The Hazlehurst signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1883-1885, 1883-12-20
THE MAN IN THE SHADOW.

THE MAN IN THE SHADOW.
II was bitterly cold that night. The
wind swept furiously down the long
avenues. sending the light snow, that
had just ceased to fall, flying hithcr
and thithcr through the air, sweeping
IL from one side of the street and piling
il up with methodical carefulness ON
the other; driving il in long. feathery
drifts from the houSetops and busting
IL down the nccks of unfortunate PEE
dcstrians in spite of their cloSely-but-
toned coats and turncd-up collars. All
shivercd rs they came to that corner.
and then with half-avcrted heads hur-
ried past into the more sheltered street
beyond. The Man in the Shadow
crouchcd closer vet into the archway of
the big bank building and looked curl
ously ont on the passing throng.
Everybody seemed 10 be- anxious to
Get home-as who wouldn't bc in such
wcathcr?-but that was no reason why
everybody should look so happy and
cNpcctant over such an ordinary event.
Then. too. by another extraordinary CO.
incidence. everybody seemed provided
with bundle or package Of some sort
and such packages! Whitcy-brown
parcels, tied up Snugly. mysterious in
their every aspect; brown paper par
cells whose very folds brcathed de-
lightful suggcstiyencss of turkey aud
pudding; smooth. Vim packages with
sleek. well-rounded sides. thoroughly
conventional and respectable; broken,
disreputablc ones, with perchance u
skatc-strap or china dolls head peep
ing out, and thus bascly betraying it,
owners secrets; long ones and short
ones. little packets that could be- car
ried in the waiStcoat pocket, and valua-
BILE. no doubt. in inverse proportion To
their size, and biz bundles tightly bound
with manifold shawl-straps and proving
almost too much for their struggling
owners. Everybody that was anybody
seemed passing that particular corner
that particular night and carrying
everything that could be bought in the
city.
The Man in the Shadow looked puz-
Fled. Across the way the door of n
shop opened. and little girl. with long
fair hair living out from beneath her
red worstcd hood. came running over
the crossing. But the ground was
slippery. and the rash little adventures
suddenly disappeared into the big snow
drift beyond the curbStonc. The Man
in the Shadow uttered low eNclama-
ton and, darling out, lifted her up.
"Oh! I've broken it," she exclaimed,
anSiously pulling out something from
her tiny pocket. mo. it isn't either;
I'm so glad. It's for Christmas, YOU
know. and I'm ever SO much obliged To
you Then, turning quickly around,
She sped away again.
"Of course that's what il all means
Christmas Evc"-muttcred the man,
going back To his old shelter. "Much
good il does mc'--and he frowned rs
he kicked the snow off his boots and
drew his thrcadbare coat yet more
closely about him. lit is growing late
and the crowd is getting thinner"
Suddenly tail figure closely en-
veloped in a long ulster hurried past.
The slouched hat was pulled low down
over the pedestrians forehead, but rs
he came into the circle of light under
the lamp-poSt n sudden gust of wind
lifted il of his head and sent II flying
ON ahead of him. The Man in the
Shadow started and took step for
ward Is though about TO follow him.
"Pshaw, what fool ami he said,
rs he shrank back; las If il could be
he-and even IL II were"--
"Come. my man. move on; no loaiing
around here!" met his car, and Police
man Buffer looked in suSpiciously upon
the crouching figure. He looked up de-
family and then, with gesture of
assent, stepped out into the street.
Zone of the kind rs I'll need watch
ing" remarked Mr.. Buffer. coniiden-
TALLY, to u whitc-coated waiter who had
stepped out into the street for moment
TO see what was going on.
las desperate lookin' cove rs ever
! seed" said the waiter, who had not
seen him at all; "but you'd better be
coming inside. It's mortal cold out
here aud your coffee is about ready
..Wot fool was To let him stay
there so long" said Policeman Buffer.
regretfully. Elbow do / know but wot
ne Dcen urilnn nOle unucr the Ioch
and pluggin' ii full OF blastin' powder
while was up the street,"
4, "'Taint no call for you, Mr.. Buffer.
to be THROWN yourself away investigat.
in, and come to think of it, he couldn't
have been doing anything like that for
he's been out and in from there dozen
times
"Mebbe ought to have stroked him
Of n little with the club" hesitated
Mr.. Buffer. caressing that fifth member
Of himself fondly; "but he's out OF my
beat now. and anyway he's pretty sure
TO be run in before morning and
With this consolatory reflection he re-
tired.
Down the well-nigh deserted streets.
with head bent down and with rapid
steps, the man hurried along. Pres
emily no stopped and looked around
him. A toy-shop across the way with
z brilliantly-lighted show windows caught
his eyes, On the pane was lettered in
evergreens 'AIerry Christmas" Livery
where the same old story" he muttered.
impatiently, land it seems ! can't get