The Springdale news., 1889-11-01

pleadingly toward her at the advent of the post-bag. Johnny and Alicia still adore and renounce each other on alternate days, taking small notice of Binso and Efiie too wrapt up in themselves to notice the feverish intensity which furrows Bingo's face, and lends unnatura. brilliancy to his eyes. And tho seven small MacTavishes still sl1irmish round their elders, eat, drink, sleep and fight from sunrise to sunrise.
 At last there comes glorious Octo- Der afternoon, the air crisp and bright. the sunshine flashing through the crimson leaves, and across the meadows steps Bingo, his good-tempered mouth set firmly, and with Q resolution in his gait that shows itself even in the car riage of his shoulders.
 "Chivalry's pearl is going a-wooiag,' ' says Fanny in an awed tone. Five of the children are perched on rail in tho sunlight, four of them are eating sugar monsters with red and yellow wings and tails, while Fanny is nib- bling meditatively at chocolate tor toise. "He has got on his best nat, and l heard nurse say to cook this morning that Miss Vivian might go down on her pended knees every day. of her life to think that she had got such nice young man.
 "Nurse is vulgar says Joe, tersely.
 f,l1 tetas they continue to enjoy the sugar monsters.
 Then suddenly the five children sit very still. and forget to go on eating, for three figures appear in sight upon the ridge against the horizon-a girl in dark serge dress clinging to the arm of tall thin young fellow. her golden hair flying in confusion over his shoulder-the tall, thin young man expostulating and gesticulating wildly with his unencumbered arm, and a few feet off them shorter, squarer figure with bent head, standing listening, mOtiOnlcSs as q statue, against the evening sky-just standing. listening.
 For a moment the tabieau is accent uated by the dull glow in the West. Then the warm flush fades. The short square figure moves slowly away across the darkening meadow, still with bent head and resolute, logged shoulders, but with a curious unevenness of gait and then Fanny bursts out crying and clinching her fist shakes it furi- ously at the distant, gold-haired girl.
 She has broken ny heart the bad. false girl"' she sobs wildly. "She has broken our Bingo's heart.7 And unrestrained by Joe's boyish instinc. tive Mind your own business. she rushes after the big brother for whom her little loyal heart is hotly burning.
 "Bingo! Bingo,a she cries, "Btn9o, Bngo. wait for mel
 But still he strides on with bent head. sometimes stumbling slightly,, but never raising his efes, and -uaeon= sciously obeying the instinct of all wounded creatures by following tie track which leads ia long undalations across the meadows and homeward
 "Bingo! Bngon' sounds the pas sionate wailing cry behind him. At last it strikes upon his ear. He turns and stops short. But though his lips move, no sound escapes from them.
 70, Bingo, do love you so much! And am so tired.n Silently he lifts her in his strong arms and stumbles onward again, with her arms clasped around his neck, and the childish sob- ping iteration, "Iingo! Bingo." in his ears. And at last they reach the stile beneath the haystaek.
 He pauses for a moment But she divines his thought, and begins to cry again from sheer misery and sympathy.
 Never mind Tammie. Never mind, little Tammic," he says at last, in an odd, broken tone.
 And then they go indoors, and he locks himself into the study. It is all over-the dream, the delight, the rough awakening. The summer is ended, the fairy castle lies in ruins at his feet and now
 Outside in the darkoning garden there is the soft rustic of girls dress and Alicia's voice rings out in amused laughter as a deeper voice exclaims admiringly, 70, Alicia"'
 The study is cold, very cold Bingo suddenly shivers, and the chocolate tortoise which Fanny had left on his knee as an offering of consolation falls to the floor. A slight wind springs up outside and a shower of withered leaves arc whirled against the window Then suddenly Bingo lays his head down upon his arms and breaks out into the long, low sobs of Il man in pain.-Bel- grayia-
 The Hangman's Stone.