Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-08-10

H'H iphElHEni wv " " ph''l NHpH Wv
starts for the office next morning, There
Is q good deal Of hustle In the streets
however, A circus IL coming into town
and crowds have come out TO see tho
street parade and, ~ Pembroke draws
near the office of tho Argus, he finds
the street full Ol carts, carriages, and all
manner Of teams which have backed on
tho main thoroughiare TO avoid the
circus procession, A haekman IL strug
Cling with pair Of spirited horses
frightened by the blaring band, and
huttering flags they break away from
his cGntrol, and make mad dash down
the narrow street and Pembroke seei
an excited individual stagger out IN
front Of them, and fall, under their very
feet. He knows the man II II Elna''
husband, Clarence Vanei drunk, even
no early IN the morning,
II the ROt II killed by the horses
hoofH, Edna will bo free II will be bet
tor for her, IL the thought that flashes
into Pcmbroke's mind, There h no aid
ut hand except his own, for everybody
has rushed away 10 look at the circus,
For an instant he hesitatos one in
slant only. The next, with curse on
his unmanly impulse, he springs for
wand, seiz0s the plunang horses with
all his strength, and hurls them back,
He natches at tho drunken wretch
iloundoring among the hook and wheels,
and dmgs him up, unhurt, thanks to the
special providence which watches over
such as he.
Az hc rises, something strikes Pom,
broke ON the breast, one OF those beat.
ing hoofs, the pole Of the carriage, ho
knows not what but II strikes him
sharply, with crash that seems to
knock the breath out Of his body, and
sends him recling backward, blinded,
dcathly sick, with sensation such as ho
has never known before. Ilo does not
fall, however, some one grasps him by
the shoulders (; q voice crios, at is Mr.,
Pembroke, kc,-Pembroko Of the Argus |"
and then he loses consciousness.
When he comes to his senses again,
ho finds himself in tho apothecary shop
at tho corner, with crowd around him,
and pnngent odor IN his nostrils. His
clear mind takes in the state OF the case
at once, and he sits up, and asks after
the sot for whom he has risked his life
ooh, he's safe enough" replies the
druggist, who stands at his elbow. "You
can't hurt that kind OF chap. But you
got a pretty hard knock, Mr.. Pembroke.
You had better go home and sec doc
tor"
Pembroke stands up, and puts his
hand to his chest for n moment ; then
shakes himself together, and says -
"No, think not. 1t wasa hard knock,
that's fact, but / believe I'm all right
now."
He laughs ut offers OF further atten"
lion, and goes his way to his office. Mr..
Brainard has heard of the occurrence,
md is rather indignant. He tries to re-
buke Pembroke for his recklessness in
such a risk for drunken Loaf
nr; but Pembroke will not have any
words about the matter. lie turns it oil
with q quiet, peremptory insistence
Which MS supordinate ,ihoersIands' ana
,peyS' dI goes ih.o lhe paper Us an
.eh, nach holseS on .le ralhpase,;
ma t1,a, Is the emu ol ~ says 'hc eul''
Dr. Du1 he makes II ihlS'"Ne' ior 'he
'na Is not yet come.
IL Is pusy day III the once ana
lemproke WORKS nara put ',ia' nc ~
Ways ooes. Once or twice ne ieeis
'harp PAM tnat makes MN eaten MS
'reath' ana iilt ms mana TO ms chesI
ma MIR. brainard observes that he grows
,ale and weary as the day draws to It's
lose; c %,
What Is the matter' ue0rge ne
ays anXlously.. You look about nall
lck. I'm afraid you haven't got over
hat business OF this morning. =,
"Weli, there IS sort OF pam here,
'embroke admits, touching that bruised
pot on ms breast, ana winclng lnvollln-
arlly as he does 1t; but he adds lightly,
III Is nothlng OF any consequence; doht
70 so fussy, Bralnard'"
Bralnard IS not satlsfied, however.
lie begs MS chlef to leave on, ana go
lome early, for once. But there Is yet
good deal of work to be done, wolk
hat Pembroke never leaves to any other
land than his own; and he insists on
late as usual; will not even
llow the sub,edltor to stay and share
lis labors. SO Mr.. Bralnard, who IS a
married man, goes home, perforce, to
lis wife, and his waiting supper; and
Pembroke is left alone.
One by one, he takes up his tasks,
nd one by one they are laid aside,
and when the last is done,
nd is all ready for the paper in the
aorning, a neighboring church-clock
las struck the midnight hour. But
till he sits there in the brooding 81
apoa tbOrUh ha has laid his pan aside I