The Democratic advocate., 1877-08-25

room with faint, soft glow Of peculiarly
rich effect.
There on the table his ring glittered in
the fitful freight, and, as he slipped il on
his finger, he felicitated himself on hi.
successful enterprise, The room was 80
charmingly eozy that he felt it would be q
sin not to linger awhile. So, throwing
himself on a sofa before the CRATE, he fell
into delightful reverie.
Just there, in that chair, Angie had sat
during the evening, and there he pictured
her again, finally going and leaning over
1t III caressing attitude, fondly cheating
himself. Over there had sat Mrs Nc,
Lane, and the chairback at once transfxed
him with two critical eyes, till he was fain
to look away. The brothers we're there
and there.
Bob chuckled with cozy sense of sur
Righteousness as he thought how they
would stare could they see him now. The
subtitle pleasure of clandestinu things is
doubtless partly the exaggcration of the
personality which takes place as the pres.
sure of other minds is withdrawn. To
persons Of Bob's sensitive mental atmos.
pherc that pressure is painful when such
minds are hostile, and often ifksome even
when they are friendly, if not in perfect
accord. So that now it was with q posi-.
lively voluptuous sensation that his per.
sonality expanded till il filed and felt the
whole room.
The fire burned, and busily flew the
shuttles Of his fancy, weaving once again
the often-varied patterns of the future.
Those shuttles had little leisure NOWADAYS,
for all the web must be unraveled and re.
woven, that through it all might run the
golden thread of Angles love. How rare.
ly did it light up the fabric, before so dull
and dark
The bronze mantle-clock sounded with
a silvcry tinkle the hour of two, but tue
sound fell apparently .unheeded on the car
Of the dreamer. 1t was a full minute be.
fore the impression reached his mind.
There are times when the thoughts throng
so that each new sensation has to take its
place in the cue aud wait its turn to yet
attention. Then he stirred and reused
himself, emerging reluctantly from the
warm, yoluptuous atmosphere of imagina.
tion, as one leaves an enervating bath. He
had been lying thus a full hour, and il was
high time to return to bed. He left the
library and started across the dining.room
with hasty step.
Perhaps long gazing at the fire had
dazzled his eyes, or perhaps his haste, to-
gcther with an undue confidence in his
skill in navigation by dcad-reckoning,
rendered him less careful than when he
had come down. However that may be,
a light stand which he had easily avoided
then, he now blundered fully upon.
Everybody knows that when one stubs
the toe in the dark, instead of delivering
the blow when the foot is moving slowest,
at the beginning or the end of the step, it
always happens so that the toe strikes with
the maximum momentum. SO it was this
time. If Bob had been kicking football
he could not have made a nicer calcula-
ton Of force; and the shock sent the stand
completely over.
It would have made noise enough any.
how, but it must happen that on this stand
the family silver was laid out for break.
fast, aud the clangor was similar to that of
Apollos silver bow, that time he let fly
at the Grecian host before Troy.
Bob stood paralyzed with horror. Even
the anguish Of a terribly stubbed toe was
forgotten in an overpowering sense of the
awful mess he had made, and the unimag-
Unable consequences that would at once
ensue. As the hideous clangor and clat.
ter rang through the house, shattering its
sacred silence, he shrank together aud
made himself small, as if he could impart
a sympathetic shrinkage to the noise.
The racket to his own ears was splitting
enough, but he felt, in addition, as if he
heard it with the ears Of all the family,
and he wilted before the conception of the
feelings that were at that moment starting
up in their minds toward the unknown
cause Of it.
His first rational idea was to bolt for
his room, and gain it before any one was
fairly reused. But the shock had so scat
tered his wits that he could not at once
recollect his bearings, and he realized, with
indescribable sensations, that he was lost
He consumed precious moments humping
himself all about the room before he found
the right door,
As be reached the foot of the staircase,
voices were audible above, and lights were
cleaning down. His retreat was cut of;
he could not get back to his room without
being discovered. He now distinguished
the voice of Mrs. McLane in an agitated
tone entreating somebody to be careful
and not get shot, the gruff voices Of the
brothers responding, and then their steps
rapidly descending the stairs. Should he
20 up and take the risk Of a volley while
announcing himself? 1t would make a
pretty tableau. Presenting himself in such
guise and under such circumstances,
what sort Of reception could be expect
from John, who treated him with undis-
guised contempt in tho drawing-rOom,
and whose study it was to place him at o
disadvantage He might have hesitated
longer, but at this moment the voice Of
Augie, crying down to her brothers to be
careful, decided him. He could not face
her under such terribly false circumstances,
and without his wig.
All this took place far quicker than |
can write it, The glimmer Of the de-
scending lamp already shone dimly in the
hall, and Bob frantically looked about him
for hiding-place. But all the furniture
stood up too high from the floor, and the
corners were distressingly bare. He
sprang into the diuing-room, but in the
dark he could not SEQ how the land lay,
and hurried on into the library.
The dying FIRE still shed dim light
around, and he eagerly canvassed the va
rious possibilities Of concealment which
the room offered. Youthful experience in
the game Of hide e-and-seek now stood him
in good stead, and showed him at glance
the inutility as refugees of half q dozen
places that would have deluded one less
praeticed by the specious but too.easily-
guessed shelter they afforded.
UasnIxy eaakiny N Qafa raf1oa ha ,.a m