Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1884-04-03

and de-
cay like &
those who sought
my shade each day.nf
Chicago sun.
AN UNCONSCIOUS DETECTIVE,
( Miss Twitterbit was devoured with
curiosity about her new lodger. For
nearly six weeks he had hardly stirred
out OF the house, but had remained shut
up in his room from morning till nigh I.
doing nothing, 80 far as she could OBJ
serve, though he sometimes had a book
IN his hand. He received no visitors
and no letters, and could not be in
duced to divulge anything whatever
about himself except that his name was
Hunter. He appeared to be agentieman.
was well dressed and rather good look.
ing, and showed no outward traces of
1!l-health to which he attributed his se.
clnslon. As he gave no trouble and
pad his way with unfailing regularity.
Miss Twitterbit had nothing to complain
Of, put her kind heart was touched by
his loneliness, and she felta sympathetic
interest in him, which induced her TO trv
the experiment of sending him valen-
tine.
She did this because she had arrived
at the conclusion that the poor Young
man was pining away from the effects OF
an unrequited attachment. Havin q
been herself cruelty Tilted thirty-fiye
years ago, Miss Twitterbit imagined she
knew the symptoms Of bruised and
broken heart. This romantic theory
commended itself to the worthy lady;s
sentimental mind, and seemed to ex-
plain Mr.. Hunters habitual detection.
his retlcence and his strange shrinking
from his fellow men. The approach Of
st. Valentines day therefore suggested
to her the idea of sending him a tender
missive in a disguised hand, partly with
the charitable object of eniiveninp his
solitude, but chiefly, it is to be feared.
in the hope that it might lead to, his taxi
ing her into his confidence regarding his
blighted affections.
Accordingly, Miss Twitterbit pur-
chased highly ornate and sentimental
lucubration and cent it up in an en-.
velope on MIR. Hunters breakfast tray.
The lodger's name had been inscribed
by the young lady at the shop where
the valentine was purchased; and in or
der to enhance the mystery of the pro-
ceedings, Miss Twitterbit instructed the
servant girl to inform MIR. Hunter, in
case he asked any questions, that the
letter had been left at the house by an
unknown lady. Miss Tgitterbit did not
doubt but she herself in turn would be
sent for and cross.examined, and she
would then be able to form her own coz
illusions from the young mans manner
whether she had rightly diagnosed his
disorder, even if, in the fullness of his
heart, he did not make a full confess
sion.
Miss Twitterbit was as mild and gen.
tie an elderly lady as ever existed, aud
nothing would have induced her to do
anything knowingly to gex her lodger,
quite apart from prudential consider
ations.s She never dreamed that any harm
could arise from her little experiment,
and consequently she was quite upset
when she learned the extraordinary effect
her yalentine'had upon Mr.. Hunter.
"He turned us white, Miss, as sheet
as soon as ever he saw. the envelope, I"
said the servant girl, when she returned
from the 'lodger's apartment in a great
state of excitement. "He took it up as
though he expected it to bite him, and
when he saw the valentine he swore
dreadful, and ordered me out of the
room double quick"
sDsar, dear mel" murmured Miss
Twiteerbit, deeply concerned. "Did he
say anything or ask any questions?"
He asked how the letter came here,
and mentioned what You told me, said
the GIRL,
81 hope you did not bring in my,
name, Bridget?Y said Miss Twitterbit,
with sudden trepidation.
81 didn't let. out anything, Miss, if
! you mem that, answered the girl. 'In
fact, he quite frightened me, and l
hardly dared to open my mouth"
at that moment violent ring rever-
berated through the house, and Mr..
Hunters voice was heard on the land
ing above, angrily summoning Miss
Twitterbit.
81 suppose ] must go up, to him
Bridget" said the poor lady, feeling un-
accountably nervous.
He seems gettin' angrier every
! minute, = said the girl, referring to the
lodger's repeated vociferations.
Miss Twitterbit took the hint, and lost
no time in fastening up stairs. Mr..
Hunters aspect plainly showed that he
was agitated and out of temper. He
was striding impatiently about the room,
kicking the chairs and footetools
viciously aside when they impeded his
path, and biting his nails furiously.
His face was distorted with rage, and
the. fierce express sion sof mis- eyes was suf-
fcients to startle 9 nervous person,
breathless from hurried ascent of e
staircase. Miss. Twiiterbit presented
herself with face MS pale as her
s lodger's, and felt as gIlilty as though
she had committed crime.
sI wanted to ask about this, said MIR.
Hunter, picking up the unlhcky yalen-
tine from the floor, where it lay in a
crushed and mangled condition. "When
did it Gomez s .5it;
Miss eTwitterbit was on the point Of
making q clean breast of her iniquity,
!, and confessiDg that she alone. WINS re-
sponsible for the offending missiYe, but
: while she.was hesitating, from awkward
ness and diffidence, Mr.. Hunter shat
tered her nerves by exclaimipg:
"Fors heavens sake, woman, don't
stand staring there!l Answer my. ques-
tion. When did this Gomez"
Yesterday, gasped Miss Twitterbit,
in desperation.
"Who brought it,?" continued Mr..
Hunter, getting more and more excited.
TAI young lady" answered the
landlady falling back on the story she
had originally intended to tell.
s.What was she ike?"
..I'm sure I cannot say. The fact is,
hardly only
Fgs.s.Was she young and fair, rather tall,
and fashionably dressed ~ interrupted
: Mr.. Hunter. - jel..st''t7
sssWeiI, yes 4 think she was" an
swered Hiss TWitterbit, vaguely con-
/ scious of awakening curiosity in the
midst Of her uneasipess. "a.
nit must have been she. Nobody else
& knows, ;, muttered Mr.. Hunter, evident
ff