Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-20

deluge, and every drop seemed 10 PEN
citrate my soul. did not move. ! lay
back In my cushioned chair helpless
and felt that l could not have raised
my hand 10 my face II my life were the
forfeit. Such pouring! ! found my
self listening behind the notwithstanding
for another sound. ! had a grotesque
idea that the elements and this some
thing that was coming TO me We're col
leagued together, the one to screen the
approach Of the other.
was listening with every fibre of
my body drawn taut. Listening for
wllaiY did not know. Something
thing beyond, behind the rain Then
heard ii. A sound distinct from the
rain-patter. a sound emanating from
our little drawing r0om-a scraping,
saving sound. Ii came from the front
portico. knew someone was cutting
house. My faintest doubts vanished
soon, when I Enthusiastically heard the
blinds dragged back and the sash creak
as 1t WAS pushed up. Someone was en-
tering the house! This person. who
ever II was. knew Of my brothers alb
sence. Good Heavens! l thought Of
Henry, our office man. He brought the
nOte-an open note. 1t was he who
caused the delay which prevented my
depositing the money. IL was as clear
as day. rose r,,gidly TO my feet. In
twinkling my mind was acutely active,
and a thousand ways Of escape surged
through my brain in moment. l I'M
locked the cabinet and grasped the
large pOcketbook which contained the
notes, and thrust ii into my bosom.
TO what purpose did not know. re-
treated into the dense darkness of my
own bedroom, where l stood uncertain
and shivering.
The windows were too high from the
ground to admit of my jumping there
from without incurring the risk of
broken limb; besides. there was no
time. At the first sound OF my putting
up the sash l would be detected ana
overpowered. ! heard heavy tread
along the hall. An idea flashed into my
head like the incision of a blade. /
clutched the money in my bosom, and
stepped into the empty fireplace. In
another moment / was scrambling up
the sooty chimney with the agility of
Il finished chimney-sweep, and l kept
scrambling until l had made II strong
hold for myself.
What went on down below / did not
know. In the cassatiOns of the rain l
could hear the heavy tread passing to
and fro i'm Il search. i knew. for that
money. But /, from my lofty vantage
ground. could only thank Heaven again
and again for such "a blessed deliver
ance.
l was so benumbed with cold and
fright that l think l lost conscious
ness and would probably have tumbled
down the chimney but that | was SO
rigid and so walled in / could not.
The next thing | remember was open
ing my eyes ana seeing the square of
wan light above me. Then realizing all.
my strength gave way, and fell heavi-
ly. striking my head against something
which left me senseless for hours.
When j came To myself / was in the
arms of young man who had never
seen before. He sat upon the floor, and
held my head across his knees. while
he wiped the blood from my cut fore
head with Il pocket handkerchief. which
every now and then he would squeeze
out i'm Il basin of water NJ his elbow.
don't suppose there ever was more
territipd youpo man rupou tbiS partb of
ours. Imagine an inoffensive young
man turning up in Il town where an
intimate friend lived. coming i'm on the
very train that takes this intimate
friend out. Imagine this intimate
friend cordially inviting the newcomer
to his house. telling him there was no
body in it. hut that he could put up
there. make himself lord and master,
find plenty to eat by foraging around,
and get "A good bed. Then TO make the
thing complete. gave him the wrong
keys by which to let himself in. Imag-
inc this newcomer booming about town
until IL o'clock, then striking out for
his friends abode; overtaken by the
rain; at last to arrive at his intended
abiding place to discover he has the
wrong keys. which necessitates his
climbing into the house like a burglar.
Imagine him piling into the first bed
he cones to. very soon sinking into the
untroubled slumber Of the innocent at
heart. 10 be awakened at the peep of
day by something tumbling down the
chimney. Not hobgOblin-that were
better-but a young woman despatched
and grimy. but still young woman,
and one probably more dead than alive.
Imagine il all If you can, for that ia
what happened TO the misguided young
man, who held me across his knees and
wiped the blood from my broken fore
head on that memorable st. Valentines
morning.
Imagine II and tell me If men through
stupidity don't cause half OF all the
trouble i'm the world. We explained 1t
all to each other as best we could. for
i was really iii. and quite ready to 20
off into another swoon. When the sei-
want girl came he went for the doctor,
and Mary got me TO bed.
Dick came at noon, and was Mortified
at what had happened. But the doctor
had pronounced me more frightened
than hurt: and. really, but for the
dreadful cold ! caught and my wounded
forehead, II did not amount to any
thing and soon became a tremendous
joke.