The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-02-27

the light had q chance TO fairly show
itself, he had got on his pantaloons-no
other garments save the shirt he slept in
and was rushing bare-footed and bare
headed to the burning building. When
he got there the flames had burst
through the FOOT, and the frightened ser
wants were rushing hither and thither,
trying TO save something, and Us q nat
ural consequence he tried to do the
same. He heard the voice OF the Hon.
Martin, screaming wildly, and followed
the sound, where he found its owner
| Juggling violently Mt an iron box and
screaming for help which did not come.
Jabez knew this box contained the valu-
ables Of the Hon. Martin, and, laying
hold Of it, he had chance Of displaying
his great and youthful strength by with
great effort jerking it out into the open
air and doing the same afterward to its
proprietor, who seemed determined to
stay there and be smothered.
Az he got them both out on the lawn
he became aware that the members OF
the Drawback family, consisting Of Mrs.
ID, and two Notwithstanding on to
thirty were running fiercely about
wringing their hands and shouting some
thing in which he could only distinguish
the name Of Mehy; but he could not see
Mehy anywhere. He didn't take time to
think or do as the servants did, run
about and scream. He knew every inch
of the house, and through smoke and
flame, choking and burning, he made his
way TO Mehy's room, bursting the door
with his weight. For a moment he
could sec nothing, But he groped his
way to tho window and opened it, AS
though in dream he saw the people be-
low and heard them scream. In another
moment he had thesensoless figure upon
the bed, wrapped in light blanket and
IN his arms, and was making his way ont.
The stairs were on fire, and dense smoke
rolling up. Stufling an end Of the
blanket into his mouth, he staggered on,
insensible to the fire, and soon found
himself in the open air, surrounded by
shouting people. The next place he
found himself was in strange bed, in a
strange room, wrapped up in raw cotton
and oil, with the Drawback family and
Mehy leaning over him.
She was II little burnedon the feet and
hands, but not enough, the doctor said,
to make scars. Jabez was very badly
burned and would be SCARED for life,
but his face and hands, strange to say,
had been spared. He had lain eight
hours insensible, and had been carried
to the pOrter's lodge by Mr.. Drawbacks
orders. instead Of to his own home.
II was n week before Jabez could get
about, and six weeks before he WAS fit to
think again Of his project Of going to
New York. In the meantime two events
had happened. The Hon. Martin had
come to Jabez one day and said: "Jabe,
You know that you have done me and
mine II service i can never repay, but |
am going to give You n thousand dollars
to start you in the world, and / am go
ing to take you to New York, by your
grandfather permission, and see you
well placed"
Jabez declined both offers firmly but
respectfully. He would not take the
money, and positively forbade its being
given to his grandfather for him, and
begged M favor that Mr.. Drawback
would let him seek his own fortune in
New York. The Hon. Martin saw the
idea aud laughingly assentod.
The second event was with Mehy. The
family were going to New York, but Mr..
Drawback was to stay. He had been
heavily insured and was going to rebuild
the house, and 30 would stay to see it
started. The day the family were to
leave--they had been occupying the
lodge since the fire-Mehy came into
Jabcz's room and said: "Jabez, I'm very
sorry ] talked IN rudely to you rs / did.
but | didn't mean anything bad. You'll
forgive me, won't you ?"
OF course he would forgive her, and
more than that, thank her. Without
her rebukes, he never would have been
aroused to what he was about to do int
now he felt that there was future for
him, and Mehy should hear from him.
Then, after some more talk, she kissed
him twice and went away.
Two months aft, + the fire ,Iabcz went
to New York, after most liberal dis.
play of his grandfaher's generosity, who
gave him fifty dollars of his own earn.
ings, to keep him from starvation in the
great city. Jabez got situation in
lawyers Office and worked like beaver
for year, and was looking forward to
his two weeks vacation, which he
meant to spend Mt his old home, when
ono day he received telegram which
read "Grandfathcr died suddenly this
morning. Come immediately. Draw.
back" When he got there he found
that his grandfather had been found
dead in bed, pronounced by the doctor
old age and general neglect of himself.
1t cannot be supposed that Jabez felt |
any very 1oOiq,ia'R regret ut his bereave.
ment, though he regretted the old mans :
death. After tho funeral he and Mr.. |
Drawback looked over the effects. and
the latter whistled a long whistle us h.
nxhumod from an old leather trunk GER
tain documents, among which was will, |
md said:
"By Jove Jabo, I thought the old
nan had something, but this beats all.
)abe, you are rich man."
Yes 1t was fnct. Not only had tho
'ld man left fortune in city property
carefully invested, with the Hon. Martin
md an old friend in New York as execu-
iors, but there was second will Of
Jabez's father, leaving another hand
some property to his only son, Jabez.
The principal to be paid him when he
became twenty-one, with Christopher
Gray ms sole executor. The old mans
accounts were correct to hair and there
was no trouble in administering. The
only trouble now was what was to DO
done with Jabez He wanted to be
lawyer and so he went to college.
He had seen Mehy, and Mehy had
kissed him when they met, and told him
how much his year had improved him,
md when he went away to college she
had kissed him again, and from that
line for three years she saw him not
lgain. The Hon. Martin had taken his
amily to Europe, where Mehy was left