Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-02-13
1T WAS UNEXPECTED.
A Story for st. Valentines Day.

When my dear Aunt Maud died
she died the very summer 1 graduated
I was really too heart-broken to care
what became Of me. Still, 1 had to be
disposed Of in some way, so it was de-
cided that I go to live with my brother
Richard.
[ had always lived with my aunt,
had known no other mother. there
fore her death was the greatest blow
possible to me. And this brother
Richard [ knew only slightly. and
that when [ was a mere child. If |
had been in a state of mind to care
anything, l should have hated the idea
OF going very much. AS it was, l
went without a murmur. I took the
journey alone, almost clear across the
continent, and subsequently, after
many ups and downs, arrived at
Dicks town, a queer little village in
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 by himself
IN pretty cottage on the prettiest
street, and was rather a central figure,
and was quite the most eligible young
man about town. He was not spoiled,
though. | found him to be very
dear old fellow, and determined in my
heart to be to him such a faithful CO.
operator and satisfactory housek
that he would never need or desire any
other.
We got on famously together, so ia
mously that in all probability the last
chapter would have found us still
there, he a grizzled old bachelor,
[ a grizzled old maid had not some
thing occurred which brought about a
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 telegram to go up that
evening to A, 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
scrubbed me the following note, which
[ did not get until nearly night, be-
cause the Office boy neglected to bring
it until that time
$40 p. N.
Dear Girl-Have to leave on next
train to meet a man in A. Prob
ably won't get home until tomorrow
noon. Spend the night with the An
ain 10
Be sure to put that money in the bank
before it closes at 4. Don't fail.
Dick.
1t was such a bore to lock up at that
late hour and go out for the night. 1t
had been such a gloomy afternoon, and
[ did not feel like it. | was not
afraid, though l had never stayed
alone all night in house. And the
money-several thousand dollars COL
lected for client-surely | could not
at Z put money in the bank that closed
at 4. l could not very we'll carry it
with me to the Ancient's, and | GER
tainly could not leave it.
l had never heard of any burglaries
in the village, so I made up my mind
that [ would stay at home that night
and take the risks, if there were any,
because it was troublesome to do
otherwise.
[ did not want any tea, so | let the
servant-girl go early; and sat, neglect
ing even to light the lamps, before
big oak fire in the sitting-room think
ing up" one of Dicks cases. 1t was
murder case, that had a great deal OF
circumstantial evidence leading in va
rious directions.
[ soon became deeply absorbed; so
deeply that | presently went to sleep
at it, and in a dream saw our poor
man tried, convicted and actually SEN
fenced to be hanged, and was myself
possessed of a frantic desire to attend
the hanging in person, my non-appear
ance being wholly due to the fact that
l could not find my shoes, being sep
arated from them for some unexplain-
able reason.
1 woke up suddenly, frightened to
find myself enveloped in darkness re-
lieved only by an uncanny red glow
from the fast-dying Goals upon the
hearth. Everything was so still. Not
the smallest sound except the ticking
of little clock in my darkened bed
room, and the clicking of the dying
Goals.
l was possessed of a strange, sink
ing fear. | was afraid to move, afraid
to turn my head to left or right lest
see something terrifying lurking in
the gloomy corners. | was cold, too,
and trembling. The room was chilled
l fancied it must be just before dawn.
My fear increased rather than di-
minished as the moments dragged by.
l could hear my heart beating. l soon
became enthralled by terror. l had a
kind of instructive animal fear of i'm
pending danger. I thought of the
money. 1t was locked up in the cab
met at my right hand, not two yards
away. l found myself listening pain
fully, torturously. My throat seemed
swollen l sv allowed in gulps.
I endeavored to rally my courage, to
persuade myself that l had awakened
from a nightmare, and was nervous
that there was nothing to fear, and
that I was making a baby of myself
All 70 No y,,,rnnco Sopn uaS o.