News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-09-20

#-E-flL1 -. were deserted save
~ for a stray gray
coated policeman and some young men
fastening home to their solitary bed
rooms IN the great caravanseral on the
east side of the square. Paul recognized
with a subtle sense of satisfaction the
odor exhaled by the budding trees, as
delicate as though he had been sur
rounded by broad fields of spring grass
instead of by acres of smoky house-tops;
then he turned on his heel, opened the
door with his latch key and went up the
broad staircase ON his way to bed. As
he passed his uncle's room he saw PEN
Gil of light shining through the key-hole
and piercing the inky blackness of the
unlit landing. Smiling rather sadly he
muttered to himself: 81 suppose he is
working off his temper by pottering
among the cog-wheels. I'd bid him
good night aud tell him to go to bed if
were not sure he'd take take that as a
sign of surrender on my part" and so
continued his course to the rooms on the
top of the house. These-when he first
came, curly-headed youngster of 5,
his black dress the livery of double or
phanage, to cheer his uncle's loneliness
had been consecrated to him as nursery
and play ground. That was now more
than quarter of q century before, but
Paul still retained the large low garret
rooms in preference to any of the more
imposing chambers on the lower floor.
Although old Austin Warren was only
a half-brother of Pauls mother he occu-
pied to the young man, whose only sur
vIvlng relative he was, the position of q
father, for the affection with which the
two men regarded each other partook of
the paternal on the one side and the fl
ial on the other, while, at the same time
there was a dash of the freedom and
equality common to the relations be-
tween two brothers of unequal age.
When Paul's presence had first chased
the shadows from the echoing rooms in
the big house the frank independence,
dashed with observant humor, of the
golden pated lad, banished in an instant
the fears felt by his uncle before his ar
rival that the cares of guardianship un-
expectedly thrust upon him, would in
terfere with his devotion to the pursuit
of that mechanical ignis-fatuus, the dis
covery of perpetual motion, which at
that time was almost mania with the
rich, middle aged bachelor. As years
passed on, and the boy grew to mans
estate, he disappointed his uncle Austin
by displaying no sort of inclination to
apply himself to the pursuit of mechani-
cal science, which, though he had long
since abandoned as fruitless, the search
for perpetual motion was still the hobby
of the elder mans declining years. but
they were, nevertheless, the best of
friends and cronies. Paul, it is true,
displayed a most reprehensiole tenden-
cy to say unkind things about his I'M
cle's knack for laboriously constructing
ingenious machines, which did every
thing but work, and insisted on being
excessively rude to the shabby long
haired and wild-eyed inventors who were
occasionally entertained at dinner by
his relative; but the old man had come
to consider this as "Paul's way" and
it only occasionally caused him a feeling
of annoyance. It was in fit of sudden
rage eau sed by some unusually exasper-
ating rem narks of Paul, that Austin War
ren had, with that exaggerated emotion pc
culiar to him even in his gentle moods,
denounced the young man in unmeas-
ured terms as an migrate. Paul had re-
torted sharply, as was his wont, and
later on when the war of words was at
its height, had rushed out of the house.
However, he soon forgot this incident,
{
amusing account of what he called "the
late unpleasantness" to a dark haired
and dlrk-eyed young woman who was
sitting in a prettily furnished cupboard,
called by courtesy a room, in preten-
tious looking fiat in one of the streets
near Central Park. The flat belonged to /
Harold Proudfoot, city editor of the /
New York Daily Chronicle, and the pret
ty young woman was his sister Helen,
generally called Nell, by her intimates,
among whom Paul was certainly inclu-
ded. Harold had been his most init
mate friend at college and the intimacy
had been kept up as such intimacies
rarely are, so that when Helen came to
New York to keep house for her brother
the first visitor to the little fiat Harold
furnished as their New York home was
Paul Harley. His visits had been re-
peated until the intimacy between him 1
and his sisters friend had gradually
been replaced by warmer feeling, which
needed not word or even a look, on |
either side to expand into an avowed |
affection. !
The thoughts of Nell and the loss of a
seal rlng served to keep his mind busy {
until IL O'Clock, wheL he returned home I
hnu went To bed. He was awakened in {
what what seemed to him few MON ents, ,un- /
I'll ms eyes were fairly opened and he ,
saw daylight was paling the yellow rays !
OIL hls still burning students lamp. by !
ms uneie's old servant and factorum /
Isaac who shook him violently by the ,
shoulder, crying:
Getup, Mr.. Paul, get up! and come !
down stairs. Something drefle's hap
pened to masterl"
he Old mans evident agitation, as
much as the import of his cry reused