The Arizona sentinel., 1888-04-07
STORY OF A VASE.
The Tragedy with Which It Was
 Connected.

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 even-
 ing one hung in sling. broken. Half
 an hour before his wife had departed
 for church with MT. and Mrs. Whittier.
 their neXt-door neighbors. and shortly
 afterwards 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 sing and muttered: ''Its jolly
 painful. I know" and then fell to
 thinking again.
 Although late in the autumn, no
 fire burned in the grate. But Good
 win felt just little lonesome, and
 second nature drew him to the fire
 place for comfort When man is
 lonesome fire, if it does not actually
 cheer him, at least is very compan-
 ionable, and when there is no fire a person must just put up with the
 place where fire should be. So
 Goodwin backed up 10 the empty grate, looked at the ceiling, gazed slowly round the room for something to interest him, then down at his toes and leaned back against the mantel- piece. Then there was crash. Be- hind him stood handsome Dresden vase, reflected in a mirror and as Goodwin leaned back the weakly sup ported mantel-shelf partly gave way under his weight, and the vase-an heirloom and to him priceless toppled over, fell against the shoulder of his broken arm, slid an inch or so and stuck in a wrinkle of the coat he was wearing and there it stuck while numer- ous small ornaments clattered and smashed on the fender below. Good win stood perfectly still and gazed for a moment ruefully at the smashed articles on the floor, then slowly turned his head and looked at the vase. There it stuck. delicate pink flower caught 1nsecurely on the wrinkle of the coat-a hold that any move, however slight, might unloose and then for a smash on the mantel- piece and fender. He looked for a mo- ment without breathing. then said: Well, 1 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- tion to the vase. He thought of all the schemes that would come into his mind. whether by a quick turn he could catch the vase before it hit the piece-or could he catch it by putting his hand behind his back and letting it fall into the hand. But all inc schemes he felt certain would end in the breaking of the one ornament in the house that he could not afford to spare.
 No" he muttered to himself, There's nothing to do but stand right here like statue till Oracle comes home. That's all about it. As Gen. Pral Grant said: I'll fight it out on Ihis line if it takes all summer When Oracle comes and relieves me I'll | probably sit down. Stand bravely | with my back to the foe.
 The clock behind him struck seven. | The house was now quite dark and a log hung low over the ground out side.
 As George Goodwin stood, as still | lS . man without cigar can be ex- oected to stand, he thought he heard | grating sound in the kitchen. There was a rasp and the back door seemed o be opened quickly and shut softly. As he strained his hearing he caught hs sound of untitled footsteps. h. 'lantly the thought of burglars flashed through his mind. Church burglars without a doubt. He had read repeat edly of men who watch for those houses left intended by occupants and servants, all going out of Sun- lay evening. What if the fact that 10 light burned and every thing was 50 quiet in the house, had caused some ,i those ruffians to believe the house I tenanted. It was more than likely. What 10 do he did not know. To move vas out of the question. Yes, even tough they stole the house from over i'm he would not break that vase. If le shouted he was afraid the motion necessary would unlodge it from its rail hold. Anyhow, his nearest leighbor he knew had gone to church. The only thing to be done was to keep Is still as he could, and, if possible, get glimpse of the burglars so that le might make it interesting for them fierwards II they caught sight of l