Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-11-10


object like a moon, red as a coal, which SEEM
ed suspended in the air. 1t was thousands Of
leagues away, but it travelled SO rapidly that
[ felt sure it would be upon MS in less than
quarter of an hour.
My hair stood on end the thought flashed
through my mind, 1T is the comet Zaoha-
rah Piper was right!' And without stop
ping to think, rushed back to the Town
House. few up the stairs at bound, throw
ing down all who stood in my way and cried
out with q voice of thunder, The comet
the comet"
The merrymaking was at its height The
great drum pounded, the dancers kept time
with their heels as they whirled by; the
girls were red as poppies; but at the sound
of these terrible words a dead silence fell
upon all, each stared at the other with a
ghastly face.
Sargeant Duchene darting towards the
door, clapped his hand over my mouth, whis-
pering,-
Are you mad? Will you be silent 2"
But losing my balance l fell backwards
among the crowd already rushing down the
stairway, still crying at the top Of my voice,
''The comet the comet!"
In few seconds the hall was empty. Du-
chene had disappeared, and overwhelmed
with despair took my way to the street.
Passing the refreshment room l saw the can
tinicre Catherine Sagouette with Corporal
Boquet emptying a huge bowl of punch.
"Since the world is come to an end" said
they, 1--WE may as well finish this"
At the foot of the stairs a great number
were seated mutually confessing their short
comings II have taken usury," said one.
'I have given short weight" said another.
~ have cheated at cards" said third. All
spoke at once and from time to time they
howed in chorus, "Heaven have mercy upon
US" l recognized the old baker Feore and
! Goody Lauritz, but / was too much occupied
| with my own account to be much interested
in theirs.
The greatest excitement was in the square
around the fountain. The comet was plainly
to be seen. 1t had already doubled its size.
Flames seemed to stream from it, and from
the intense darkness around it appeared as
| red as blood.
One cry went up from the crowd-"It is
all over! 1t is all over we are lost :"
AS stood there, all the sins of my youth
passed before me. 1 looked upon myself
with adherence My tongue was stiff in my
mouth as thought of the impending conha-
| grafton. Turning TO the old beggar, Baltha-
zar, who stood trembling near me, leaning on
his crutch, embraced him, saying:
'Balthazar when you are safe in Abra-
! hams bosom, you will have compassion upon
me, will you not?'
To which he replied, sobbing:
II am a great sinner, Monsieur Christian.
l have imposed upon the public for thirty
years, from pure laziness. am not so lame
as l pretend"
'As for me, Balthazar," 1 answered, 81
am the most guilty person in all Hunebourg.
We wept in each others arms.
That is how it will be at the last day.
Kings and bootblacks, gentlefolks and beg
gars, no one will be ashamed Of his neighbor
all will be brothers none will despise the
other, because fire purifes all things, and the
fear of being burned will soften all hearts.
Oh! without the fear of hell we should moi
see so many good Christians 1t is the finest
thing in our holy religion.
We had been on our knees thus about a
quarter of an hour, when Sergeant Duchene
came up all out of breath He had first run
to the arsenal but seeing nothing the matter
there be came back TO the street of the Cap
uchins
"How now !" cried he, what is all The
noise about ?'-but, perceiving the comet
his jaw fell
"zounds what is that ?" he stammered
1T is the end of the world, Sergeant" sale
Balthszar.
"The end of the world !"
eyes the comet"
OnOklnB uoWn an OHtn ne DetuouBuI nlu
self
IF you could find the adjutant of tn,
place. one might learn the countersign."
Then drawing his sword and taking steI
forward, Come on !" he exclaimed, who
afraid Let us reconnoitre a little" En-
couraged by his boldness, crept along be
hind him. We proceeded cautiously along
one eye fixed on the comet, which seemed t.
grow larger every minute, travelling as it die
thousands of leagues in a second.
We came at last to the angle of the oil,
monastery of the Capuchns. The come
seemed directly overhead. As we advanced
we were forced to raise our heads SO tina
they almost bent back upon our necks.
l was about to ask of Duchene if it wer
prudent to venture any nearer, when he sud
denly stopped.
'Sacre bleu!' said he in a low voice, ''it'
the old convent lantern ~
The lanternI' said l, hurrying up to him
"Is it possible"
We looked at each other in stupid amaze
ment 1t was indeed the old street lamp o
the monastery. 1t had not been lighted 70
years, for the Capuchins had fled from tn
troubles of 1898 and at Hunebourg everyon
went to bed by the chickens But the oil
watchman, Burrhus, thinking that on thi
occasion someone might be going home
|
ing, had had the benevolent idea of furnish
ing the old lantern with a candle, after whic
he had gone pe4,eaOiy home to bed.
We discerned now very clearly the frame
work of the lantern. The candle within wa
a good sized one, and as it lared in the win
it might easily be mistaken for the errati
movement of the expected comet. Seein
how things stood l was about to lift up m
voice to notify the others, when the sergean
sleueed me, saying, Hold your tongue!
they learn that we have given battle to ia
low candle we shall never hear the last of it.
So saying he unlocked the rusty chain b
which it was suspended over the middle c
the street, and the thing fell with crasL
We fed in opposite directions.
The others, seeing the comet suddenly el
tnguisLed, waited awhile, but as it did Nc
reappear they gradually took courage an
, went home.
The next day the news went that the CT
lamity had been averted owing to the int
vention of Molly Finek, and from that da
: she was held in higher esteem than ever.
And that is the way things went in IL
good little town of Hunebourg.