Ambrose Bierce doc The Fiend's Delight: Large Print

“One More Unfortunate.”It was midnight—a black, wet, midnight—in a great city by the sea. The church clockswere booming the hour, in tones half-smothered by the marching rain, when an officer ofthe watch saw a female figure glide past him like a ghost in the gloom, and make directlytoward a wharf. The officer felt that some dreadful tragedy was about to be enacted, andstarted in pursuit. Through the sleeping city sped those two dark figures like shadowsathwart a tomb. Out along the deserted wharf to its farther end fled the mysterious fugitive,the guardian of the night vainly endeavouring to overtake, and calling to her to stay. Soonshe stood upon the extreme end of the pier, in the scourging rain which lashed her fragilefigure and blinded her eyes with other tears than those of grief. The night wind tossed hertresses wildly in air, and beneath her bare feet the writhing billows struggled blacklyupward for their prey. At this fearful moment the panting officer stumbled and fell! He wasbadly bruised; he felt angry and misanthropic. Instead of rising to his feet, he sat doggedlyup and began chafing his abraded shin. The desperate woman raised her white armsheavenward for the final plunge, and the voice of the gale seemed like the dread roaring ofthe waters in her ears, as down, down, she went—in imagination—to a black death amongthe spectral piles. She backed a few paces to secure an impetus, cast a last look upon thestony officer, with a wild shriek sprang to the awful verge and came near losing herbalance. Recovering herself with an effort, she turned her face again to the officer, who wasclawing about for his missing club. Having secured it, he started to leave.In a cosy, vine-embowered cottage near the sounding sea, lives and suffers a blightedfemale. Nothing being known of her past history, she is treated by her neighbours withmarked respect. She never speaks of the past, but it has been remarked that whenever thestalwart form of a certain policeman passes her door, her clean, delicate face assumes anexpression which can only be described as frozen profanity. The Strong Young Man ofColusa.