the scufae you must
ask Denmark or hunt up that policeman.
Denmark saw Christmas morning
dawn through the bars of the lookup.
I had an interview with him, and
found him very much depressed. He
didn't give a cent, he said, about the
arrest, but the meanness of the action
was what hurt him. I proposed to see
our employer and have him to go De-
marks bail, or else have the affair hush
cd up, if possible ; but Denmark posi-
lively forbade any such proceeding; be-
sides, it would inevitably result in the
discharge of both of us.
I left the cell as detected as Denmark
was, and didn't know what to do.
I resolved to do an act of justice, how
ever, and accordingly went direct to the
residence of the young lady, and raped
at the door-tnere was no bell.
I had no sooner done SO than I re-
membered that I didn't even know what
name to ask for. However, the young
lady herself opened the door and put an
end to my embarrassment on this score,
but increased my embarrassment on a
thousand other scores.
1 told the whole story, putting the
blame exactly where it belonged. She
never said a word during the recital, but
sat there with that straight-ahead look
in her eyes and I half doubted whether