The Project Gutenberg EBook of Midnight In Beauchamp Row, by
Anna Katharine Green (Mrs. Charles Rohlfs)

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Title: Midnight In Beauchamp Row
1895

Author: Anna Katharine Green (Mrs. Charles Rohlfs)

Release Date: September 29, 2007 [EBook #22810]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MIDNIGHT IN BEAUCHAMP ROW ***

Produced by David Widger

MIDNIGHT IN BEAUCHAMP ROW

By Anna Katharine Green (Mrs. Charles Rohlfs)

Copyright, 1895, by American Press Association

It was the last house in Beauchamp Row, and it stood several rods away
from its nearest neighbor. It was a pretty house in the daytime, but
owing to its deep, sloping roof and small bediamonded windows it had
a lonesome look at night, notwithstanding the crimson hall-light which
shone through the leaves of its vine-covered doorway.

Ned Chivers lived in it with his six months' married bride, and as
he was both a busy fellow and a gay one there were many evenings when
pretty Letty Chivers sat alone until near midnight.

She was of an uncomplaining spirit, however, and said little, though
there were times when; both the day and evening seemed very long and
married life not altogether the paradise she had expected.

On this evening--a memorable evening for her, the twenty-fourth of
December, 1894--she had expected her husband to remain with her, for it
was not only Christmas eve, but the night when, as manager of a large
manufacturing concern, he brought up from New York the money with which
to pay off the men on the next working day, and he never left her when
there was any unusual amount of money in the house. But from the
first glimpse she had of him coming up the road she knew she was to
be disappointed in this hope, and, indignant, alarmed almost, at the
prospect of a lonesome evening under these circumstances, she ran
hastily down to the gate to meet him, crying:

"Oh, Ned, you look so troubled I know you have only come home for a
hurried supper. But you cannot leave me to-night. Tennie" (their only
maid) "has gone for a holiday, and I never can stay in this house alone
with all that." She pointed to the small bag he car