Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-12-01


thinning, and leaving the clear blue Of
bright October sky.
"A good riddance of bad rubbish was
Aunt Agatha's brief exclamation; but
then the possibilities involved suddenly
flashing upon her mind. she added
Heaven forgive mel Why, the woman
and that poor little half-starved Lucy
Chalk may be buried in those ruinsp
In an instant she was rushing out of
her garden, bonnet flying behind her,
quite unconscious of the amazed look
of the butcher over the way, the group
of milliners at Miss Firmin's, and the
portly landlord of the Red Lion, who,
ignorant as they were of what had tram
spired at the rear of Aunt Agatha's
, dwelling. were half amused and half
curious about Eer deshabille and her
haste.
'Herel hip she called to two men who
were passing. Jobson, Tyler, come
with me to Miss Payne's directly. There
has been an accident there; the new
story has fallen in
Fastening with them round the corn
er of Horn Lane, she came upon Miss
Triple, escorted by the rector, with
whom she was gaily eOnversing.
My dear Miss GayferP said Miss Tip
pie, advancing with her everlasting win
try smile. 80
What is the matter, Miss Gayfer?'
asked Mr. Jordan. Can help your
just then small boy came running
by, and thinking he might be useful to
run errands, Aunt Agatha impOunded
him by clutching the color Of his jacket,
piece of his ear, and handful of his
hair. holding him in firm grasp while
she explained to the rector briefly what
had happened.
you may as well come she added.
though don't know you can do any
thing Better a lame foot than none
And without further parley she hur-
ried on.
Miss Triple, who clung to the rector's
arm. and with a soft invincibility de-
clined either to hurry her steps or to be
left to herself, so impeded his motion
that Aunt Agatha, with her followers
were out of sight in no time. When at
last he came up, half dragging the
shrinking and reluctant Miss Triple.
whose strong objection to imperilling
either her person or her millinery, quite
Overmastered her curiosity, she heard
Aunt Agatha's voice ringing out from
the dusty confusion with anything but
complimentary exhortatiOns to her re-
cruits, who were pausing irresolute at
the entrance.
Don't you go in, Miss Agatha-now.
don't you, shouted one of the men.
That amt safe, really
You cowardly looms, said my aunt,
would you let the woman die without
helpY
Don't go, Frank said Miss Triple.
You hear it is not safe, and you'll get
your coat all over dust
Mr.. Jordan firmly, but not urgently,
removed her grasp.
Where there is danger and distress,
there is the parsons place., said he, and
in another moment he had followed
Aunt Agatha, the men timidly imita-
ting his example, and leaving Miss Tip
pie alone with little Job Chalk, of
whom she did not condescend to take
any notice.
The rickety building was mere heap
of ruins. Some village wiseacre had SUI
perimposed on lath and plaster base
ment a brick upper story. This angle
of the building had fallen in, and in its
fall had dragged with it older portions
of the house, so that now timbers were
sloping in all directions, and what had
not actually fallen seemed tottering tn
its fall Amid this dangerous debris
Aunt Agatha was making her way,
when some of the boldest of those who
were following her started back with a
shout of alarm. A thin blue smoke, fol-
lowed by hungry, ,vicious-l looking tongues
of flame, was apparent. and even Mr..
Jordan and Aunt Agatha, who were now
side by side. paused for an instant on
seeing these evidences of peril. The
hesitation, which was but momentary,
did not survive the stifed sound of
moaning that broke upon the ear.
But Aunt Agatha was no longer al
lowed to take the command. The soft
cooling voice to which she had at times
listened with something akin to con-
tempt could assume the tone of COM
mand. and, strong as she was, and mas
terful' as all the village folk said, Aunt
Agatha was woman IN her heart, lean
ing with gladness and submission on a
stronger will than her own.
You will wait here said Mr.. jordan,
for few moments. 1 will call you if
YOU can be of help;' and then, with keen
rapid glance sweeping those who were
present, he singled out a robust young |
man, and in a voice that might have led
soldiers on to battle said: Howard, you |
come with me-
The young fellow obeyed as matter
of course, and then ensued short pause
of painful suspense. Presently Howard |
reappeared with flushed and frightened |
expression, but evidently putting |
strong restraint upon himself.
'Stallybrass and Ward, you be to come |
with me. Miss Agatha, you be to wait.
But Bob Howard's voice had not the
magic of Mr.. Jordan's, and she would |
wait no longer. Pushing her way thro'
the ruins and the smoke with those that
had been summoned into what had been
Miss Payne's little parlor, she pressed
her lips tightly together, and the color
fled her face AS she aaw the motiOnless
form of her old enemy stretched on a
couch there, and standing beside it the
rector, blood streaming from wound
on his head, his coat torn, and one arm
hanging listless by his side. Some fall
ing bricks and timber had struck him
and had disabled the arm, and lest his
appearance should excite alarm he had
sent Bob Howard with the message for
help and strict injunction to say moth
ing beyond what he had been told.
In few seconds Miss Payne, more
frightened than hurt, was moved beyond
the reach of peril, and was conveyed to
Aunt Agatha's cottage, accompanied by
the wounded rector. Aunt Agatha's
foresight had already summoned good
DR.. Holmes to the place, and hurrying
as fast as his lame foot would permit,he
reached the cottage almost at the same
time as the cavalcade. Miss Tipple, in
dignant that her cousin should have de-
serted her for that woman, had not
awaited the issue of the investigations.
DIR. Holmes pronounced Miss Payne to
have sustained very severe shock from
fright, but to be free from bodily dam