, 1870-05-22
CHANET.
Hpsn FatntMs Yaasssne.

BT =. n. pKro1EsT.
"What 4 singula1 pdo1 /" soIiIoqaized Miss
3olcum, Hnnfdng tbs air With ahght tremor
u disgust about her nostrila."
7ss teanher Of several yeM.' Bsanding in ono
II the common schools Of Now York, and had
earned In the exarciso Of her profession to OK
,rcss herself with an elegance OF the John
,upiap species. She WAS accustomed TO re-
mark to scholars, "Before you speak, aluays
consider net only your th1,nghss' but aas9 the
language in which yon propose to give them
ntteralEe."
She WAS at this moment ascending the third
staircase Of the cheap, piain, md eren soody
clearinghouse in Which abe had her parlor-
or. in other words, her one
room in which bhe studied, aiept, ana a a,a such h
breakfast. In this simple fashion she had
lived for years, not merely because her earn-
ings we're small, and not ut Ill because she was |
stipgy, but mainly because she NAa noble, |
unseltiah woman, who had it At beArt to edu- !
cato youthful orphan cousin.
an instant :" Can it 30 tha. aume poor mortal
School.teachiug alone had not given her tho
wisdom to reach this suspicion, She was
reader Of novels; abe had an lmag7nAton'
and a nativo longing after tho nnus 1Al; she
vas capable of conceiving = suicide, and Of
conceir1ng herself IS SAVING him Where
mactical, common-seuse man would rncra!y
have smelt fire, this fanciful impulsl7e woman
scented tragedy Of the heart. We shall sec
which OF these two characters best suited tho
eHgency that Vxs nov Agonlzing in this baro
md nusty old lodging-house. The widest
iu1einhtiou is sonatimea the truest common
at may be that young foreigner" thought
Janet Holcum.' She ran up another fight OF
stairs, hurried sloug q ,nusty, dusty passage.
and stopped before door marked by dirty in
gers. fimorous and modest, ehe looked at 1t
With hesitation as well a. anxisty; but the
charcoal fumes were stronger here, and began
to make her aick and faint; abe felt that she
could not hesitate long. After rapplng and
1eceiying no answer, she Put her mouth to the
kerhole and called, also without effect.
s.Oh dear! what shall do?" abe grpapod,
within, and looking about her vain]y for help.
She bud already learned that this 9Th story
! was unocrnpiea except By the pale, elovenly,
h1ggan young foreigner, whose step she had
1 frequently heard, pacing to and fro Tor hours,
] over her head. AB she Remembered that he
was man, and that she bad neves been intro
duced TO him, ale thought Of running down
stairs and surnmoning some other man 70 sAva
\ him. But the poisonous air demanded instant
action; Bhe tried the lock unaT1ihnSiJ, md
| then flung herself despHrste1y agalnSt the
door; the miserable boltrcatct gave ray, snd
| she was within, Unab1e to b.esthe in the mo.
pluhc nsUodpnefe OF tne toon' nna Iasneu
ac1oss 1t, opened H1ndoW ana thtuHt hef
| bead out LOOKING 9ack 11om nus poeaaon'
I abe nhw eometh1nG Nheh maae het anunaef.
I Was picture with ita fAco turned from
hers behind the easel, On tho hoor O
one corner OF the Toom, uas Z wretch
ed bed. and on this, the chest and head con
ceaiea By the pictaro, lay the netienleas foEn
Of man. Tho moment Janet bad drawn on
| 1onn hre ri rSt1t~nf,dn1r
hastened 10 tina tef7b!o corner. NO same 8
look at the man; no leisure TO qne5y nhethe
he were alive or deadi she lifted him oy tn
shoulders, dragged him 10 the window, an
seated him by it III chaiz Her onl5 distinc
consciousness as to his condlhon wAa that tn
temple which dropped agalnst her cheek va
not entirely cold.
But tho appearance Of the suicide, as sh
| held him IN n tile chair, was alarming. Iii
, face ash-eolorod, his lips blue and contracted
liz head dropping helplessly o., ono shou}da
: | he seemed To be- Already in another world. Sh
J scancalV noticei that he did not look to I
more than Is yenrs Of age; thnt Ii
INV rnr,;nv- yellow hslr' Ithouc
neelected. via beautiful; that i
|, visited md clastly features were classic
) outiine. Two or three times she called loud
= for nss;stanre ~ Help! MurrierI- Dut on
= sida fllerf, wa only q Wilderness OF roofs il
Z r;3e tna muEty o1d iodc1nc housc seemed n
4 otl,nr desert. She vas left alone with her a,
: mi nnestion at death or life.
3 PRESENTLY her cnigma responded. The +
{ sponse waa only sigh, bur It came from I'll
!. over s,,ner,at1lre-tnc hail q, a soul rcturnir
d INN liz shaties. The man wss already braat
iur and it was not long before hc opened b
n ewes. Into these eyes Janet sent her sweete
) and most pitiful smile, seeking thereby to o
:: courage lie sick aud 1orrowfn1 spirit with
= Not word was uttered, for the one was AZ ;
:, uas q misery too profound to be questione
d After while, seeing that her patient cou
i ! hold up Ills head, Janet hAstenel 10 the pan
@ charcoal, which was etill burnin
c and, dcluging il with water from > pitc
!. cT. c1tingnie6ed its poisonous embers VII
. she retufncd to the window, tho invalid look
!. IN her face will, 60 much Intelligence that al
a yentu1ed to address him.
:, "You will be better eoon." she said. at
d air Of tho room is becoming purified. II v
1e the charcoal which msde you ILL.,"
o. "Yes, it was to Bharcoal, /" replied the you
man. With a marked German scent.
~ Il hope that you will be more careful ak
=. il III future" believing thks she was talking
Al d would DO suicide. but not quito certain Of
y. Il subbose co." WAS tue weAk-soiced,
Es different, non-comm,ttai answer,
- She looked au1ionsly into the fine IL
20 20 which was now beginning to roaasumo sou
n. What OF its natural color and boausy.
n. III you arc suffering Under any trou6l
" " she said, ~ trust and desire that you viii
~ ~ mo of It, Perhaps eau aid you"
~ II inf but one drubble," :" hc replied. II
le ,;,o y "AA o@@ o''o N
e, W;clea as tho sent;mcnt seemed TO her.
ed man WHO uttered il did not seem wicked,
90 opIr nitiablc. In the quivering droop OF
ot in md ia The fixed but unsec!ng stare OF
" hf11n eyca. there was q profound anguish
~. ralm desperation which made her thinl
a. tha nnsonndea. mot;onless waters Of the D
"a, sea coynrinp mined cities. She hAd never
ce 1Sra soen s,irh sorrow: at least she had nj
fo- i,arara aacn aorrnyx cypresscd With s1,ch #.
N, ,ess Ard thc snectaclo Impressed her
~ rnore terribly because Of rs novelty.