The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-05

want, and nov turned round so her neice as she resea;ed herself.
 My dear child, how pale you look really cannot have you taking these long walks; they cannot be good for any giri. You must go to bed early tonight" !" sa,d Miss McLachlAn, looking over her sPeciacles al her niece, who vas sitting quite erect in her chair, with her hand pressing tightly the arm of tha; piece of furniture.
 "Oh, I'm all right, aun,ie. she replied. " You were saying something about young Mir. Brock going away to America, weren't you r she asked with a manifest effort to keep her usual manner.
 That is what several people told me in the village; can't vouch for it, re turned Aunt Maria Now think of Il it's very odd he hasn't called to tell us about i,; for my part, considering how much we've seen of hun, think it's very odd. But young men are queer, my dear. very queer"
 After waiting for some sor, of remark or aoquiescence from Jane, Miss MeLaeh- Ian repeated
 DOh 1Ou iuinA As . sCIs GGSCt UC , not called to tell us"
 Odd? Oh, don't know and ris- ing, and turning her back 10 her aunt, she stood with her two hands on the man;el-eoard as she gaxed into the fire Presently she heard Miss McLachlan murmur:
 Well. well, it's no business of mine and then the mono,onous click of the in- defatigable needle began again.
 :" think really will go 10 bed /: it Is a good idea of yours. auntie," said the girl alter minute, and kissing her aunt forth with, she escaped from the room to the silence ard freedom of her own chamber.
 CHATTER ".
 lane Merryweather did not 20 10 bed when she reached her room. but blew out her candle, and pulling up the blinds, sa, looking out of her window over the shad owy landscape. The moon was shinin { and she could just distinguish one end oi the Callows farm looking out oi the dis tant mass of trees It was pale, chilly night, in which field and wold shone with thin layer of hoar frost, while the wind. moving swift and high, drove bank of dappled clouds in streaks across the sky. Now and then voices were heard on the road beneath the window. and al inter- vals the distan, sound of dogs howl Presently she heard the boiling of doors, and then the two servants and afterwards her aunt, come up sta,Is, and soon all was quiet for the night. Jus, after the big hali-clock struck ten, and lane Mer- ryweatheT, tired out with her long walk began to undress and go 10 bed.
 She had no idea how long she had been asleep, when she suddenly opened her eyes. The room was quite quiet, but the moonlight lay in bright s,reaks across her bed. She had forgotten to close the blind, and for some ..me lay watching the bright clouds as they scadded across the sky. Every minute she seemed 10 get more wide awake. and. as sleep at last appeared impossible, she threw a shawl round her shoulders and began to pace up and down the room. The moon had considerably altered its position since she had gone to bed, so that, al- though she heard no clock strike, she judged it to be about I o'clock m the morning.
 How beautiful the moon was. 1: shone on the white road which led 10 Swallow Hill. on the roof of the old house, SO tha, 1t could be seen nearly as clearly as in the ordinary light of day. Her head fel, very hot, so that she leaned it against the cold pane of glass, as she watched the old house in the distance, of which she had become SO fond. All al once i, seemed to her that a dense cloud oi smoke poured from one of tie chimney. stacks of the Callows farm, and in less than a minute after she saw a brigh, flame leap from out of the volume of smoke. The flame increased as she strained her eyes to watch, and soon the whole stack was enveloped in dense smoke and flame. It was on fire. h. ssinetively, and withou; moments re- lection, she turned from the window, struck light, and began putting on her clothes.
 The Callows farm was on fire-wha, was the best thing to be done fYwould be frightened ou, of her life 10 whom should she go: Jane Merrywea,her was dressed by this time, and slipping quietly down stairs, unbolted the door, and in another minute was running down the road.
 Tom Jones, the eoach-driver, lived a, the corner of the street, so throwing a stone at his window, she called out the bad news, bidding him follow as quickly as possible, then hurried on the. ascend ing road to Swallows Hill.
 How the thoughts surged through her brain as she tore along. The fire was not iu the quarter of the house in which either Mrs. Brock or her son slept, bu, the place was almos, entirely built oi wood-oak, old an well~seasoned,i in which the hre would spread with terrible rapid ity. The wind was springing up, too. Was it in the direction of the sleeping rooms: If the fire caught the roof :: Would they be awake Would they have had the alarm How should she get al them! These, and q hundred other questions. tore af her hear: as she