The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-09-13
CHAPTER X.


Meanwhile poor little Oracle Gar
land, fairly launched upon the world, a
total stranger in a great city, alone and
pennilcss in the night, hurried away
from the only shelter she might claim.
as thong!: her immortal soul depended
upon tho haste she made.
Naturally she chose the most bril-
i'"ntly lighted thoroughfare, instinct
ively seeking protection in her forlorn
fight. 1t was not yet late, and the
ing to and fro, none of whom needed
her in the slightest degree. Therefore.
she trudged on, buried in her own bit.
ter thoughts until shc found herself
surrounded by tho flare and clatter of
Third avenue.
Here n group OF showily dressed, i'll
brod men accosted her, hut she bent
her head, and hurried on, crossing the
avenue, aud following the street as it
leads to the river.
Presently the lights began to twinkle
farther apart, the houses dropped off,
and were succeeded by large fenced in
closures for storing lumber; even the
line Of cross-town horse-cars ceased,
and ut last the river; its broad bosom
dimpling darkly, and rejecting here
and there an occasional light, which
served but to accentmate its gloom,
spread out Eecorc her.,
She walked to the edge of the pier,
and in sheer exhaustion leaned upon
one of the massive spiles.
d Beneath her she could hear tho water,
swollen by the risen tide, tapping and
sucking in and out with restful, mystic
sound. She listened, and looked off
over the swiftly flowing plain to where,
across the starlit night sky, fragments
of black clouds drifted before the wind.
Two great tears wciiui from the
depths of her beautiful eyes and fell
upon her beautiful hands.
ooh, why should not ,lio md end
all here?" she murmurcd, coming to a
realizing sense of her surroundings
with IL start; "who cares for mo now,
and what have to live for?"
And the stars twinkled ut her with
kindly eyes, and the refreshing wind
puffed in her fevcrish face, raising the
soft brown hair upon her brow with
friendly touch. t...
mo, no! don't look ut mo so; don't
carcss mert she cried, addressing the
stars and the wind in wandering way !;
"you only mock me! Show ME where
j can lay my head in safety tonight
and ] will believe you."
Then her eyes sank to tho p,,rling
river, and its gurgling voice seemed to
say:
Hero is rest!"
If she had been found next morning
floating dead upon those peaceful
waves the newspapers would have said
that she had, in all probability, COM
mitted suicide i'll moment of mental
alteration. And if they had said so
they would have spoken truly, since,
for the time being, the poor, distracted
child had taken leave of her senses.
1t is safe to. say that within two
minutes there would have been q
splash in the river, and another soul
launched upon that unknown shore
whence there is no returning; such
would have been the case l,ut for the
unexpected interference of fate.
With her eyes fxed upon heaven,
her hands ciaspea, + slast, asspsrste pc.
tition for mercy trembling upon her
lips, Oracle was about to take Che
! plunge, when presto! darkness en-
yeloped her, some sitting material en-.
wrapped her in it's folds, and while
she felt herself raised in strong arms,
she heard an excited voice pant:
1--we got her! Quick, lend me O
shandw
Then thcre was q scurrying of feet
the rattle of oars being quickly manned
| tho sensation of being carefully laid
in the bottom of q boat, and then
| total Oblivion.
When ut last she recovered her con
| seriousness she discovered that the
| sitting material that had bereft her o
| her breath had been removed and In,
in soft folds about her; that the star,
still blinked above her. the fresh winG
famed her face, while upon either side
of the river the lights of the two cite,
were flashing past as tho boat driftet
down npon the ebbing tide. !.
| More than all this, she noticed the
dark hgure of u man resting upon his
oars Mt her feet, while she was con
scious that lus companion sat in the
stern at her head. As they were speak
| ing, she held herself as quiet as 4
mouse, and bent every energy to di
vino what fresl, doom was in store fol
her. AEa
"well, what arc you going to dt
about it?" growied the fellow at tn,
r oars. - "'.A lf4
burned if Ikhowf p was the respons,
from the stern. 49,
| "It's your own fault. You've made ,
bcastly mistake and deyilisb fool o.
vourselfp