The Osceola times., 1880-12-25

was cracking and rolling M the big
chimney place. and transfiguring every
thing i'm the room with its rosy illumina-
tion' Marion sat down in one corner by
the heap of old wood, tossing every little
while. with her white hands and jeweled
fingers. another splinter on the blaze.
Youno Maybank sat on hassock at her
feet Arthur Santley leaned over the back
of her chair and kept up the Jesting with
Trauhart. since the latter would have 1t,
in the pauses of the rather dull game
that went on, all in a way that allowed
Marion to be silent. She sat erect and
strangely still, like one listening for life
or death, her only motion being now and
then to bend and throw on billet that
sent a shower of sparks up the chimney,
and then great wallowing flame, a sap
phire changing to an emerald glory, or
burning away in ruby red glow OF
strontium, according TO the salts OF the
sea with which the wood CHANGED to be
saturated. The splendid colors seemed
to roll through the windows wide and
high, and lay great beams of beauty on
the storm, and We imagined the flames to
be the risen spirit of the old shipwreck,
and as We clustered about the hearth we
fell to telling stories of the dangers Of the
seas till we could talk of nothing else.
II had come to be past midnight, but no.
body thought of sleep; and while they
talked sat conjuring darker faneies yet;
and | wondered, a. ! remembered his
melancholy, if there was any possibility
of Raymonde's having sought his own
destruction, And glancing over at Ma
rion felt assured that she, too, had no
other thought. She stopped mechanical
", for she was not gazing at the fire, but
at the windows, and threw another piece
on the blaze, and Santley stopped too
and heaped an armful there. "The last
OF the rudder post" said he. II was q
bad guide once. But such are the me-
tempsychoses of nature, let lis hope that
it has now become beacon star" As
the fragments caught the fame and kim
died it afresh the great chimney place
seemed to burst into a gigantic blossom
or as If HOLOCAUST Of rainbows took
flight up and into outer darkness, and
we all exclaimed at the wonder of it-all
but Marion; and as turned TO bid her
look saw her face white even in all that
immense ruddy gtow and elase, white
and fixed in terror while her lips
Sttilltu W hhc'~' <hAN
then, in a moment, restraint, doubt, de-
spair, horror had given place to wild
Joy, and she had sprung to her feet with
q cry, scattering us TO right and left, was
throwing up the window and letting In
gust that swept the hall, was STOPPING to
drag in after it something that had just
fallen against the sash.
1t was Raymonde, who, wandering all
night and day in the marsh, had found
his bearings at last only when reason
was almost fled, and the darkness and
fog were family penetrated by the blaze
of the drift wood fra, A. he slowly
opened his great gaunt eyes she was
kneeling on the floor, her arms about
him, his head on her breast, her lips
warming his frozen lips to life, while
Santley and the rest, in their hurry for
brandy and hot blankets, forgot even to
be amazed.
II had better die now" he whispered,
with the smile glorifying his sons
"Oh, no, no, no" she cried, regardless
who heard. "Oh, we have just begun 10
livew And | can see Mrs. MERGERS
speechless horror and petrifaction at this
moment.