The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-09-01
a CRUEL BLOW,

"The most dangerous and trouble
some men," said DR.. Rediield, "are
those who should be regarded as fools,
but for some unexplained reason are
not. Here now is a beautiful and love-
ly young woman suddenly deprived of
reason just on the eve of her marriage
to a worthy young man on whom the
blow has fallen with crushing force.
Two lives blighted perhaps forever by
an act that should consign it's perpe-
TRAITOR to a prison and lunatic asylum
for each alternate year Of the remaind-
er of his life"
These remraks related to q practical
joke played by a reckless and impru
dent young man, one Fred Losher, the
victim Of his criminal folly being his
cousin, Florence Percival, whose mar
riage would haye taken place the next
day.
The railway train which was bring
ing her prospective husband from his
home three hundred miles away, was
behind time about five hours, delayed
by a heavy storm, which had also pros.
trated the telegraph lines, SO that no
information III regard to the cause
OF the detention could he obtained.
The train came in at last, however,
all right, and without having sustained
any serious accident. The bride
groom elect, Frank McAllister, alight-
ed from the cars, going first to the
hotel, from whence, in half an hour, he
would have reported himself at the
residence of his betrothed.
That foolish cousin, however, who
had been sent to the staticn t. cStain
the earliest news Of the delayed train
came rushing back to the house to
bring the tidings, but thought it would
be capital joke, as he afterwards said +,
to give his cousin at first a good
scare.
"Well, Florence" lie exclaimed,
'Frank has been heard from at last.
The trains smashed-forty persons
killed-and be among them!"
a bewildered, half-conscious look
was followed by fearful scream,
and poor Florence had fallen uncon-
sciOuS. ~
Dr. Redfeld. the family physician,
who chanccd to be passing the door,
was Immediately with tho patient, and
doing his utmost to arrest the progress
OF those terrible convulsoins, but with
scarcely any success.
a young brother of Florence was the
only person with her at the time that
startling announcement was made; but
his version of what had occurred was
50 clear and positive that the reckless
fellow who was the author of the mis-
chief did not attempt to contradict or
deny the boys statement.
Had the life of the dear girl been
suddenly destroyed by the careless dis
charge Of a pistol, fired by some one
who did not stop to consider in what
'Iection he was pointing, the conster-
nation and sorrow Of the family could
scarcely have been greater. Frank
McAllster knclt at the side of the in
sensible girl, giving vent to his feelings
III an agony OF grief.
In the meantime, the young block
head by whose criminal folly the mis-
chief had been done, was lodging around
IN "a dozen directions, telling everybody
how very sorry he was for what had
happened, and asking each one to tell
him what service he could render. He
subsidized, however, and made himself
less prominent after having been re-
peatedly told that his immediate de-
parture from the scene Of the trouble
would crafty everyone.
The terrible shock was followed, as
the doctor predicted it would be, by a
typhomania, that continued three
weeks-the patients life, in the mean
time, being suspended in balance
which the weight Of feather might
turn.
at the end of that time the malady
began to take different form. The
cerebral excitement appeared to have
exhausted its force and to be passing
away, but the light Of reason did not
return. The one terrible thought, that
her lover had been crushed to death,
had gono through and possessed her
whole mind, and there did not seem to
be any way to remove it.
The first question she asked, when,
looking as if making an effort to reason
once more, was how long it would be
before she could go to Franks funeral.
When assured that he was not dead
but still alive, and actually in the room
ut that moment, the meaning of the
words did not seem to enter her mind
for she again repeatedly asked, in a
pleading way:
"Pleasc let me go to Franks funer.
al |"
Her lover, who had been with her, OF
near her, almost continually, then came
forward, and, sitting down beside her
took one Of her hands, saying:
81 am not dead, dear Florcncel l am
alive and hero with you.'
But his kind words only brought a
bewildering stare.
"Youl Who are youl" she asked
VI do not know you! l never saw you
before. You are not my dear Frank
he is dead; and now they will not even
Jet me 60 to his funeral. Did you