The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-02-26
9nAeraaB g~wtelIiaeueee,
AN UNEXPECTED VALENTINE
From the Detroit Free Press.

too heart-broken to care what became
of me. Still I had to be disposed Of
in somewaY, so it was decided hat I
90 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 pos.
sible to me. And this brother Rich
ard, I only knew slightly when I was
a small child. If | had been in .
state of mind to care about anything I
should have hated the idea of going
very much. As it was [ went without
a murmur.
I took the journey alone, and sub
s%equently after many ups and downs
arrived at Dicks town, a queer little
village away down in the southern
part of South Carolina.
Dick is a moderately young bachelor.
He is an attorney at law, and has a
very fair practice indeed.
Anterior to my advent he had lived
all by himself, in a pretty cottage in
the prettiest street, and was rather a
central figure and quite the most
eligible young man about town.
He was not spoiled though, but
really I found him to be a dearest fell
low, and determined in my heart to be
to him such a faithful co-operator and
satisfactory housekeeper, that he
would never need or desire any other.
We got on famously together, so ia
mously that in all human probability
the last chapter wouldhave found us
still there, he a grizz2Ssold bachelor,
Ia grizlier old maid, had not some
thing occurred out Of the common,
which brought about q change.
It all grew out of what happened
one St. Valentine eve.
On this day, memorable above other
days, just about an hour after dinner,
Dick received a telegram to 90 up that
evening to A. a city about fifty
miles away, to meet an important
client. He did not have .timeto come
home, for the train was then in sight,
SO he scrubbed ME the following note,
I did not get until nearly night,
simply because the Office boy neglected
to bring it until then
"Dear Girl : Have to leave on next
train to meet a man in A.. Prob
ably will not get home Till tomorrow
noon. Spend the night with The
Ancient. ca dear old lady friend Of
mine in the next ~street.) Be sure to
put that money in the bank before it
closes at 4. Don't fail. DICK"
Il Eas such a bore to have 20 lock
up and 60 out for the night. I did
not feel like it. I was not afraid,
though I Had fever stayed in q house
alone at night. -,
And the money, several thousand
dollars collected for client, 1 surely
could not at Z put it in the bank that
closed at 4. I could not very we'll
carry it with me to the Ancient's, and
I certainly. could not leave it. | had
never heard Of any burglaries in the
village. I made up my mind TO stay
al home that night because it was
troublesome to do otherwise.
I did not want any tea, 90 | let the
girl 60 home early, and sat, neglecting
even to light the lamps, before a big
oak fire in the sitting room thinking
up one Of Dicks cases. A murder
case that had a great deal Of eircum-
atantial evidence leading in various
directions. I soon became deeply alb
sorbed, so deeply that presently I
went to sleep at it, and in sleep saw
our poor man tried, convicted and sen
fenced to hang, and was myself pos
sessed with q frantic wish to attend
the hanging in person, my non-ap-
pearance being entirely due to the
fact that I could not find my shoes,
having been separated from them for
some unexplainable reason.
I woke up suddenly frightened to
find myself enveloped in darkness,
only relieved by an uncanny red glow
from the. fast-dying Goals on the
hearth.
. Everything was SO still, not the
smallest sound except the ticking Of q
little clock in my bed room, and the
clicking of the dying Goals. I was
afraid to move, afraid to turn my
head to left or right, lest I should see
something terrifying lurking in the
gloomy corners.
I was cold, too, and trembling.
The room was chilled. | fancied it
must be just before dawn. Ny fear
increased rather than diminished as
the moments dragged by. I could
hear my heart beating. I soon be-
came enthralled by terror. I had a
kind Of animal instinct Of impending
danger.
Z thought Of the money. It wal
locked up in the cabinet at my right
hand, not two yards away. I found
myself listening painfully, torturously.
My throat seemed swollen. I swal-
lowed in gulps. I endeavored to rally
my courage, to pursuade myself that I
had awakened from . nightmare, and
was nervous. That there was nothing
to fear, and that 1 was making a baby
Of myself. All to 10 purpose.
Something was going to happen ;
something was happening that mo-
ment which would bring me hurt. I
could not throw of the notion. Just
then it began to rain, a regular down
fall, 90 if the bottom had fallen out Of
the clouds. I have never known it to
rain 90 heavily. A perfect deluge,
and every drop seemed to penetrate
my soul. I did not move. Hay back
in my chair helpless. I felt that I
could not raise my hand to my face if
my life were the forfeit. Such pour
ing ! I found myself listening behind
the rain, all the pattering noise, lis
tening for another sound. I had a
grotesque idea that the elements and
this something that was coming to me
were eolleagued together, the one to
screen the approach Of the other.
I was listening, with every fibre Of
my body drawn taut. Listening for
what? I did not know. Something
beyond, behind the rain. Then l
heard it. A sound distinct from the
rain patter--a sound emanating from
our little dining room. / listened with
all my ears, with all my soul. It was
kind Of saving sound. It came