Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1877-08-23

sat during the evening, and there he
pictured her again, finally going and
leaning over II in A cafesslng attitude,
fondly cheating himself. Over there
had sat Mrs. McLene, and the chair
back at once transfi&ed him with two
critical eyes, I'LL he was fain to look
away. The brothers were there, and
| there.
Bob ehuckled with a cozv sense of
surreptitiousness as he thought how thew
would stare co.ild they see him now.
The subtiepleasure OF fciandestise things
is doubtless partly the exaggeration of
the personality which takes place as the
pressure Of other minds is withdrawn.
To persons OF Bob's sensitive mental at.
mosphcre that pressurcis painful " hen
such minds are hostile. and often irksome
even when they are friendly, il not in
perfect accord. So that now Il was with
a positively voluptuous sensation tha.
his personality expanded till IL filed and
felt the whole room.
The fire burned, and busily flew the
shuttles Of hi fancy, wearing once again
the often-varied patterns of the future.
Those shu.tle> had little leisure nova
DAYS, for all the web must be unravcled
and rewoveh, that through it all might
run the golden thread of Angles love.
How rarely did 1t light up The fabric,
before 80 dull and dark
The bronze mantle-clock sounded
with a silvery tinkle the hour of two,
but the sound fell apparently unheeded
on the ear Of the dreamer. Il was a
fn!I minute before the impression reac he'd
his mind. There are times when the
thoughts throng so that each metz SEN
>atloh has to take its place in the cue
and wait it, turn to get attention. Then
he stirred and reused himself, emerg-
Ing reluctantly from the warm, yolup-
tuous atmosphere OF Imagination, as one
leaves an cTervatihg bath. He had
been lying thus iu!l hour, and it was
high time to return TO bed. He left the
library and started across the dining
room with a hasty-step.
Perhaps long gazing at the fire had
dazzlcd his eyes, or perhaps his haste.
together with an undue confidence in
his skill IN navigation By lead-trckon-
ing, rendered him less careful than W hen
he had come down. Howeverthat NAV
be, a Light stand which he had easily
avoided then, he now blundered fully
upon.
Everybody knows that " hen one stubs
the toe in the dark, instead of delivering
the Glow when the foot is moving slow
est, at the beginning or the end of The
step, II always happens so that the toe
strikes with the maximum momentum.
So II was this time. II Bob had been
kicking football he could not have made
characterization of force, and the shock
sent the stand completely over.
1t would have made noise enough nnv-
how, but it must happen that on this
stand the family silver was laid cut for
breakfast, and the clangor vas similar
10 that OF Apollo's silver bow the
time he let fly at the Grccian host be-
fore Troy.
Boo stood pnralyzcd with horror.
Even the anguish of terribly stubbcd
toe was forgotten in an overrowcrin.
sense of the awful mess lie had made,
and the uninaginahlc consequences that
would at once ensue. ~ the hidcou>
clanSor and clatter rang through the
house, .hatterins It's sactcd silence. he
shrank together and made himself small,
a IT he could .impart sympathetic
>hrinkage 10 the noise. Ttr cket to
his own ears was splitting enough, bnt
he teIt, in addition, a ifhe heard It with
the ears of all ttr' family, and he wiitcd
before the conception of the feelings
that were at that moment starting up in
their minds toward the unknown cause
of II.
His first rational idea was, to boi, FOR
his room. and gain ii before anv one vas
fairly reused. But the shock had 80
scattered his wits that he could not al
once 'ccollcct his bearings. and he re-
shzed. with inde~cribahle sensations,
that he was los. He con >umcd precious
moments humping himself all about the
room before he found the right door.
As h. reached the foot OF the stair
case. VOICES wcrr audible above. and
lights were cleaning down. His retreat
was cut oil; he ccuia not get back To his
room without bcire discovered. lie now
distinguished tho voice of Mrs. McLane
IN an agitated t~'re cntreating somebody
to be careful and not to get shot. the
gr.uf voices OF the brothers responding.
and then their steps rapidly descending
the stairs. Should ne 60 up and take
the risk of volley wh;ic announcing
himself; II would make a pretty tab
leau, Presenting hImselfin such gui>e
and under such circumstances. what sort
OF reception could he exrtc c; from John. |
who treated him with uadiSSui>ed con-
tempt in the drawing-room. and whose
study Il wa~ to place h,m At iisadvan-
taGe: lie might have he>itatcd longer, |
bG; at this moment the voice oi Angie. !
crying down 10 her brothers To be care |
iul, decided him. He could not face her |
under such terribly false circumstances.
and without his wig.
All this took place Ear quicker than |
can write il. The climmcr of the de-
>ecnding lamp already >hone dimlv in |
the hall, and Bob frantic ally looked about
ham for hiding.plsce. But all the
furniture stood up TOO high from the
tioor, and the corners were di>trcssinylv I
bare. He >prang into the dining-room,
but IN the dark he could no, see how
the land lay, and hurried on into the Ii
brary.
The dying fire still she'd dim lish,
around, and he esserly cansassed the |
various possibilities Of concealment
which the room offered. Youthful ex-
rerienee in the game Of hide anI seek