Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-03-15
FRIDAY, MARCH Is. 1889.


the increasing sound Of the fire, a human
voice and tread, aud then a man carving
a lantern appeared amid the smoky gloom.
CHAPTER X.
what friend cried the voice, are YOU,
that have taken possession Of the old tow.
er? A pretty beacon and clomor you have
raised
We were driven here replied Wal
singhnm, by the storm, and the lightning
has struck the building. There is q lady
here who vans your help
The man cane on guided bv the voice,
and when close 10 them, held ~ his Ian.
tern TO see toeir faces. and thus at the
same time partly showing his own. 90!
Mr.. Collins. slid Maria. this is o strange
scene that You find Us in 1t was the friend
she had spoken of to Walsingham. who
now stood before them, his hat dripping
with rain, which fell over his long and
loose gray hair.
What = he answered MARIA Lascel
les! Why you are even a gayer creature
OF the elements than any complimentary
young gentleman could have supposed, if
you have chosen such an evening for o
pleasant ride. And who is thus with you?'
MIR. Wa'singham, whose name YOU mus,
have often heard
Collins looked at him with sharp g%lances
of cold curiosity, and said,--' well, YOU
are as odd n pair Of wild ducks as ever took
wing through a storm. But what must be
done now ? He looked up to the burning
sp,re and continued, we shall have bali
that woodwork and stuff up there down
about our heads in three minutes but the
rain must be near over now; it was clear.
ing off fast when ! came in here. Unless
you want to be found BY half the village,
whom that c'atter you were making with
the bell Will set swarmiDg, TO saw nothing
Of The bonfire. you had best be off with me
to my house. | can manage to shelter you
Tor the night. and | suppose you can pro.
vide for yourselves in The morning. They
thanked him Tor his offer. and Maria said
she would not accept it, but that she really
felt weak and II, and feared she should not
be able to ride home. They placed her
On her horse, which Collins led earring the
lantern, and WaIslngham beside her lead
ing his. and ready to support her had she
required it.
The house to which Collins took his
guests was about half n mile from the
church, and he led them there bv steep
paths aud over ground soaked with the
heavy rain. But the sky was now fast
opening. and the moon shone bright. Ma
ria looked silently at the sea, but no ship
was to be SEN upon its broken and shifting
surface. Beiore they reached the place of
their destination, they passed a cottage.
where th.y mccured q man to 90 on to
Wa|sine hams house and tell Mrs. Nugen'
of her nelce's 'afety. Turning away from
this spot, theyhad the church in vlew.-
The spire, a mass of red and yellow flame.
sent up a column of black smoke into the
clear sky, anc the moonbeams now fell
upon that DARK aerial structure. While
they gazed the building fell with an audible
crash. An explosion of flame, sparks, and
smoke flew inward, and then The conhn-
grafton gradually sunk down, and was
hardly percepible. except from q dull dis.
coloration above it in the sky. and from
the light through q small window in the
lower part Of he tower.
tn a few minutes more they arrived at
the house of Collins, which. before he
came to it, hal been that of a mere labor
er. 1t consisted of only three rooms. two
below and one above. The upper one was
usually his beroom. the outer Of the lower
ones his parlo and kitchen. and the other
the chamber o the old woman who was
his only servant. Walslngbam secured
the horse in ashcd, while Collins showed
Maria into bis cottage. He drew a sea,
Tor her beside the fireplace, and busted
himself in kindli1g n fire, while he sent the
old woman U, stars to prepare his room
for her use. Walslngham soon came in
and the three sat round The fire,
Collins was a man hardly Of middle age,
and of rather low stature. That which
struck you at first as most remarkable iI
his appearance was the bright glow Of hi
complexion, and the silver gray of his long
and floating hair. lie had small and DARK
eyes, which did not fix with kcenness, bu'
seemed mos frequently averted in abstrac.
ton. Theie was however an air Of quiet
ness and resolution about all his actions
Ills head always looked firmly set hi,
hands tense. as If to grippe or clench. His
feet seemed rooted where he set then
down. III health, or grief, or natural char
acter, had added a strong cast of sadness
and even OF harshness to his conntenance
and there was something so earnest anl
vigorous about the whole aspect, as to giv'
the notion OF n catapu't kept ever loaded
to discharge its weigh'y missile. Thi,
often came in the shape Of some rude anC
sudden phrase. violent and picturesque, bu'
also luminous as a burning arrow. a
broad and rough kindness, and an ada
mantine honesty were apparent at frs
sight, and gained increased value on bette
knowledge. He had lived in educated so,
ciety, had travelled and read much. But O.
three years before The present time, he bat
come to the spot where he now lived, hiret
a cottage with a tolerable garden ant
there established a great number of bee
hives. the inhabitants of which drew thel
T. $500. ona aL., A.. 49,. A. l--,l, -.