Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-02-24

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tiny white boat, untiringly rowing little
r Miss Lilly Hurley round the pond back
, Of the mill, she guiding his course to all
her favorito nooks on the shore, or impe-
riously ordering him up into some little
inlet where water-liIies grew in creamy
. gold profusion, when he would bare his
lean, brown arm, and, reaching down in
the limpid depths, pull up for her, one
by one, her snowy nsmesakes.
So he went on growing brighter and
more Intelligent looking, his manhood
increasing moro from day to day. He
was fast losing his hang dog air, and the
future before him looked bright, with on
ly ono cloud in the prospect, In turn
ing from his old ways, Beelzebub still
carried astride his neck an old man Of
, the sea-" which he seemed incapable Of
shaking oA. lie never got uproariously
| drunk, and never went ON tipsy bouts
but he appeared to be afflicted with peri
, odical thirst, and at recurring periods he
would drink down n large quantity OF Ii
Quor- no was not n connoisseur rs to the
brand-drink it down as Il traveller with
pRrched throat, in a desert, might Qual
, down pure cold water.
1t was a cold clear December evening.
IIurey's mill was running night and
day to keep up with the orders for its
goods. The coy l.te office was bright,
warm and comfortable. Something un-
usual had happened to Pepin-hs ma
chinory had somehow got out Of order
lie was sick abed, and Mr.. Hurley had
set himself this evening to unraveling the
accounts, which, since losing the untiring
Pcpin's care, had been getting into y
slightly tangled condition. Justas Mr..
Hurley was well into his work, the office
door opened, and, her cheeks rosy with
the keen air outside, wrapped in u scar
, let cloak, and looking like modern lit
tie Rod Riding Hood, in came Lilly
She first silonccd the exclamation OF her
father with kiss, and then explained
that she had run in (Mr. Hurley's resi-
denco was but short distance from the
milD to pass tho evening with him and
see him safely home. After few play
full reproofs, Mr.. Hurley went at his task
again, and a long silence ensued, broken
> at last by his laying down his pen, look
irg up and saying:
"There, if hadn't to 60 homo after
that paper, I'd be done, Lilly "--ho stop
ped the child was curlcd up in a largo
arm chair, her curly head resting on one
| chubby hand, fast asleep.
Mr.. Harley thought to himself: "Ney-
, er mind-I won't wake her. IT'S but II
step. I'll go home, get the paper, and
come down with tho horse and sleigh,
a and give her ride back" So, shutting
the door softly, he went out. Passing
f pile OF long bags Of wool, as he was GO
= ing through the store-room on his way
: out, he noticed by the dim light Of q
! swinging oil lamp, what a. first glance he
. took to be n coat thrown in u cornor. But
p looking closer, he saw it WAS man ly-
. ing in limp heap, halt on the floor,
j. half on the bags. Mr.. Hurley knelt for
a moment beside the heavily y-breathing
figure, and then got up with voXed,
angry look on his smooth plump face.
+ Drunk, again !" he muttered. "Tho
man is irreclaimable, after all |
o shouldn't have thought to make silk
purse out Of a sow's ear." Aud leaving
t Beelzebub in his lethargy, he passed on.
t Ten minutes, perhaps, after Mr. Hur-
a ley stepped from the mill, small greasy
5 faced boy in the card room on the second
5 door saw something that caused his eyes
), to bulge out with wonder. IL was his
duty to feed one of the many clacking
h monsters around him with wool. lie had
pu. fresh supply Of provision on its
4 way to the insatiate maw which never
q was full, and was sitting near the edge OF
feed board, YEARLY knocking his heels
l. together and, possibly, wondering what
maign fairy had presided at his birth,
! that he should be toiliug away at night
, when other numberess children were be-
ing tucked warmly in bed by loving
mothers. Tired Of watching the whr-
ring wheels before him, he let his cys
wander to the ceiling-let them run over
: the whitened ralters, till they met the
bell -rope coming down from above into
the room. Then they stopped. What
was that blui-s white coil coming down
y. the rope as if alive, circing round the
rope, descending slowly with sinuOus
graceful movement ? ltcamo from above
through the snail hole in the ceiling
where the rope came through. What
was il d? The smcary faccd boys heart
leaped 10 his throat. He sprang from the
board, ran to man in shirt sleeves,
I. standing near, and pointed one little in
. dex finger at the coil now growing black
:. at its base, and pouring down the rope
like an angry serpent. The man follow
ed the boys finger. His face baDched ;
! he lost his presence OF mind, and open
. ing his mouth, above the clicking and
+, clattering, uttered wild yell Of " Fire -
1 The grcasy-facod boy gave shrill,
= echoing, frightened scream Of, " Fire y
f dashed for his hat and cont, and joined
g in the blind, helter-s6clter scramble to
escape from the jaws Of the fiery demon
d which hovered above.
Hurey's mill was alofty wooden struct.
a ure, its timbers were old and saturated
s with oil. Once ignted, it burned like a
5 tar barrel. Ina a few minutes the whole
It front was ablaze, the wild glare putting
the soft moonlight to shame, and turning
: night into day. The crowd Of people