The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-04-27

cIdHDtIIy LdIG lOI Jdiulc, anu d plS DOA
of bonbons that Mary nibbled upon for
the rest of the evening. What fool a
man is not to think of these things!
Sugar-plums of that sort; punches of
violets that she got for ten cents upon
the corner; an insidious rigmarole of
poetry, with a neat binding, that he
picked up at a book-stand, and read with
Mary close by his side the whole of the
evening-they cost nothing, these little
brides to an already propitious fortune,
and they go so far to further destiny.
From that night forward MacMurray
was one of us; and you may imagine
how bitterly hard it was for me, who
had listened to Mansfield's intermina-
BILE stories, smoked his rank tobacco.
breathed the hot air in his basement,
lent lenient ear to the melancholy
whining of his invalid wife, tipped his
boys with countless bits of silver, and
even put my name TO couple of moder-
ate liabilities in behalf of the household,
all for the sake of that dear face, to
have MacMurray come in and gloat
upon it night after night, to see the
faint color deepen in the cheek, and a
tender light take birth in her eyes, and
at last to have this marauder openly pro-
claim to me his undivided interest in
that fair estate upon which l had been
afraid to trespass even in thought.
But the future was comfortably vague
Mary was the cornerstone of the home
masonry, and without her it would
crumble to pieces. Her mother was a
helpless invalid, three of the BOYS were
of unruly age, and little Jamie was like
baby of Mary's own.
MacMurray complained increasingly
to me, who would have been glad to
shoulder the whole household for the
sake of its sweet womanly prop.
"She actually talks" said MacMur-
ray, who had, singularly enough, chosen
me for a confdant, as if this abom-
Unable state of affairs was to go on for
ever. | wish it would please God to
either rid her mother of her infirmities
or take her where such troubles are over
as for the boys, they are set of savages."
Except Jamie?" | said, little anx-
iously, for | knew Mary's heart was set
upon the child.
g | except nobody but Mary herself"
he returned. "Pm sick to death of them
all. 1 don't suppose you'll believe it,
Bruce, but | swear to you that this
woman, who is my promised wife, | have
never yet held in my arms, nor have her
sweet lips been given to my own. She's
shy and little cold, and We never can
be one minute alone"
Mansfield is an Englishman, you
know" | said, "and is prejudiced against
our American customs And as | spoke
[ felt glad, warm, consoling pulsation
through my whole body, and the thought
that my little pearl as yet belonged to
nobody, even in a caress, lent sort of
exultation to my voice.
But MacMurry went on to solicit
my help in this extremity, and begged
OF me to further any opportunity that
might present itself for this dual soli-
tude which he naturally coveted.
Only one little week after, we sat, as
usual, around the blazing heater. 1t
was freezing night in March; the wind
roared down the big, broad stove-pipe;
the flames went wandering up to meet it;
the sides of the heater sputtered and
cracked, and took sullen red tinge in
unison with this fiery riot; and in the
meanwhile Mansfield went on with one
of his stories, raking idly with a long
plaything of poker this demon of a
heater, till the air fairly palpitated, ana
the temperature was only fit for sala-
mander.
Cant we go up in the parlors p"
said Mac. If it's ever warm there, it
must be tonight; and l heard you say,
Bruce, that you wanted to look over the
engravings."
The sly rascal knew this was a hobby
of Mansfeld's, and while we were busy
with the engravings, he could coax Mary
off into the front parlor. Even while
my heart contracted with the thought,
his proposition was hailed with enthusi-
asm, and we proceeded to carry it out,
Mansfield at the head of the procession
with a lamp in his hand, for the hall
above had not been lighted, the boys
screaming after their father, Mary and
Mac following, and | bringing up the
rear. The poor invalid lady was the
only one left in the basement. No soon
er had we reached the parlor door, and
Mansfield had opened it, than a cold
blast whipped out the light that he held,
and suddenly we were in total darkness
| began to grope my way, as people will
in this emergency, and Immediately my
extended hands came in contact with
other hands, so soft and warm, and full
of an electric magnetism that it thrilled
through my every vein; and all at once
my two hands had drawn those other two
hands, and the body that belonged to
them, close to my side. A fine, silken
fluff of hair touched my chin. | was
past helping then; my head bent in
stinctively down, and as my lips touched
hers, L inwardly vowed to take without a
murmur whatever poor penalty could be
melted out for this matches felicity.
The intoxicating half-secondh had scarcely
fled when | found some powerful retri-
button close at hand. A muffled shrek
from below was followed by more light
than we wanted. A volume of smoke
came rushing up the stairway.
Good God! my poor wife" cried
Mansfield, stumbling down this sitting
crater to her relief. l caught up Jamie
with one arm, and encircled Mary with
the other. The boys scurried out through
the front door with MacMurray, and we
were soon in safety with some friends
upon the block below, whittier Mansfield
shortly brought the insensible form of
his poor lady.
She was not badly burned, but the
shock was fatal, and she breathed her
last before morning. Mansfield, who had
never left her side, gave way over the
poor rigid body, and it was found that
he had sustained severe injuries in rescu-
ing her. The doctor looked grave after
the examination:
"Great Heavenw cried Mansfield,
=" there's nothing serious, I hope? Mary