The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-07-10

I :, :
feet on the gravel; and then there was a
knock at the door,
A tall man stood without, his garments
chnging to him IN wet folds and the
water running from them. in streams.
The old man help up the candle to bis
face and saw prominent nose and pair
of keen eyes under wide hat, and fol-
the rest there was handsome. rather
benevolent, mouth, and a mass of au.
burn beard. The man was stranger to
him.
"Good evening, SIR" he said, in q
bluff, hearty voice. "May come in and
get drys Such a ducking i haven't b I'd
since fell off Freehaven Dock, long ago.
viii! yos sllog such metsrat inasau'
Eyes, come in," Perry replied; and
ushering the stranger into the room, hi
brought some kindlings and light wood,
with which he soon made a fire in tbs
fireplace.
The stranger took off his coat aud vest,
and squeezed the water from them, HUNG
| them on chair, and addressed himself
to the drying of his extremities. The old
man looked on in moody silence, and the
stranger was compelled to make the first
advances.
"A nice place you have here, 1 should
think. l saw it from the bottom of the
hlli, before the storm came up"
"Who are you2" Perry abruptly
asked. "Do you come here on any bust.
ness' Have you anything to do with
that RASCAL Murch, who has robbed me of
an my property2 Idon't know, sir; per-
maps do you an injustice; but 1 have
become embittered against everybody.
I'll ask you kindly, if you came here
spying for Issac Murch, to leave peace.
ably-and now" -
"on my honor, then, sir" replied the
other, much surprised at the questions,
81 don't know anything of Murch, and
I'm above spying for him or anybody. ]
came into Freehaven, down below here.
this afternoon, in the steamboat, and ex.
pected to walk over to Westlock before
the rain came on. got caught, and |
made for the first shelter I saw. but if
you d rather ] would go''--
mo, no." interrupted Perry; .I
wouldn't turn dog out into the storm.
much less human being. STAY till YOU
are dry, and the rain is over; and that.
think, won't be before morning. in
give you a bed"
Finding the old man but little inclined
to talk, the stranger babe his host good
night ard went to the room assigned to
him.
1t was then about ten o'clock. The
storm was at its height, and it continued
Tor an hour longer, when it abruptly
ceased. The suddenress Of its cessation
aroused the occupant of the room, aud
wearied with his stress of emotion. he
took his candle and assembled the stairs.
He had no heart for anything but his
own dreadful misery; and he would pro-
baby have forgotten the presence of
stranger in his house but for a raw of
light issuing from the keyhoe of the
chamber which he had bade him take.
Randolph Perry paused, and merely
obeying sudden impulse, stopped and
placed his eye at the hole He had not
the least curiosity about this man, and
his act was certainly without motive.
But his fye had but singled out his guest
from the other objects in the room when
ne eoFcsnttated his attention upon him
with the greatest eagerness. He saw him
sia!ng g &W5AS fable, his back to the door,
and the candle before him. Four or five
IpilSS, bank, k,notes, new and cracking,
were before him, and he counted them