Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-08-27
MISS CHUFFY'S
COWARDICE
BY Kate Cleves.

| much as IL she were afraid Of awak-
ing somebody-all Of which was quite
unnecess as she was all alone in the
!, big house.
She scurried down the dark hall, her
lamp fiaring wildly in a draught from
some unexpected quarter and she
darted into the big north chamber
which she occupied in summer and
slammed the door and locked it.
She placed the lamp on the tallest
chest of drawers and it cast small
oasis Of light in the big room. Melinda
looked under the white-draped bed
and arose relieved at the spick and
span vacancy beneath the handsome
mahogany structure; she peeped fear
fully in the clothes press and screamed
a little because black shadowy some
thing leaped out Of the darkness and
brushed her cheek-then it drifted back
against the wall and proved to be
nothing more than her best black Chi
ma silk gown which had been drawn
forward by the draught from the open
ing door.
All her fears being quelled for the
moment, Melinda Chuffy proceeded to
60 to bed although the clock on the
mantel piece pointed only to half-past
eight. That was the way Melinda had
done ever since her mothers death a
year ago. She had always been a tim
i'd little thing and in spite Of her better
| sense and the reproofs and admoni-
tions Of her parents and friends. Me-
linda went right on being as timid as
/ little white rabbit.
II she walked in the woods every
cracking twig, every furry Of dead
leaves, every rush Of bird wings sent
terror to her heart. She was afraid OF
cows and horses and mice and snakes
and she liked parrots and cats and
flowers and everybody said Melinda
Chuffy was cut out for an old maid and
Melinda really believed them and be-
came more timid and shrinking than
ever.
One or two intrepid youths had ven
tured to call upon Melinda prelimin-
ary to more serious attentions for Me-
linda was sweet and pretty, but their
visits had not exceeded half dozen
before they decided that Melinda
Chuffy was either "struck-up" or too
shy even to be amusing, so they stay
ed away and Melinda was much re-
lieved and went back to her cats and
her canaries and her flowers, quite
contented to be an old maid.
So the years had passed peacefully
on until Melinda was now thirty five.
Ernest Bruce did not count in the
list of suitors; he had merely been
Melinda's playmate and next-door
neighbor. It was Ernest who shielded
her from gigantic cows and helter-
skelter horses and wriggling snakes
and creeping mice; Ernest never
laughed at her fears and when they
went through the wood, and he was
beside her, he would hold her hand in
his and reassure her terrified little
mind until at the end Of the wood she
could look back and bid quavering
defiance to all the bogies she had left
| behind.
The Bruces had moved out to Ohio
while Melinda was small and so she
had never seen her old playmate since
but she always thought Of him with
grateful tendencies.
She opened her windows wide. feel
ing secure in the knowledge that her
shutters were firmly nailed to the
sills, and she looked with confidence
upon the newly-installed telephone
that was beside her bed. That was Me-
linda's concession to living alone. With
that instrument at hand she could call
for assistance at any hour Of the day
or night.
$50 far, she had had no occasion to
use the telephone except to speak to
some friend or to transact her market
ing on a rainy day, and now she was
startled to hear the sharp, incisive
summons of the bell at her elbow.
Melinda paused in the act Of blow
ing out the candle and looked at the
telephone as If 1t was some inanimate
thing suddenly come to life. For good
ness sake" she breathed hopelessly.
Again and again the bell tangled
before Melinda went softly over to the
instrument and responded.
"Hello!" she said in a weak voice.
'Is this Miss Chuffy-Miss Melinda
Chuffy?" asked a woman's impatient
voice.
"Yes-what do you want?" Melinda
| was reassured.
Il am Mrs. Peterson Of Woodside;
there has been an automobile accident
in front of my house and one Of the
injured men has mentioned that he
was on the way to your house. The
doctor says his injuries may prove ia
tai and it would be just as well for you
to come at once-immediately if you
want to see him alive"
| Melinda was gasping. But don't
know any such man." she protested. 81
certainly don't know a man who owns
an automobile. You've made a mis-
| take"
"If you are Miss Melinda Chuffy you
| must know a man by the name Of Err
| nest Bruce-he said he was on the way
| to your house. That's all I've got time
to say-there are several injured peo-
pie here and if you know Mr.. Bruce
would suggest that you come over and
relieve me of his care!" and Mrs. Pc
terson of Woodside being in highly
nervous state hung up the receiver
| and Melinda Chuffy, for the first time
in her peaceful life was forced to face
real situation.
Ernest Bruce!" she repeated help
lessly. Il suppose he has grown to
be a mani always think Of him as a
little boy-but he was older than L
why was he coming here and what
shall do? At this time of night, too
yet he is dying and there is no one
| to go to him-not one of his folks is
here and there is no one to call upon
| to drive me over there because they