The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-11-12

trihe was no great loss; and he fell to
flirting with will, and took Nora to
drive behind span, invited Nell to mat
inees in the city, walked to church with
Kate, carrying her prayerbook, played
chess with Fan, and sang duets after tea
with James opposite neighbor, with the
windows open and the gas lighted.
Jane watched these caprices through
her closed blinds, and felt angry and
hcart-sick by turns, and rs if the bright
ness of life had been snutfcd out. One
evening, alter her mother had gone to
bed, she put out the lights and sat down
in her watchtower. She had seen James
leave his boarding house at dusk, and she
was anxious to know how late he found
it agreeable to be out. She had lost
many good hours sleep at this game;
but it was gloomy pleasure to see him
come home and to guess where he had
spent the evening
1t was already eleven o'clock and the
stars were shining overhead with their
usual indifference to human fate; the
trees waved their boughs indolently,
while down on the river that rushed past
the town you could catch the echo of
boat song. How did she know but he
was rocking on the tide with Nell or
Nearly all the lights in the neighborhood
were out excepting that in the hall of
Mrs. Crumbs boarding house, and now
and then pair of lovers would pass by
with lingering tread under the lndens
so near that she could hear their smoth
cred tones and guess at their hand
clasps. All at once, while size watched,
great glow sutfused the sky toward
which her face was turned and sono-
rous bell-strokc smote across the pensive
quiet of the night, and suddenly the
street seemed alive with skurrying foot
steps of men, women and children and
the whizz of engines. Jane leaned out of
the window and asked, "Whcrc is the
fire." more from idleness than interest
"Oh, up along, marm," was the hur
ried reply.
81 was never at good fire thought
she; "this one looks as if it meant bust
ness" And without more ado she
tucked her curls into an old sun-bonnet
that her grandmother had used TO gar
den in, threw dark calico wrapper over
her sidc-pleatcd black alpaca, fastened II
faded waterproof cape about her
shoulders, and trudgcd forth with her
L.. ,.ii
Nobody remarked her among such Il mot
ley crowd and She hardly knew where
she was following till she found herself
confronting blackcned ruin, which,
wreathed in smoke and earlandcd with
flames, threatened every moment to fall.
"How did it happcn?' somebody at
her elbow was asking.
"Oh, the careless worSmen's pipes, !
s'posc You see, it jest comes of follor-
ing a woman's notion Young Atho he
wanted to put wing on the old house,
and his girl, Miss Dcrwent, the school
marm, she wouldn't hear to it, and was
all high for French roof and he says
nothing, but goes to clapping on
FrencH fOOI, ike 1901. To UIpTlSc HtEi
and then they fell out, you know, and
holloa. the burned things falling in!
You see, if they'd. peen. TO work in the
afore it reached the main building. And
no insurance.
1t was the house on Pleasant avenue
that Jane had come out to see burnt.
For moment She felt sick and giddy,
and turning to leave the scene hastily,
she elbowed a man who stood with
folded arms leaning against the bole Of
tree, with his hat pulled over his eyes
a man who drew her arm through his,
saving:
"This is no place for you, Jane, in
spite of your disguise. Let me take you
home. What, crying, Jane2"
'Oh, James, | am SO sorry! and you
were going to have the French roof in
stead?'
Yes, Ihad given up the wing, and"
"And now" More sobs
awe can afford to lose it all, for we
have each other, Jennie '-Hayper'S Ba-
z1f