The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-03

was a deathiy stiffness. / felt unstrung,
nervous. But 1 never allowed fancy TO
Interfere with business. / had work TO
do. and forced myself to do IT. gropeu
NV wav through the thick darkness, feel
ing and STOPPING like this
The old man rose from his chalr, ana
with his body bent far forward and one
hand gently moving from SIDE 10 siue, helu
in front OF his knees, walked across the
room.
"You see, he said, chat in this way |
can never unexpectedly run against any
thing. l am sure to find it with my fin
gers and to touch 1t gently. And as l
walked this way across the room / stops
ned and a thrill went through me. for my
fingers had touched woman's hair.
Had / awakened her? She did not
move stood listening, waiting. ready
for a quick retreat, but not motion dld
sbe make. If she had ruflled her night
gown or the sheets ever so little l Would
have heard IT, | could not even hear her
breathe, and fancied that she was awake
and in deadly fear ready to utter scream
and only waiting a motion on my part
that would tell her that man was really
in the room.
81 began 20 feel more nervous and my
beart was beating hard. ] knew that
was in a tight fix, for the town was not
a large one. and If a general midnight
alarm was given j would find It nara 70
oct away. And / pictured to myself the
dIsanuointment of my father and mother
if I should not appear for Christmas
but far. stronger than the practical
fear Of capture was the intangible dread
that had felt from the very moment that
I entered the room. 1t made IN shiNer
and quake. I was never so unnamed IN
nv life. To bring It to crisis struck a
match. II you ever want to strike
match don't take the new-fangled ones
that make a crack in quiet room IKE a
pistol shot and a great fare of light, but
use the old-fashioned kind. Well took
one, drew it quickly across my sleeve you
should always use cloth, you know, and
the instant that the light burned dimly /
blew it out. But in that instant ! saw
nIainlv the young girl whose hair | had
touched. She was dead. She had not yet
been placed in coffin, but lay stretched
out with her hands crossed over her
breast.
"Death was even then no stranger 70
me. / had seen men killed and l had
often seen dead bodies. But beside that
girl / felt a quivering fear. / shook so
that I was afraid / would be unable 70
get safely away, and / fancied that she
had oDened her eyes and was looking AZ
me, and that she was reaching out with
her hands to take hold OF me-
'I stopped and laid upon the floor the
bundle of swag that had got next door,
and then crept away out of the house
and into the sharp air Of the bitter vim
ter night / laughed out loud once to
think how funny It would be for them to
find that bundle there in the morning, and
then 1 went on back to the railroad sta
ton"
"And did you make your Christmas visit
enpty-handed after all, then|'
The old man looked at me with queer
twinkle. NO, not exactly for l couldn't
bear to make them feel bad, you know.
There happened to be considerable money
locked up in a cheap safe at the railroad
station. and-well-the agent wasn't there,
so / Just went in and took the money,
Jumped aboard the first freight train, and
had a merry Christmas with the old folks
after ALL"