The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-08-31
ted for the night and he whispered: IT
haven't forgotten" she gave him SO
charming a look of gratitude that his
heart f1uttered like q schoolboy's

CudIIuluH u lOOh Vi HIStlLuuo Lu6L LIS
heart fluttered like a schoolboy's
Two o'clock, A.. NJ, with q decaving
fire md without the solace Of a pipe.
tIe had written two or three letters Just
to save his conscience, but the effort had
been so great that he wouldn't have be-
gun another to save his life. In order to
rca>sure Miss NJ, who might be on the
lookout, he left the smoking room on
pretext of a headache, and established
himself in his room about midnight.
Smoking and sleeping were both out of
the question, and two longer hours he
had move spent in his whole existence.
He heard doors opening and shutting
down stairs, a suppressed laugh ut the
last good story told amidst tobacco
smoke, the tread of several pairs of feet
in different directions. and then silence.
Miss M. being 40 longer there with
her white face and her small figure all OF
a tremble to work upon his feelings, he
began to feel his position eminently
ridiculous. His excitement had cooled
down, his compassion had waned like
the moon; but, infinitely bored and in
tensely sleepy, he was bound by his
promise to a girl. And all on account of
a dream! He asked himself, with his
fingers running through his usually neat
nalr and his mouth distended in an un-
conscious yawn, if anybody had ever
neard OF a young man being victimized
by somebody else's dream. It was arrant
nonsense, and he was a fool to give in
TO it. No, not quite that, with a throb
of compunction, or the girl would have
worried herself into fits; but he ought to
have reasoned with her, or sue-
gested that she might have q dog
In her room. Lady BIS Fidget would
have been sure to bark if q mouse
had s%queaked, and would have howled
the house down at sight of a burglar.
A pity he hadn't thought of it; but sup
posing he had, Miss Ms gratitude would
have been given to Fidget and not to
himself, and he rather wished to win it.
Another yawn, till he thought he had
cracked his jaws. The fire was dying
out, he was ARA d to stir it, but he
thought might tickle it with a poker. He
got up cautiously and was stretching out
his hand for the poker, when ne heard a
sound in the passage. He began to think
his nervous system was dcranged, for he
had never believed there was the smallest
reason for his watching. But the sound
was repeated, and sent an unMistakable
thrill through his veins. He got to the
door noiselessly, thanks to his slippers,
and without opening it any farther pcercd
through the crack. He could scarcely
believe his eyes when he SOW Bird, the
butler, carrying Il pair of tiny high-heelcd
boots in his hand. Was there really
something in the dream after :.ll2 He
waited till the man actually stopped at
Miss Ms door and placed his hand on tho
handle.
Then with one stride he was by his
side.
What are you doing here2" he said,
in q stern whisper, staring the butler
straight in the face.
The man started, turned perfectly
livid, and let the boots fall from his
shaking fingers. but he made a great
effort after composure, and tried 10
steady his voice US he said: II had for
gotten to send up these boots before, sir,
md l was afraid the young lady might
want them the first thing in the morn.
ing"
IF she did it wouldn't be your bust,
ness to bring them. You must be mad
or drunk, and l shall report you to
your master tomorrow"
The man's under lip shook and his
eyes shifted uncasily. IL meant no
harm,' he said, sullcnly, as he stopped to
pick up the boots"
But Mr.. r. stopped him ON a sudden
impulse. "Leave them here and 90 off
ut once"
Bird seemed inclined to demonstrate,
and wen stretched out his hand again as
if to take the boots, but MIR.
R. signed to him to 60, with significant
frown.
The butler SUNK down the passage.
giving a backward lock before he turned
the corner. Mir. 3. watched him out Of
sight, then picked up the boots and carried
them to the gaslight. Nothing in the
first. O dainty, innocent covering for a
pretty foot. But something hard ratified
in n OF them as they dropped on
the floor, and he was not surprised to find
in the sc o"d a long, pointed ;irife.
AS he drew it out and scratched his finger
with the sharp edge, his bl cd turned
cold as he thought Of til. girls white
throat and n crimson cash.
If it had not bccl Tor a dream that
girl would have been brutaliy murdered
in her bed.
Mr.. r. thought it right to tell the cir
cumstances of the case to Lord and Lady
B. Miss NJ. agreed with him, but said
:he would 60 home before he spoke, to
avoid a fuss. AS soon as she had left the
house the story was told, and Lady B..
nearly went into Mysteries. Lord b. said
there was not sufficient evidence to sup
port a charge of murder. but he declined
to have his enterprising butler any longer
in the house. He therefore dismissed
him at once on another pretext, and Mr..
George Bird is o on the lookout for
another place, where he may cut a throat
when he feels inclined, with no trouble