St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-12-22
THE MAN IN THE SHADOW.

1t was bitterly cold that night. The
wind swept furiously down the long
avenues, sending the light snow, thai
had Just ceased to fall, flying hithers
and thither through the air, sweepings
1t from one side Of the street and piling
it up with methodical carefulness on
the other; driving it in long, feathery.
drifts from the housetops and busting
it down the necks of unfortunate pc
edestrians in spite of their closely-but-
toned coats and turned-up collars. All
.shivered as they came to that corner,
and then with half-averted heads hur-
ried past into the more sheltered street
beyond. The Man in the Shadow
.crouched closer yet into the archway OF
the big bank building and looked cur
4ously out on the passing throng.
Everybody seemed to be anxious to
get home cas- who wouldn't be in such
Weather?-but that was no reason why
everybody should look SO happy and
sexpectant over such an ordinary event.
Then, too, by another extraordinary CO.
Incidence, everybody seemed provided
with a bundle or package of some sort
and such packages! Whitley brown
parcels, tied up snugly, mysterious IN
their every aspect; brown paper par
GELS whose very folds breathed a de,
lightful suggestiveness OF turkey and
pudding; smooth, trim packages with
sleek, Well-rounded sides, thoroughly
conventional and respectable; broken,
disreputable ones, with perchance q
.skate-strap or china dolls head peep
ING out, and thus basely betraying Its
owners secrets; long ones and Short
ones, little packets that could be car.
ried in the waistcoat pocket, and Vaiua'
BILE. no doubt, in inverse proportion te
their size, and big bundles tightly bound
with manifold shawl-straps and proving
almost too much for their struggling
owners. Everybody that was anybody
.seemedspassing that particular corner
that particular night and carrying
everything that could be bought IN thu
city.
The Man in the Shadow looked puz
.zled. Across the way the door OF
shop opened, and little girl. with Ions
fair hair flying out from beneath he
red worsted hood, came running owe
the crossing. But the ground wa
slippery, and the rash little adventures
suddenly disappeared intothe big snow
drift beyond the curbstone. The Ma
! in the Shadow uttered a low exclama
ytion and, darling out, lifted her up
.sOh! I've broken it, she exclaimed
anxiously pulling out something iron
her tiny pocket: mo, it isn't either
Tn so glad. It's for Christmas, 20
know. and I'm ever so much obliged t
you.'' Then, turning quickly around
She sped away again.
Christmas Eve''-muttered the mar
going back to his old shelter. "Muc
good it does me- and he froWned a
he kicked the snow off his boots an
drew his thrcadbare coat yet MOI
CLOSELY about him. at is growing lat
and the crowd is getting thinner
Suddenly a tall figure closely er
veloped in long ulster hurried pa
The slouched hat was pulled low dow
,over the pedestrians forehead, but
he came into the circle, of light undo
the lamp-post a sudden gust Of win
lifted it off his head and sehe it i;yin
.on ahead of him. The Man in tt
Shadow started and took step TO
ward as though about to follow him.
.Pshaw, what a fool ann he sal.
AS he shrank back; ''as if it could
he-a1ld even if it were 49,
4sConne, my man, move on; no loatlr
around here.h met his ear, and Polio
man Buffer looked in suspiciously upe
the cro,uching figure. He looked up d
family and then, with q gesture
assent, stepped out into the street.
.One OF the kind as II need waite
inr.'s remarked Mr.. Buffer, eonfide
italy, to- awIite- coated waiter who h;
X stepped out into the street for nome
To see what was gong on.
- ,a.,,,o,..,,,a 1ookin, cove as eV