The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-12-08

rug. AS james hadn female relative
among his acquaintaoces, the sudden pos
session of these articles rather embarrass
ed hi n, and he hardly knew what to dC
with them in order to secrete them from
the eyes Of his landady but he reveuged
himself by returning his slippers, dress
ing. gown and amcking.cap to Jane, and
electrified her next morning by tho an
nouucement in the Daily Taller that "the
house Oh Pleasant avenue, with such i'm.
provemcnts as had been begun upon it
was for sale terms reasonable " He be
gan to feel rather woe begone when the
excitement died away, and he tried tc
persuade himself that the girl who could
throw him over for such a trife was nc
great loss and he fell to flirting with q
will, and took Nora to drive behind O
span, invited Nell to matnees in the city
walked to church with Kate, carrying heI
pray er-book, 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
heart sick by turns. and as il tho bright
ness OF life had been snuffcd out. One
evening, after her mother had gone tc
bed, she put out her lights and sat dowr
in her watch-tower. She had seen James
leave his boarding house at dusk, and she
was anxious to know how late he found i,
agreeable to be out. She had lost many
good hours sleep at this game but il
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 iato; the
troes waved their boughs indoently,whi
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 drifting
forgetiully out to sea with Nora? Near.
ly all the lights in the ueighborhood were
out excepting that in the hall Of Mrs
Crumbs boarding house, and now and
then a pair Of lovers would pass by, with
lingering tread, under the lindens, SO neal
that she could hear their smothered tones
and guess at their hand.clasps. All al
once, while she watched, great glow
suffused the sky toward which her face
was turned, aud sonorous bell stroke
smote across the pensive quiet Of the
night, aud suddenly the street seemed
alive with skurfyiug footsteps of men, ,wo
men and children and the whiz of engines
Jane leaned out the window and asked
Where is the fire I? moro from idleness
than interest
On, up along, marin, was the hurried
reply,
i was never at II 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 hel
grandmother had used to garden n,threw
dark calico wrapper over her side e-plait
ed black alapaca, iaste ed II faded water
proof cape about her shoulders, and
trudged forth with her grandfather
walking stick for support. Nobody re
marked her among such molly crowd
and she hardly knew where she was fol
lowing, till she found herself confronting
blackened ruin, which wreathel il
smoke and gArlanded with flames, threat
eped every momeut to fall.
How did it happen p somebody at he
elbow is asking.
oh, the careless workmen's pipes,
s'pose. You see, it jest comes o. foller
ing a woman's notion Young Athol h
wanted to put wing onto the old house
aud his girl, Miss Derwent, the school
marin, she wouldn't hear to it, and wa
all high for a French roof; and he say
nothing, but goes to clapping on a Frenc
roof, like fool, to surprise her and the
they fell out, you know, aDd-holloa tn
burned things falling in You see,
they'd been to work in the wing, the fire
mend got the thing iu hand afore
reached the main hnldne- And no il
surance
1t was the house on Pleasant avenu
that Jane had come out to see burn. Fo
a moment she felt sick and giddy, an
turning to leave the scene hastily she cl
bowed a man VINO stood with folded arm
leaning against the bole of IL tree, wit
his hat pulled over his cyes-a man VIII
drew her arm through his saying, 'Thi
is no placs for you. Jane,in spite Of you
disguise. Let me take you home Wha
crying Jane p
oh. James, AIN so sorry, aud 20
were going to have the French root il
stead !?
Yes. had given up the wing, and
And now More sobs.
We eau afford to lose in all, for W,
have found each Jennie.