Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-04-13
TRAGEDY OF THE VASE
BY E. w. sABEL.

BY r.. w. SAbEL
George S. Goodwin stood with his
back to the fireplace and one hand in
his pocket, thinking. When his two
hands were strong he usually had them
both in his pockets, but on this evening
one hung In sling, broken. Half an
hour before his wife had departed for
church with Mr.. and Mrs. Whittier, their
next-dOor neighbors, and shortly after
ward the servants had gone, presumably
to church, too. So for once the master
of the house was in complete possession.
And every few moments he reached over
with his left hand and gently stroked
the one in the sling and muttered: ''It's
jolly painful, know and then fell to
thinking again.
Although late in the afternoon, no fire
burned in the CRATE. But Goodwin felt
just a little lonesome, and second nature
drew him to the fireplace for comfort.
When a man is lonesome, a fire, if it does
not actually cheer him, at least is very
-cOmpanionable, and when there is no
fire a person must just put up with the
place where a fire should be. So Good
win backed up to the empty CRATE,
looked at the ceiling, @azed slowly round
the room for something to interest
him. then down at his toes and
leaned back against the mantelpiece.
Then there was a crash. Behind him
stood a handsome Dresden vase, reflected
in mirror, and as Goodwin leaned back
The weakly supported mantel-shelf partly
gave way under his weight, and the vase
an heirloom and to him priceess-tOp
pied over, fell against the shoulder Of his
broken arm, sid an inch or so and stuck
III wrinkle of the coat he was wearing
- 10
ornaments clattered and smashed on the
Gender below. Goodwin stood perfectly
still and gaZed for moment ruefully at
the smashed articles on the floor, then
slowly turned his head and looked at the
vase. There it stuck, a delicate pink
flower caught insecurity on wrinkle of
the coat-a hold that any move, how
ever slight, might unlOOse and then for
a smash on the mantelpiece and fender.
He look for moment without breathing,
then said: ''Well, l say" and looked
again. Cautiously raising his left hand
across his breast until the finger tips
were up to his shoulder, but there
stopped, for without moving his injured
arm he could get no farther, and to move
the limb simply meant certain destruc
ton to the vase. He thought of ali the
schemes that would come into his mind,
whether by quick turn he could catch
the vase before it hit the mantelpiece-
or could he catch it by putting his hand
behind his back and letting it fall into
the hand. But all the schemes he felt
certain would end in the breaking of
the one ornament in the house that he
could not ford TO spare.
"No," he muttered to himself,
~ There's nothing to do but stand right
home. That's all about it."
The clock behind him struck Z. The
house was now quite dark and a fog
hung low over the grounds outside.
AS George Goodwin stood, as still as
man without a cigar can be expected to
stand, he thought he heard a grating
sound in the kitchen. There was rasp
and the back door seemed to be opened
quickly and shut softly. AS he strained
his hearing he caught the sound of
muffied footsteps. Instantly the thought
of burglars / ashed through his mind.
Church burglars without doubt He
had read repeatedly of men who watch
for those houses left INTENDED by occu-
pants and servants, all going out of a
Sunday evening What if the fact that
no light burned and everything was so
quiet in the house, had caused some of
those rutf ans to believe the house un-
tenanted 1t was more than likely. What
to do he did not know. To move was
out of the question. Yes, even though
they stole the house from over him he
would not break that vase. If he shout
ed he was afraid the motion necessary
wou'd unlodge it from its frail hold.
Anyhow, his nearest neighbor he knew
had gone to church. The only thing to
be done was to keep as still as he could,
and. if possible, get glimpse of the
burglars so that he might make it inter
+esting for them afterward. If they