Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-20
AN UNEXPECTED VALENTINE.
by Bessie Tobin.

l was really too heart-brOken to care
what became of me. Still. had to be
disposed OF in some way. so IL was de-
cided that go To live with my brother
Richard.
l had always lived with my aunt. had
known no other mother; therefore her
death was the greatest blow possible
to me- And this brother Richard /
knew only slightly, and that when
state of mind TO care about anything
/ should have hated the idea of going
very much. AS il was, went without
a murmur. took the journey alone,
almost across the continent. and sub
sequently, after many ups and downs.
arrived ut Dicks town, Il queer little
village i'm Sonth Carolina.
Dick is moderately young bach
elOr. He is an attOrney-at-law, and
has very fair practice indeed. An
terror to my advent, he had lived by
himself in pretty cottage on the pref
tiest street, and was rather a central
figure. and was quite the most eligible
spoiled, though. / found him to be
a very dear old fellow. and determined
in my heart to he to him such Il faithful
co-OperatOr and satisfactory house
keeper that he would never need or de-
sire any other.
We got on famously together. so IA
mously that i'm all probability the last
chapter would have found us still there,
he Il grizzly old bachelor. Il grizZled
old maid. had not something occurred
which brought about Il change.
1t all grew out of what happened one
st. Valentines eve.
On this day. memorable above other
days. just about an hour after dinner
Dick received Il telegram TO go up that
evening to A.. city fifty miles
away. to meet an important client. He
did not have time to come home, for
the train was then in sight, but he scrib-
bled me the following note. which
did not get until nearly midnight. be-
cause the ofiice-boy neglected TO bring
il until that time.
$40 p. M.
Dear Girl-Havc to leave on next
train to meet IA man i'm A. Prob
ably won't get home till tomorrow
noon. Spend the night with the An
Client "a dear old lady friend of mine)
BE sure to put that money in the bank
before il closes ut 4. Don't fail.
DICK.
1t was such bore to lock up at that
late hour and go out for the night. 1t
had been such Il gloomy afternoon. and
looked like il would rain. Altogether.
l did not feel like ii. | was not afraid
though / had never stayed alone all
night in a house. And the money
several thousand dollars collected for
client-surely could not at I o'clock
put money in "a bank that closed at T..
could not very well carry il with me
TO the Ancient's, and / certainly could
not leave it.
had never heard Of any burglaries
in the village, so l made up my mind
that l would stay at home that night,
and take the risk. if there was any,
because ii was troublesome to do other
wise.
did not want any tea. so l let the
servant girl go early, and sat. neglect
ing even 10 light the lamps. before n
big oak fire in the sitting room think
ing up" one of Dicks eases. 1t was n
murder ease, that had IA great deal Of
circnmstantial evidence leading in va
rious directions.
soon became deeply absorbed, so
deeply absorbed that presently went
to sleep at il. and in II dream saw our
poor man tried, convicted and actually
sentenced to be hanged. and was my
self possessed Of frantic desire to at
tend the hanging in person. my non
appearance being wholly due to the fact
that / could not find my shoes. being
separated from them for some unex-
piainable reason.
I woke up suddenly, frightened to
find myself enveloped in darkness, re-
Heved only by an uncanny red glow
hearth. Everything was so still. Not
the smallest sound except The ticking
of n little clock in my darkened bed.
room, and the clicking Of the dying
Goals.
I was possessed with a strange. sink
Ing fear. ! was afraid to move. afraid
TO turn my head to left or right lest
should see something terrifying Turk.
ing I'm the gloomy corners; ] fancied II
was just before dawn.
My fear increased rather than dI,nin
ished as the moments dragged by.
could hear my heart beating. soor
became enthralled by terror. / had O
kind OF instructive animal fear Of i'm
pending danger. i thought Of tho
money. II was locked up in the cabi
net at my right hand. not two yards
away. found myself listening pain
fully, tortuously. My throat seemed
swollen. l swallowed in gulps.
I endeavored to rally my courage. Il
persuade myself that ] had awakened
from nightmare. and was nervous
that there was nothing to fear. and tina
was making baby of myself. All t.
no purpose. Something was going Il
happen; something was happening n
that moment which would bring me
hurt -.