The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-08-25

believe he ever had serious thought about her."
 "La, Jane, I don't know where your eyes kin be, if you didn't see how fairly wrapped up in her he was about two weeks ago. He is 8 splendid young man, anyhow, and I'll try and see if I can't mend matters between 'em."
 "You'd better be mindin' your own business, think, Aunt Martha" said Mise Jane, with spiteful laugh.
 "Never you mind, Jane," persisted the warm hearted Mrs. Collins "I'll manage in some way. You say she's afraid of ghosts, poor lambp
 The following evening the kind- hearted landlady tapped at the door of the scantily furnished fourth-story room occupied by Lucy HildeburD, and from which now proceeded mel ancholy strain.
 Studying your piano at nights again?" queried Mrs. Collins reproach- fully, when the young girl opened the door.
 "1 am very busy just now, and must put all the time I can into study"
 "Well, but you mustn't forget what the doctor told you about overworkin' your brain," said Mrs. Collins. "How- ever," she added, "I won't detain you loDger'n I kin help. Pm come to ask favor. Pm goin' to the theatre this evenin'. So is Jane. So's every body in the house, I b'lieve; and the girl has gone to bed with toothache. So Pm goin' to ask you to give an eye to the furnace. Pve just put on fresh coal and opened the lower doors; but will you please go down at eight o'clock and close the doors2"
 "Certainly," assented Lucy, upon which Mrs. Collins produced lan- tern, saying:
 "Just take this down with you; the cellars all dark, you know"
 Lucy took the lantern, closed the room door and returned to her piano, while Mrs. Collins walked away, chucklipg to herself.
 "That lsntern'll go out just five minutes after she sets it down, and she'll find herself all in the dark. And she's afraid of ghosts, poor lambl But what il somebody who ain't ghost should happen to be goin' down there about the same time, and be obliged to strike match to calm her fears?"
 And even while indulging in this pleasing reflection, Mrs. Collins tapped at door on he second floor.
 Her summons was responded to by asant-looking young man, who just now, however, wore very de- jected countenance..
 "La! MT. Sangster, I didn't expect to find you home this evening""
 "I didn't feel like going out to- night" replied the young man in a weary tone.
 "Well, since you are going to be at home," said Mrs. Collins, "would you be so kind as to look after the fur nace2 Pve left the lower doors open, but I'll be very much obliged if you go down at about eight o'clock and close lem. And you needn't take a light. There'll be one down there."
 MT. Sangster readily promised to comply with the request, and Mrs. Collins went away, hoping for what she considered "the right results"
 Meanwhile, poor Lucy Hildeburn, sitting at her piano, continued to draw forth such melancholy strains that the tears rolled down her cheeks.
 "I must go away from here," she said, half aloud. "I can't bear it much longer indeed, can't, seeing him day after day, loving him as I do, and knowing that matters can never be adjusted between us. He is as proud as but, oh, dearl what am I think ing of? It wants just two minutes of eight. l must go down and close the furnace doors."
 Thereupon she lighted the lantern and proceeded down stairs.
 Ughl What chill draught was blowing in through one of the grat- ingsl
 And there were strange noises all around.
 Lucy's heart thumped so violently she was tempted to turn and run up stairs again.
 But, goodnessl The furnace was dradfully, dangerously hot.
 Lucy summoned up all her resolu- tion, and, stepping down, closed the doors.
 They swung to with a bang, and when she essayed to open them again she found the effort beyond her strength.
 What was to be done in case of the fire needing more draughtf