Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-06-07
CHE Sturp Teller.
MRS. BERTRAM'S HUSBAND.
REMARKABLE ROMANCE.

A street accident, that was all. Quite a
commonplace sort of occurrence. But the in
eyitable London crowd had assembled, and
the usual tall policeman had appeared at last
TO deal as best he could with the congestett
traffic. He could be seen towering ABOVE
the throng; his injunctions to move on We're
plainly audible, though not lmmeoately
Obeyed.
A man had been knocked down by car
riage driven rapidly around the corner OF a
street. He had been crossing the road, or
had tripped on the curbstone and had fallen
almost at the horses feet. Some said ne
had seemed to throw himself in the way OF
the carriage Was he drunk, then! Was
he mad? None could say. No one knew.
There was more questioning than answering
among the crowd. What sort OF man was
he? Old or young? Was he gentleman
It seemed to be agreed that ne was snap
billy dressed man of middle age; that MS
features were large, and that the beard COW
ering the lower part of his face was of a
rusty iron gray hue. A notion prevailed
that he might be foreigner.
1t was more important to inquire Wheth-
er he was much hurt. Agreen-grocer's boy,
who after the custom of his class, carried
his empty circular basket upon his head,
half covering his countenance in the man
ner of an over-large hat, but just tilted back
so as to allow him to look about him, be-
came an object of general interest because
of the information he possessed on the sub
ject. The curious projected their lnqulsl,,
tive faces in his direction. The boy had
not seen the whole of it, he said but he had
seen the man down and the horses hoofs
trampling upon him. Was not sure wheth-
er the wheels had gone over him or not !;
rather thought they had. When he was
picked or dragged out of the street he was
as white as sheet; he was was covered with
mud. and there was blood on his face. The
boy was quite sure about that. The man
had been carried into the chemists shop
close by. Nohe was not dead. At least the
boy did not think he was dead. He had
only tainted, perhaps, and the chemist was
bringing him to and strapping the wounds,
shop. No one seemed to be in hurry to
quit the scene. In London there are al
WAYS apparently so many blessed or banned
with leisure and with plenty of time to
spare.
There were critics among the crowd, of
course The critic is always with us. Much
fault was found with those concerned in
the accident. The man ought to have been
more careful. People were very reck-
less in crossing the roads, and did not look
where they were going, nor heed what they
were doing. Then the coachman was ac-
cused of furious driving. Really, it was
urged, there should be little more regard
for the safety of foot-passengers and the
sanctity of human life. The coachman was
indeed charged with incompetence, and
openly taunted with being the gardener in
disguise, an accusation which clearly was of
an Irritating character. But generally the
syInpathies of the crowd were with the vic
tim of the accident, while disposition pre-
vailed to view his misfortune through the
medium of class or political prejudice.
Many declared that this was but another in
stance of the anxiety Of the rich to ride
Various proletaires delivered discourses up
on that text A lady, wrapped in velvets
and furs, had been sitting alone in the car
riage. She uttered a cry of alarm when she
perceived that an accident had occurred,
but she learned of it chiefly from the shouts
of the passers-by. The coachman had i'm
mediately reined in his horses. When the
man who had been knocked down was car
ried into the chemists shop, the lady had
descended from her carriage. She had eX-
pressed her regret, her alarm and anxiety
in becoming terms. Even the most severe
Judges in the crowd could not find fault
with her speech or her demeanor. hand
some woman, all agreed, although not quite
so young as she had been very pale, and
with what some described as set express
sion when she entered the chemists shop.
When she left it she was paler still, it was
noticed, and she wore a curiously distressed
and frightened look. She did all that could
be done in the painful circumstances of the
case. She was urgent that the sufferer
should want for nothing, should have the
best medical assistance. She left money for
his benefit with the chemist. She gave her
card to the policeman.