The Hazlehurst signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1883-1885, 1884-02-28

horses toilcd through the sand between
the station and our home, making the
new carry all crcak In c,cry joint
We found the house prettily em-
powered in vines whose leaves
would no doubt appear III duo
time. Tidy, our maid oi all
work. declared |, was the dirticst
house she "cvcr set foot in" but Fanny
said that was what everybody thought
who was not used 10 moving INTO
old houses, II wa. Fanny's nature to
mako tho best Of things and at the end
" q month she and Tidy had contrived
~ make our cottage snug aud home
like.
Aud was not n, all unhappy. 1u'
dee |. ny own indifference caused me
the gravcst forcbodlng at iirs'. ! seemed
to To- paralylcd. Perhaps my nrighbors
hal recognized my mental disorder.
and attributed our change Of residence
To- Il. A. TN, went on. however, ! RI
turned % nv old self. The humdrum
life was force to lead grew inlolcra.
ble. The spell OF longing for my old
haunts came upon me.
just about this time received n let
ter calling mo To the city upon mat.
ter Of business. Fanny made arran 10
mcnts for mo 10 ~ by IN early train,
81 that might rctuS that same even
ing. for she wa tim,d, and dreaded tho
thought NJ my absence for 4 single
night. Upon INV arrival. however, !
found that could not DO THIS L..
therefore, photographed nv wife To that
effect. and also that Miss Jones, whom
had invited to visit u, would 20 IN
my place. Fanny was fond of all
v6ung lalies. and Mss Jon's in par.
,icular. ~ battered myself that /
hal made such satisfactory arrange
mcnt that ncol bc In no haste to re-
turn.
| wa, hardly able 10 conceal the boy
ish delight with which entered my
club that evening" My friends were
clad To- SO me. in way; but felt
that they were less enthusiastic than
tla circumstances demanded. They
greeted me with; "Wcl, Warren, YOU
begin Ia look better" and "Glad To
see that farming agrees wi Ia YOU,
George III. felt Ike kno liking every
man down that met The salai was
Hat and the wines in,ipid thought
Of Eanuy'S dainty table with n sigh. i
even stole n glance AZ my watch To SEQ
IL could catch thu train and ret back
that night. The thought NJ my vic
made me uneasy. She would b. lonely,
80 far from n'i.hborS. She had owned
tu me that even in our pleasant home
ON Fourth street, with Tidy in the
nursery, she had sometimes been sd
ncrvou, In the long nights when
wa away that thc bcatin. al her own
heart SCUM lei like knocking at the
street door Or when the little curly
log rrirkcd up hiS ears Ia listen she
dared not guess what hc might hear. |
wondered that had not thought oi
this before. There was slow train
leaving at midnight which would reach
Prachyillc about two in the morning.
AMI resolved - take il. had not
n minute To- sparc. and ~ we crawlcd
along at n >nairS pace was puzzled AT
my own impaticnct u got back. II
wa, long enou n after two when left
the train and began my hOmcward tramp
through the deep sand.
Fanny in the meantime hal received
INV telegram aud FASTENED u meet Miss
Jones ut tho station. IL was n lone.
some drive for the little woman; sO she
took Tidy anl the boys along, for the
new carrvall was very ruomy. A. she
returned with her guest her heart sank
heavily. to remember that there was no
one there tO erect her. Still, she tried
tn keep up show ot checriulncSS, ~
with "a laughing "Opcn, Sesame and
three loud knocks she unlocked the
door and entered Tidy haSt,scd To
prepare supper, while Fanny slowed
the boys in their cribs. Tncn the two
women sat on the piazza, talking n
women will ~ long - they dared.
When no cNci>c could serve h keep
Miss Jones up longer my wife rueful-
IL lighted her - our pretty guest
chamber. drcaling beyond cVpru sion.
NO doubt. tie return Ia her own quar-
tiers.
IL hope YOU don't feel lonely. dear,
away up hcrc?' She said at last, taking
up her candle.
IN %. not lonely exactly" IT.
turned the girl; - little afraid. per-
haps.'
"Airail?' cried Fanny. and the cold
chills crcpt along her >pinc.
eyes, u little, because YOU Were all
away so long and the house was left
alone. only thought some tramp
49," Fanny interrupted her, saying.
~ calmly ~ sh, could:
Then come down and stay with me.
shall be clad oi your company"
How good my wife was am afraid
Miss Jones guessed 10y her eager in
vi,ation. She told me that il Mss Jones
had iinishc the sentence about the
tramp She should have tainted.
So the two descended To my wife :
room. which was in the al" and
opened into the nursery, rs well as up
ON the piazza. suppose they hal I'M
consciously frightened each other. for
they carefully Inspected all the fa>ten-
ings, which Tidy had secured hours be-
fore, and Logan Ia prepare for bed.
They talked till they were tired, then
each tried To make the other believe she
was asleep, lying with widc-opcn eyes
/ anu cars Sttdlucu 10 CulCu lnc mum VI
an insects wing. What n comfort IL
would have been IL the call OF some
watching sentry could have assured
them hour by hour that all was well!
At last sleep fell upon them. but how
long they slept they could never tell.
Fanny was Weakened by faint sound,
aS Of some one trying the outside door.
A lamp had been left burning in such a
position that the door could be distinct
iy seen. As she listncd, ii slowly
opened.
"Shut that door!' she cried. with
the voice of clarion. ltslowly closed.
Up sprang Miss Jones in mortal fear,
her face as white rs her pillows. The
poor things looked nc each other in ST.
lence. Again the door began to open,
and once more Fanny commanded il TO
shut. The order was obeycd; but suit
ing the action to the lurking falicr in
my wifo's voice. no doubt, the move
mcnt was less prompt than before.
With one bound Fanny sprang 10 1t and
turned the key. which wassstiil inside.
Then the women held long and any
ious consultation. neither trying this
time to conceal her fears. There was
no use in waking Tidy, who would only
/ add to the panic by rousing the sleep