The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-01-18
SUSPENED IsLOPEMsNT,

l had loved Bella for moro than II
year. When say that was oyer
twenty-five, my readers of the sterner
sex will, I am sure, be impressed by
my constancy.
Bella had money. Not TINT this had,
OF course, anything to do with my extra
ordinary devotion, but it served for a
time to be the barrier to our happiness.
1 first met and fell victim to Bella's
charms when her mother was alive. Her
father had then been dead several years.
The old lady took to me. I have Il knack
of getting on with old ladies. This is
q very useful gift when they are we'll of,
and are the mothers of lovely daugh-
ters. advise all young men to culti-
vato it. Then point is always to
be more attentive to the mother than
to the daughter. 1t is also we'll to throw
ia occasional remarks about the appar-
ent degeneraoy Of the age, and allude to
the superior constitutions and charac-
ters of the preceding generation.
AL was working smoothly for Bella
and me, when cruel fate, in the shape
Of drunken car-driver. crushed the
mother under its sJugger-nautian wheels.
We prosecuted the driver, and an intelli-
gent jury, largely influenced by the
wealth of the car company, decided
that pedestrians have no rights which
car drivers are bound to respect.
1t turned out, by her fathers will,
Bella in the event OF her mothers death,
was, until her twenty-tirst year, to be
placed under the guardianship Of an
uncle, who WAS a farmer Ill Vermont.
This same unole was an admirable
specimen OF the typical Vermonter. He
could freeze to chance of making
dollar harder than Holsters claw to q
small boys investigating finger. He
had two great hulklng SONS, and dcter-
the other. Indeed he believed he was
acting most kindly in giving her Il
choice instead OF insisting on her taking
the tirst-born. When old Green found
out that 1 had come into the neighbor-
hood and was hanging about the preml.
ses, he sternly warned mo Oft, and even
limited at the tierceness and number of
the dogs which populated his yard at
night. I took his word for the dogs
it was about the only thing would
have taken it for.
Bella WIS virtually prisoner. The
old farm house was three stories high
q very unusual thing in that pnrt OF the
country-and she was locked in at night
in her room on the top floor. With
great ultfioulty managed to got one
or two letters to her buJ so closely
WAS she watched and guarded during
tho day that speech with her WAS i'm
possible. l was IN despair. There was
yet year to run before she could claim
release from this guardianship, Was
there no means of escape possible
While L Was pondering over this
question in the little hotel where had
now been staying Tor some. weeks, I
henrd strange voice addressed to the
proprietor in loud tones, and distinctly
heard the words ''portable fire escape"
INSTANTLY al inspiration dashed through
my mind. joined the party, aud in
doing 80. heard these words
"lt's just the simplest thing III the
world. A two-year-old babe couldn't
hurt itself. "No. sir, it 'ud like to have
one fora plaything, and 'ud amuse itself
all day hauling itself to the top of tho
house and lettin' itself down again.
They're 80 light and easy, that wien
folks don't Want escapes 1 often sells
them as baby-jumpers. jest try one
it's only 81 81. Make it for you as an
advertisement, seein' you Keeps hotel
and you'd ought to have ono for the pro-
lection OF your guests.
"Guess not. MY place is only two
stories high and II we have tirs, they
can jump out or bum, just as they may
please" Aud tho careful hotel-keeper
strolled of.
"What bave you there, my friend ?"
l asked of the stranger. ....
"a portable tire-escape. Simplest
thing in the world. But was fooled
to come to this section, anyhow. There
isn't house high enough for man to
hurt himself muoh il he rolled off the
roof, and Vermonter 'ud sooner take
chances on hs life than spend dime,
any day" "' '..:.' ...
I'M toll you how you can sell one
escape for $40 and no trouble either"
"You will ! I'm your OYSTER"
I uniolded my plot, and found SYM
pathetic listener. He was to 60 up to
Bellas uncle's house and try to soil all
escape. Of course, we knew that would
bo perfectly hopeless. So, alter being
rebuffed, he was to insist On leaving one
on trial for week or two, till he came
around again. He was also to try to
smuggle letter to Bella, explaining
she was at night to get possession OF
the escape, attach it to her bedstead,
and slide down INTO my waiting arms.
which would be waiting as near as tho
dogs would let them. On tho night
she was ready, sho was 10 signal in q
certain way wltha candle at the window.
The peddler staltod Off and soon ro.
turned, having been successful in get
ting q letter to Bella, ana having given
an exhibition Of how to use tho escape.
For several nights waited in vain for
the signal, but at last 1t was shown. l
did not hear the dogs about, and I gent
ly crept nearly under the window. 1t
was opened. l$
care you there, BelIa?" ! whispered.
EYES," ~ - .ss'" '.tI
you re not afraid, dear l''
tNot very. I've tied the end around
the bedstead, and don't think 7 can