Connecticut western news., 1884-10-29

him to. He used to feed the hungry and heal the sick. And here is the pretty gold dollar papa gave me the Christmas before mamma died. There is hole through it, you see; I used to wear it on my neck, but don't care for it now," she added, generously, as the rough hand gently pushed the gold aside. 'Indeed, it is mine--I may give it away if I choose. Please take ito buy bread tomorrow" she implored. "Hark Aunt Dorinda is calling me; go and eat your breakfast down at the bar berry spring; wonder it is, under the big maple, at the foot of the lane. No one will disturb you there, and aunt might turn black Teaser loose if she knew I had taken the pie. Go quick, please, she is coming p
 She thrust the tiny, glittering coin into his reluctant palm and sped away, her tawny curls flying, her motions swift and graceful as some startled birds, her sweet, childish treble answering Aunt Dorinda's shrill summons; and gulping down something very like sob the vag- abond slunk through the gate and dis appeared behind the hedge that screened the path to the barberry spring.
 
 "Why, where upon earth h- Aunt Dorinda Skinner paused in hor- rified astonishment before her desecrat- ed household altars-otherwise the de- pleted pantry shelves-whence goodly portion of the fruits of her days labor had surreptitiously and mysteriously disappeared.
 'Ismay," she called, sharply, ''put away that newspaper and come right in here to me-"
 Poor Ismay reluctantly laid aside her beloved paper and with flushing cheeks went tremblingly into judgment.
 "Stop twisting the corners of your apron, Ismay Hollis, and answer me this minute. Did you leave this pantry door unlocked at any time to-day p
 'No, aunt; I locked it as you bade me-"
 ''Then what, Miss, may ask, has be- come of the currant loaf, and the quince pie, and the half-dozen light rolls? The cat cannot have devoured them, neither have they taken wings and flown through tbe window"
 f'No, aunt. Oh, Aunt linda, I took them for the poor soul you turned away from Hollis-H Hope this morning."
 The portentious frown on Aunt Dorinda's brow grew black as night.
 "You dare to tell me that you stole the pasiry-to feed that thieving beg gar P
 sIt was not stealing I" cried Ismay, hotly. "Hollis- Hope is papa's, and papa wouldn't mind; the poor man was starving; and am not sorry I did it, either," she added. valiantly.
 ''Very well, miss,' nodded Aunt linda, white with rage; "wait till your father comes home tonight: he shall hear of your high-handed doings, I promise youl In the meantime, take that candle and walk to bed. lam going over to Bethia Hixley's about that star quilt pattern; and to make sure you do not get into further mischief, I'll just turn the key in your door. So march, Miss Impotence
 
 Fire Fire P
 With shock and gasp, the dark something, huddled under Squire HoIlis's big hay-rick, starts up from ter ror-haunted dreams, and peers stealthily out into the frosty, fragrant darkness. A sinister red glow fits fitfuIly in the gloom; hark The skulking spectre, from which he sinks and flies by day and night, is on his track!
 "Fire Fire !" The striIl scream pierces the night silence sharply caught up and hoarsely re-echoed in the distance. A rapid thud of flying hoofs comes dully on the wind; as suddenly a lurid glare spouts hea7enward, crimson ing earth and skyl
 Strangling a fierce exclamation, that is half a prayer, the king vagaboud launches himself straight as an arrow i for the blazing beacon on yonder slope.
 Squire Hollis, galloping across fields clearing gates and ditches in the wild, desperate haste of terror-has nearly ridden him down. But he is up and away again, and rides as he may, the squire is not the first to reach the burn- ing walls of Hollis Hope.
 Smoke and flame are bursting from the threshold and roof-tree; the whole main building is 8 roaring, exultant volcano
 "For Gods sake come mp shouts the squire, hoarsely, fighting his way through the showering sparks and tum- bling brands, to the rear of the burning homestead.
 The wary, keen-eyed parsonage in official gray, who has ridden with him from the village, is at his elbow, but the wild, flying figure is there before | them
 Out of the binding smoke breaks distraught creature, tossing her arms aloft, and shrieking with pain and terror.
 Squire Hollis clutches the mad woman fercely.
 "Where is my child-my Ismay ?" he pants; but Aunt Dorinda can only point shudderingly upward, her face distorted with awful, wordless fear.
 The entire ground floor of Hollis Hope is a turmoil of surging flame; the roof and outwalls, facing southward, are yet intact, though the trelis is kindling here and there, and the sturdy old ivy writhes ill the fervent heat.
 With a hnrrihla nrnan thn krarL:s e IL x.