The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-05-25
Two Strange Meetings..

They met first in the oldest way.
She was standing at the approach O.
the suspension bridge in q bitter, blind
ing snow storm.
Her umbrella was inside out, her wrap
had broken from its fastenings and was
flying in the wind; the icy breczes and
line particles of snow were whistling IN
her sleeves, while her bonnet and hair
were in a white, feathery tanalc. becom-
ing momentarily more pronounced as the
fierce blizzard swept across it from the
river.
She was trying hard to keep herself
together, looking despairingly around
the while for some means of getting
across the terrible bridge in safety.
What could he do2
He was not the man to look unmoyed
upon such a picture of distress, especially
such a pretty picture. For she was
pretty.
A petite, compact figure, with unmis-
taxable evidences of refinement in every
curve and outline; bright, dancing eyes,
oil the brighter in contrast with the glow
ing red cheeks; a small, firm mouth, and
a chin absolutely trembling in its soft
nest of feather trimming.
He took in all these details at q glance.
saw that she was in real trouble, stoned.
and said:
"You had better wait for a street car.
You cannot walk across the bridge this
morning. There is a blast coming up
the river that cuts like a million knives"
II cannot help it. I have to be at the
depot at nine o'clock, and there are no
street cars in sight," was the breathless
reply, as she struggled with her unruly
umbrella.
He took the umbrella from her, and as
ne forced it into the proper shape, said:
"Then you had better let me pilot YOU
across"
She turned her eyes full on him and
looked searchingly into his face.
She saw a tall, handsome, brown
bearded fellow, the bronzed cheeks tint
ed with a rosy hue that indicated the
lover of outdoor life.
She saw that the bronzed face had a
kindly, honest expression, and as a proof
that her inspection had resulted satisfac-
torily, she put her d~aintily glovcd little
hand on his arm and said, quietly:
"Thank your!
So he held the umbrella to windward,
and with the compact little figure tucked
away under his arm, and the wind hoot-
ing and grooming his disappointment as
it tried to get under and around the um-
brella at the dainty bonnet and hair still
in a tangle, he pushed boldly across the
bridge, with his heart humping a SYM
pathetic accompaniment to the pattering
feet ofhis companion.
Then as he handed her the umbrella
and raised his hat, she said:
"Thank you very much for your kind
aess. I should never have crossed the
by myself, I am afraid"
When the young lady got home that
evening, and told the assembled family
how she bad crossed the bridge in com
pany with a strange gentleman, there
a general uplifting of eyebrows and
of shoulders, though no one
ve-y much surprised.
Kate selby had all the independent
spirit of her age, sex and nativity, and
rather enjoyed defying tho proprietics
when it could be done with moderate
Perhaps it was this independent spirit
That made her adopt such an unusual
plan for getting into the house of Mrs.
Douglas on the night of the fancy dress
party, a few evenings later.
This party had been tho talk of society
for weeks. It was expected to be some
thing unusual in its gathering of we'll
known people, not only in society per 80,