The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1864-06-09

HialNauIo " buo uisV0NSlI VI Wnus "S
had done.
Having, without accident, obtained
The requisite supply. Jack departed
from the chamber with his we'll flled
canister, without having thought Of the
burning candle,
For long while be did not remem.
Der his neglect, At last the remem.
brance came, and with fightfal aud
convuIsiyo agitation of the half silly
lad.
What can be the matteri' said the
foreman.
What is all this abOu,l' said the mas.
ter.
The more he was asked the less Jack
seemed able TO tell. His limbs trem.
bIed; his face was deadly pale; his eyes
were starting with terror, lie was sud
denly awake 10 a sense of impending
peril, whilst fear seemed to destroy the
power of speech.
A maid servant, who was very kind
10 Jack, and had great influence over
him, was called 10 try il she could solve
the mystery, or get the dreadful secret
disclosed. At length as she sought to
soothe and pursuade him, the lad point
ed in the direction Of the stoorroom,
and family, chokingly uttered the words
'Caniie-in-porder'
The afternoon errapd was at once
called to mind, The threatening dan
ger was ina moment appreciated, though
its precise character was not thoroughly
understood. Every moment was pre-.
cIous; bu of all the men standing by,
no. one dare volunteer to attempt res,
cue,
Tho gentle. quiet woman is sometimes
found to be most determined when her
energies are forcibly called into play
Whilst the men were stunned or hesita.
ting, Susan, without saying a word,
volunteered, as The lorlorn hope.' She
ran to the store.toom, quite aware that
tbsto was great risk, though she did not
thoroughly understand lis character till
she entered the door of the chamber
She then saw that the lighted candle was
standing literally in The pordcr. reveal
ing by its light the circular mouth Of the
barrel which contained it. More than
this, she saw as she drew near, that the
condle, though happily whole AID long
whom Jack took il, had burned away
since it had baen placed there, till the
blazing wick was dull red cap on the
top Of it, and il had almost reached the
very surface of The powder.
Susan looked on for moment, As
she looked, the candle burned, casting
its sheen upon the dull, black grains
around it, silently declaring the full
extent Of imminent danger. 10 q few
minutes an explosion must have follow
ed. Not moment was to be lost; yet
haety saatch might have ruined ALL
rrovidenlially Susan's presence Of mind
did no. forsake her, nor was there any
failure of the courage and self-coutrol
on which SO much depended.
Wish prompt ingenuity she laid the
back of the fingers Of one hand in the
palm of the other, and opening the fin,
gers Of both hands in the centre, they
formed sort OF dish with hole in the
middle. Susan looked down as the
threatening candle continued to burn
Steadily, and without hesitation, the
united hands we're lowered, knuck les
downward, into the dangerous barrel,
! in such wise that the opening between
the fingers was carefully passed over
the wick with It's dull red cap, without
touching it, till the fingers rested on the
gunpowdor below and around it. The
fingers were then softly but firmly
closed upon the tallow, and with the
candle thus inclosed the hands were
gently Withdrawn.
All this was done in losS time than it
has taken to describe, whilst the mode
Of doing it was afterwards made out
partly from Susan's own account con-
frmod by the fact that aftcr'hcr achieve.
mcnt she as,onishOd the group of still
] .cl -. L. ...a.-!. Z.