Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-19
NEWS: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 86-TWELVE PAGES

ceived other letters that gradually dealt
him keener distress. They were from
his beloved Clara. They brimmed with
affection, but they also breathed bitter
melancholy. Her father was daily grow
ing teebler and less fitted for work. His
mind appeared to be lamentably confused
by his sorrow at MILFORD s death. He did
and said all kinds of odd ard unexpec ted
things. He spoke of selling the Mont
gomery street house; sometimes ne would
rambie along in his talk queerly about in
YestmentS which he had either made or
thought OF making-Clara had no clear
idea herself just which it was. She
greatly feared that his mind would give
way altogether. And one point filled ner
with the worst dismay. Her father grew
angry and even passionate whenever she
mentioned Ernests name to him. Once
ne had muttered something that fright
ened her very much. He had suggested
that his dear son might be alive now but
Tor the friendship he had formed with
| Ernest
"What do you mean, father" she had
asked him, carried away by excitement
and terror.
But he had replied to her with so much
savage lncoherence that then, for the first
! time, the realization of his being insane.
or OF MS shortly becoming so, had rushed
upon her.
Az last there came a week which
| brought with it no letter. Ernest grew
anxious. Another week and still another
passed without the least response to the
letters he had written her, imploring a t
least word to tell him that she was still
! alive and we'll.
1t had neared Christmastide. Ernest
saw an opportunity for visiting New
York. and sent his uncle word that he
! would soon do SO. Instead OF a reply
| from Mr.. Nanderyeer one came from an
old body servant, Joshua, VINO bad lived
with mis- master many years. Abner
Nanderveer had been stricken with
apoplexy, and now lay speeches., at the
point of death.
Ernest had once started from Oswego.
But trains were not run with the tleetness
OF facility in those days which empowers
| them now A terrible snOWstorm delayed
him many hours in town about forty
miles further east. The tracks were tenn
porarlly blocked by huge snow drifts, and
ali travel was therefore sus ended. Err
nest did not finally reach New York I'M
til early nightfall of the day before christ
| mas.
He went straight to his unc e's house,
his own old home, In East Broadway.
Abner Vanderyeer had breathed his last
two hours b fore. He had murmured
| few words to Joshua, ID a conscious state
OF mind, that morning. They were these,
and IL may be said that they were the kind
est he had uttered in many years:
"Tell Ernest, if he should come too late,
that Pm greatly pleased with him. He's
a tlne fellow, with good business head.
| Pye left him everything. Joshua, except a
fairly nice legacy to YOU. Ernest will
ind it's bigger fortune than he'd any
idea OF. But he knows how 10 take care
OF it, guess. That's why it's all given to
him."
A little after O'Clock that evening Err
nest stole with a beating heart from the
house OF death and repaired to Clara
| abode in Montgomery street.
He rang the bell with thrills and trem-
Ors OF anxiety. A civil-lOOkIng, elderly
woman answered his summons. She in
formed him that the esbItts. father and
daughter, no longer lived there. She be-
lieved that they used to occupy the house
before its present tenants had engaged it.
But the latter had moved in quite little
While ago; the.hOuse was empty then. A
MI. Brock mad bought it and had rented
it alterward. Mr.. Brock was a tobaccOn-
st. He would most probably know about
the Nesbitts. He lived at No. - Catha-
rlne street.
Ernest flew to No. - Catharne street.
Ii was a rather 0sperOus-lOoking to-
bacco store. pale, sleepy young man
stood behind one its cigar-aden coun-
tiers. He tod Ernest, drowslly, that
MIR. Brock, his employer, had gone to
spend Christmas with his brothers. family
in Boston.
"BOstonl' thought Ernest, with a mis-
cradle falling OF tie heart.
Then he inquired CT the clerk ii he cou Id
tell MIN anything ABOUT tue Nesbltt f., M
lily, OF VI 'nIgOmery street. The sOmuO-
lent Young man gave Il salIOw grin. No,
ne knew nUtnlng-nCtblng at all. ii r.
Brock never told anvb dy anything; ne
minded his own affairs. Then Ernest
asked 'OrlOrnly il there was Il Mrs. Brock
fAe saiiOw grin deePened at this. Mrs.
Brock? Oh, no; there never mad bean one
that he had h ard OF. He guessed
his employer was u widOWer But he
wasn't sure. Mr.. Brock might be a
bachelor; he'd never thought TO as. Any.
now, there wasn't any wife alive that he'd
ever seen, and he guessed be wOul have
seen her or heard of her if she'd been
"anvWhere around"
Ernest Went back to East Broadway in
a tortured condition Of mind. He had ar
ranged TO SIT up Ill night with his uncle 8
body. in the companionshIp OF old
Joshua. People ''sat up'' with their dead
then. The dreary art of the oficiatin z
undertaken mad not y reached its pres
ent accurat- efficiency.
| Finest felt sure that Joshua would fall
asleep long before their doleful watch
| udu tA pilCus anu LIS dEtIClpdLlOu III luis
respect proved true. 1t was not vet 4
O'Clock when JOshua's gray head fell bac K
Oh his CHAIR, and he began peacefully 10
slumber.
The body lay in the large front room Or
the second floor. Between this room and
the smaller chamber where the nephew
ard the old servant had seated them
selves was partially closed door. After
Joshua bad fallen asleep an intense feel-
ing OF loneliness came upon Ernest. But
This was not all. His wretched worTi-
ment regarding Clara merclesslY tor
mented him, and mingled with 1t were
memories OF that other Christmas eve,
just one year ago, when poor, dying w IL
ford Nesbitt had reminded him Of the
strange promise they had formerly made
together, and mad renewed That promise
with so SPECIAL and pertinent relation to
This very night, or some other future
night at just The same time of year.
Finest ieit no goostly supernatural
dread. AS he thought OF mis- lost friend
the love winch he bore WIliord's living
sister wrought a new and tender halo
about the whole weird compact into
which, when college associates together
they had FIRST half loosely entered.
what If Willy could come backW he
mused, sitting there IN the silence beside
the unconscious and heavy breathing Old
servant. perhaps if he did he might
! tell me something that now long with al