San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-03-18
CHAPTER xIx.-A CATASTROPHE

visit something very terrible happened.
/ wish the history of that day would get
itself told without the pain of telling it.
hy life has been happy one, thank God!
| have been led by paths that have not
known" but even now never look back
upon that day without Shudder. Oh,
Reggie, my darlingl But God was good
to us, and the danger passed; still, it will
be only in Heaven that we shall bear to
| look back on past perils without dimness
| of eyes and failing Of heart.
| had never left Rolf alone with the
| children for a moment since Judson had
| told me of his mischievOus propensities.
had grown fond of Rolf, and he was
certainly very much improved; but | al
ways felt he was not to be trusted, and
either Hannah or | kept a strict guard
| over him. He was never permitted to en-
ter the nursery in the morning; if we went
| out, he joined us, as a matter of course:
| but more than once when he begged for
| admttanCe | had refused it decidedly.
Hannah was always busy in the morning,
| and the children slept for an hour, and If
| there were time | liked to take Joyce to
her lessons, or to set her some baby task
! of ncedcwork, and Rolf always made her
so rough.
On Il rainy afternoon or in the evening
| she would be allowed to rOmp with Rolf
aud they always played together on the
beach. Rolf was more in his element
| out Of-dOOrS. JudSon had been very I'M
well for some days; she was n siCkly sort
of body and was often ailing; but just then
she had a threatening of quinsy, and
| seemed very feverish and suffering.
Her room was close to the nursery and
it was only sheer humanity for Hannah
or myself to go in now and then and see
what we could do for her. l had got it
into my head that she was somewhat ne
elected by the other servants. | know
Gay thought 50, for she asked me to do
what could for her.
She had been ordered some linseed pOul
tees that morning, and Mrs. Markham
had come up to the nursery, and asked me
very civilly if | would apply them, rs the
upper house maid was away, and Susan
was very clumsy and helpless.
Il will stay with the children" she said,
quite graciOusly, for her: land Hannah is
here" And as knew Rolf was in the
garden with his aunt, l could not find a
loOp-hOle for excuse. ] do not think wa
wrong now, for how could have refused
such a request? But the Fates were
against me. That is a foolish and untrue
expression, but | will let it stand
The poultices were far from not, and
poor JudsOn, who seemed in great pain,
and very nervous about herself, begged
me to 90 down to the housekeepers room
and make some more. at is no use Susan
making them, and Mrs. Rumble is always
50 busy" she whispered; "dO 60 yourself,
Miss Fenton, and then l shall be more
sure of hot ones.
The housekeeper's room lay at the end
of long passage leading from the hall,
shut in with red baize doors. These swing
doors deadened sound, and that was why
did not hear Rolf come in from the gar
den and sCamper upstairs.
The frOnt-door bell rang Immediately
afterward and some visitors were asked
into the drawingroOm. knew Gay was
about the premises, and the idea never
crossed my mind that Mrs. Markham
would desert her post and leave the three
children alone in the nursery; but heard
afterward that this was the case. An old
Indian friend had called, and Mrs. Mark
ham had desired Rolf to summon Hannah
from the night nursery; but Rolf who
was seldom Obedient to his mother, had
simply ignored the order.
was some little time in the hOusekeep-
er's room. The kettle did not boil. and |
was compelled TO wait. ! was rather inn
patient at the delay. AS | stood talking to
Mrs. Rumble saw Mr.. Hawtry ride up
to the front door
succeeded at last in making the pOul-
tees Judson was very grateful to me,
and thanked me warmly as | put them
on. | had just covered her over comfort
ably, and taken from her the red wooden
shawl in which she had wrapped herself,
when sudden report, as though from
10Y cannon, and then a piercing scream
from the nursery, made me start as though
had been shot, for the scream was from
Joyce
The next instant | was in the nursery;
but, oh, merciful heavens! the sight that
met my eyes. Hannah had just opened
the door Rolf and Joyce We're huddled
together on the windOw-Seat, beside them
selves with terror, and there stood Reggie
in the middle of the room, with his pima
fore and white frock in flames! | must
have uttered a scream that reused the
house and then it seemed TO me as though
knew nothing, and felt nothing except
the smarting pains in my arm and shout
der. had thrown the child on the floor
and covered him with my body, and the
wooden shawl was between us, and was
crushing the dear life almost out Of him
with that terrible pressure.
l seemed to know instinctively that
nothing else could ave him. Happily, l
wore a stuff dress, for there was no rug OF