News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-11-20


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 skunk through the gate and dis
appeared behind the hedge that screened
the path to the barberry spring.
"Why, where upon earth"-
Aunt Dorinda Skinner paused In hor-
| rified astonishment before her desesrat-
ed household altars-otherwise the de-
pleted pantEs shslll aiRSG6a .soodly
portion OF tine lruIts OI f2er Gays 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 ?"
"No, aunt; locked it as you bade
me-"
"Then what, Miss, may ask, has be-
come of the currant loaf, and the
ounce pie, and the half-dozen light
rollsP The cat cannot have devoured
them, neither have they taken wings and
flown through the window"
''No, aunt. Oh, Aunt linda, took
them for the poor soul you turned away
from Hollis-Hope this morning"
The portentious frown on Aunt
Dorinda's brow grew black as night.
''You dare to tell me that you stole
the pastry-to feed that thieving beg
gar -
sIt was not stealing p 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.
every 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 you'll In the meantime. take
that candle and walk to bed. I am 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 Impudence !"
'.Fire Fire r.
With shock and gasp, the dark
something, huddled under Squire
Hollis's big hay-riek, starts up from ter
or-haunted dreams, and peers stealthily
ouS iI-to the frosty. fragrant darkness.
| A sinister red glow fits ftfully in the
| gloom; harkl The skulking spectre,
| from which he sinks and flies by day
and night, is on his track
"Fire Fire l'' The shrill scream
pierces the night silence sharply
caught up and hoarsely re-echoed in the
distance. A rapid thud of flying hoofs
comes duly on the wind; as suddenly 8
lurid glare spouts heayenward, crimson
ing earth and sky
Strangling fierce exclamation, thai
is half prayer, the king yagaboud
launches himself straight as an arrow
for the blazing beacon on yonder slope.
Squire Hollis, galloping across fields
clearing gates and bitches in the wild
desperate haste of terror-has nearly
ridden him down. But he is up anG
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 roaring, exultan
volcanol
'tFor Gods sake come on? shout
the squire, hoarsely, fighting his wa.
through the showering sparks and tum
bling brands, to the rear of the burning
homestead.
The wary, keen-eyed parsonage il
official gray, who has ridden with hin
from the village, is at his elbow, bu
the wild, flying figure is there before
theml
Out of the binding smoke break
a distraught creature, tossing her ARM
aloft, and shrieking with pain ant
terror.
Squire Hollis clutches the mad
woman fercely.
"Where is my child-my Ismay ?
he pants; but Aunt Dorinda can onl.
point shudderingly upward, her fac
distorted with awful, wordless fear.
The entire ground floor of Hollis
Hope is turmoil of surging flame; the
roof and outwalls, facing southwark, ar,
yet intact, though the trenis is kindlinl
here and there, and the sturdy old iv,
writhes i'll the fervent heat.
With horrible groan the frantic fathe
seeks to hurl himself within the blazin
portals, but strong hands seize him an
hold him back from death. Wha
human aid can avail the hapless on
shut up within those raging furnac
walls?
Hark A great shout from the rapidly
gathering multitude on the lawn! Fa
up, beneath the kindling caves, benin
: yon ivy powered window, a white visio
of childish beauty and terror CLEANS fo
| breath, and is gonei And far up tn
gray-stone facade, clinging to vine an
trellis, and climbing lithely and swift
as a panther, tolls dark figure u
and upi
1t erasps the broad stone window
ledge at last, gripping with desperat
strength some friendly projection, whi
fierce blow topples the stout sash il
ward. With an agile leap the dar
5 shape follows, and is swallowed u
3 in the sitting, smoke-vailed dimnes
But only for moment; out OF the dar
| ness it fits again, pursued by arrow
tongues of fire, with something lin
' and white clasped to his laboring breas
Q He springs to the wide stone sill, al
Q stands full in the glare of the conf
e grafton. "By -- it is Trapeze Tom
o a voice cries excitedly, and then 81