him as an angry wind comes rising in the night the stranger was beneath his outraged roof three steps take him to his chamber door one blow would beat it in might do murder before you know it had said how could it be mu er if he gave the villain time to with him hand to hand he was the younger man it was an ill timed thought bad for the dark mood of his mind it was an angry him lo some act should ihe cheerful house a haunted place which lonely travellers would to pass by night and where timid would see shadows struggling in the ruined windows when the moan was dim and hear wild noises in the stormy he was younger man yes yes some lover who hail won the heart tiiat he had never touched some lover of her early choice of whom she bad thought and dreamed for whom she had and when he had fancied her happy by side oh agony to think of it she had been above stairs with the baby getting it a he sat on the hearth she came close beside him his knowledge � in the turning of the rack of his great i he lost ail other sounds � and put her little stool at his feel r only knew it when he felt her hand upon lu j own and saw looking up into his face with wonder no it was his first impression and he w� s fain to look at her lo set it right no not with wonder with an eager and inquiring look but not with at it was and serious then it changed li dreadful of of bis thoughts j then then w nothing but her clasped hands on her brow aod r h and hair though the power of had hi to at that moment he bad too much of its r in breast to have turned one feather s weight of it but he not bear to see her crouching down up w seat where he had often looked upon her with love a id i innocent and gay and when she rose and left him he felt it a relief to have the vacant place him rather than ber so cherished presence this in itself f anguish than all reminding him bow te h wm the hood of his w� a not on the hearth the more he felt this and the more he knew he could have letter borne to see her lying dead before him with heir little child upon her breast the higher and the stronger rose lis wrath against his enemy he looked about him for a there was a gun hanging on the wall he took it down and a pace or two towards the door of the stranger s he knew the gun was loaded some shadowy idea that just to shoot this like a wild beast seized him and in his mind until it grew into a monstrous demon in possession of him casting out all thoughts and set up its empire phrase is wrong not casting out his thoughts t them changing them into to ive him on turning water into blood love into hate into blind ferocity her image t still pleading to his tenderness and mercy with never left his mind but staying there it urged him to door raised the weapon to his shoulder fitted and finger to the and cried kill him in his bed reversed the gun to beat the stock upon the door he already id it in the air some indistinct design was in his thoughts calling out to him to fly for god s sake by the window � suddenly the struggling fire illuminated the whole with a glow of light and the on the hearth to no sound he could have heard no human voice not even s could so have moved and softened him the � � in which she had told him her love for this same ere once more spoken her trembling earnest manner t the moment was again before him her pleasant oh hat a voice it was for making household music at the fireside the of an honest man thrilled through and through his better an awoke it into life and action he from the door like a man walking in his awakened from a frightful dream and put the gun aside clasping his hands before his face he then sat down again the fire and found relief in tears the on the hearth came out into the room and stood in fairy shape before him i love it said the fairy voice repeating what he well remembered for the many times i have heard it and the many thoughts its harmless music has given me � she said so cried the true this has been a happy home john and i love the for its sake it has been heaven knows returned the she made it happy always until now so gracefully sweet tempered so domestic joyful busy light hearted said the voice � otherwise i never could have loved her as i did returned the the voice him said do the repeated as i did but not firmly his faltering tongue resisted his control and would speak in its own way for itself and him the figure in an attitude of raised its hand and said upon your own hearth � the hearth she has interposed the the hearth she has how often � blessed and brightened said the the hearth which but for her were only a few stones and bricks and rusty bars but which has been through her the altar of your home on which you have nightly sacrificed some petty passion selfishness or care and offered up the on the hearth of a tranquil mind a trusting nature and an overflowing heart so that the smoke from this poor 