Telegram-herald., 1888-05-27

blxh TINE Ehot TIE Sxn&s<on Wcxv wo1ftzoos
for the house y itsek sn scsor IN The story,
and one whose part y nearly ~ N end Two
stories in hsight, walls of . warm yellow,
tiles Of an ancssnt ruddy brown divsrsified
with mess and lichen. IL stood with one wall
g the street Ia the angle Of the doctors
property. Ii was roomy. dranghty and i'm
eonsenisnt The large rafters were here and
there engraven with rude marks sad pat
terms; the handraii Of the stair was carved
In couatrifsd srabesque, stout timber pill
lar, which did duty % support ths dining
room roof, bore mysterious characters on It's
darker side, runes, according 10 the doctor;
nor did he fail, when he ran over the
legendary history Of the house and its pos
SCISSORS, 70 dwell upon the scandinavian
scholar who had left them Floors, doors
and rafters had made a great variety OF
| angles; every room had particular incllna-
| ton: the gable had tilted toward the garden,
after the manner OF leaning tower, and one
| Of the former proprietors had bnttresSed the
| building from the ride with great strut OF
wood, like the derrick OF crane. Alto
| gether, IL had many marks Of ruin, it was q
| house for the rats to desert: and nothing
| but its excellent brightness-the window
| glass polished and shining, the paint well
| secured. the brasses radiant, the very prop
| all wreathed about with climbing flowers
| nothing. but its air OF well tended, srnil-
| ing veteran, sitting, crutch and all, in the
| sunny corner OF garden, marked 1t as a
house for comfortable people TO inhabit. In
| poor or idle management IL would soon have
| hurried into the blackguard stages Of decay.
| As it was, the whole family loved il, and the
| doctor was never better inspired than when
he narrated its imaginary story and drew
| the character of its successive masters, from
the Hebrew merchant who had re-edified its
| walls after the sack Of the town, and past the
mysterious engraver Of the runes, down to
the long headed, dirty handed boor from
whom he had himself acquired it at ruinous
expense As for any alarm about its security,
the idea had never presented itself. What
had stood for centuries might well endure
| little longer.
the finding and losing of the treasure, the
Desprezes had an anxiety Of very different
order, and one which lay nearer their hearts.
Jean Marie was plainly not himself. He had
fits of hectic activity, when he made unusual
exertions to please, spoke more and faster,
and redoubled his attention to his lessons.
But these were interrupted by spells of
melancholia and brooding silence, when the
boy was little better than unbearable
''Silence,n the doctor moralized-"you see,
Anastasie, what comes of silence. Had the
boy properly unbosomed himself, the little
disappointment about the treasure, the little
annoyance about Casimir's incivility, would
long ago have been forgotten As it is, they
prey uDon him like disease. He loses flesh,
his appetite is variable, an L. on the whois,
impaired keep him on the strictest regi-
men, exhibit tho most powerful tonics;
both in vain"
''Dont you think you drug him too muchF'
asked madame, with an irrepressible shudder.
"Drugp cried the doctor; II drugi Ana
stasie, you are madw
Time went on, and the boys health still
slowly declined The doctor blamed the
weather, which was cold and boisterous He
called in his oonfrere from Bourron, took a
fancy for him, magnified bis capacity, and
was pretty soon under treatment himself-it
scarcely appeared for what complaint. He
and Jean Marie lad each to take medicine at
different periods of the day. The doctor
used TO lie in wait for the exact moment.
watch in hand. ''There is nothing like regu-
larity." be would say, fill out the doses, and
dilste on the virtues of the draught; and if
the boy seemed none the better, the doctor
was not at all the worse
Gunpowder day the boy was particularly
low. IL was scowlng, squally weather.
Huge broken companies Of clouds sailed
swiftly overhead; raking CLEANS Of sunlight
swept the village. and were followed by in
tervals Of darkness and white, flying rain.
At times the wind lifted up its voice and bel
lowed. The trees were all scourging them
selves along the meadows the last leaves fly
ing like dust. Tho doctor, between the boy
and the weather, was in his element he had
a theory 10 prove. He sat with his watch
out and . barometer In front of him, waiting
for the squalls and noting their effect upon
the human pulse. "For the true philosopher, "
be remarked delightedly, "every fact in ma
ture IL toy" A letter came to him, but as
its arrival conceded with the approach Of
another gust he merely crsmmed it into bis
pocket, gave the time TO Jean Marie, and the
next moment they were both counting their
pulses as If for a.wager.
At nightfall the wind rose into n tempest.
II bssieged the hamlet, apparently from
every side, as il with batteries Of cannon: the
houses shook and grcaned: live Goals were
blown upon the door. The uproar and terror
of the night kept people long awake. sitting
with pallid faces giving ear.
II was 10 before the Desprez family retired
By 30. when tia storm was already some
what past its height. the doctor was avak-
ened from a troabled slunbsr, and sat up. A
noise stin rang ia his ears, but whether Of
this world OF the world al dreams be wss not
certain Another clap of wind followed II
was accompanied BY sickening movement
| Of the whole house. and IN the Subsequent
lull DespFsz could hear the tiles pouring ike
q casaract iuso she lofs above hts head he
pigcked Aaas.asss bodily out OF bed
'sRsn~ be CRED. thr1sstsng some wearing
apparel into her haAds; the house is falling
Te tss gardenf'
She did not pause - fe tvics hidden: an.
was down the stair IN an Instant Sne had
never before s.Espect4a hs-sslf ~ ssch activ.
ity TIE 8ocfoT roesu~sile With the spees
of piece 4 TaBtosndrus bssiness snS un5e-
tsrred by broken shsns prooeeded - ro.f os1i
Jean karie. tore Aliaa from ber virgin Stun
bers. sesze6 ber by the band .ns t.nflsi
do~n stairs snd insc the garden, sta tie
eirI tsnbhEs bstfnd hsm, ssl8 nes hall
swzke
The fpzfti~.z rsrSe~vousp5 n th~ srhor
BY so-ue eo<n-o~ inss1nct Thss eszns h~gHs
sys fash II stxuxxlinz nsoo-shizs, ~hics
disc3osed thesr four fznre sr.odia0 ks5ales
frorn tke IND IN rsfs~ ~ fFfng drsy@rv.
sz,d not ~i&eosFf cozads-rkse ssed for
raora As the kurrfsisanG rE~rtses-
Anss1.sse elztched h-r uszk< drs> 3~~r~-. ~ ,
sso.t ker ank h~rss lp-dly snso se>rs TSs
3octor se~ y eonsoss hsr. bss ske ssho~ei
hsa swsy. So s1~rected e~ervh~5r -
bag - gsos-si Frtke. sa1 tAozgas tbe
earE>ess 49, aff--. zz5fk -.