The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-09-13
TEL Fl
LITTLE " AIF:
A Story Of Absorbing Interest.
cy BERNARD HER ,eRr.
ttnATTER IX.-CoHrINunp.I


The concluding words Of the cxtor-
tomato demand were fairly shaken of
the scoundrcl's lips. Like an avalanche
Boyden bent over the table and
polnccd upon his victim. He seized
him with both hands by the neck, raised
him from his seat, and brought his head
down with such crashing power upon
the table that the thing was shattered
in ruins, the candle WAS cxtingushcd
and the combntants went down upon
the floor in a deadly grapplc among the
debris. So sudden, so wholly uncA-
pected was the attack that Garland
never recovered his breath, and scarce
ly his reason.
For minute or two tho suggestive
tumult of honrsc breathing and dcspcr-
ate writhing disturbed the scpulchral
quiet of the den, and then all was ST
lent.
in ths pitchv darkness, with his
long muscular hands still gripping the
throat of his victim with the tirmncSS
of a professional stranglcr, Boyden
bent his head and pressed his ear to the
region of the mans heart. There was
no pulsation there; only faint whir
ring as of n clocks spring that has bro
ken and run down.
With low exclamation he loosrd his
hold, and the inanimatc head fell back
upon the floor.
"Godw gaspcd the coward, staggcr
ing to his feet; 1--WE killed him!'
A wandering gust of wind SWEPT
around the house, and ratified at the
shutters with an eeric rapping. 81 can't
stand this" he painted, his blood flying
with terror into the rccesscs of his craven
heart; II had better 60 now, and come
back for the will tomorrow. No one
will find him here"
And suiting the action to the words,
he felt his way to the wall, and gropcd
along until he reached the door.
Casting n fearful glance back into
the pregnant darkness he had left be-
hind, rs though he half expected to see
the blood suilused, lurid eyes of his
stranglcd victim glaring after him in
hot pursuit, he stumbled out upon the
stair landing. and graspcd the rail.
Hark what was that? the scurrv Of
n rat, or the atcalthv acuillc of invisible
feet?
Look! The outer door ia hanging
open upon it, hinges at the foot of the
stairs, and the wan light of the night is
falling in! Who has opened that door ?
The wind? No! There it goes again
with its slip, slip, swish! God it j.;
behind him. somewhere i'm the capacious
jaws of the darkness! With strangling
oath of terror in his throat. and gripinn
the rail firmly, tn" miscrcant raised his
feet from the floor, and aprang of INTO
space.
Slamban@ he went down over The
r"sounding stairs, the echoes Of the
hollow building taking up and maeni-
tying til" clattcr OF his dt scent until It
seemed "a though horde of furics
were in full cry in lis wake 1t was II
miracle that he did not dish his brains
ont. or MAIN himself; but, then, It's
said the devil protects his own.
Brcathless he reached the door,
pulled it ;fler him with a dcaicning
crash and sprang away up the desert
ed road. Like startled animal he
ran until he reached the avenue, where,
completely srcnt, he leaned against
trcc-trunk TO recover his breath
There were lights here, and vagrant
sounds OF stirring life. Half dozen
careless men an women passed on the
opposite side, singing popular song