, 1891-07-12

tween the houses. foot passengers are
| few His steady footsteps are echoed
) distinctly from the frozen pavement.
His shadow only attends him as he
walks, now l~engthening behind, 0
slipping beneath his feet and starting
out ahead of him. Darker shadows
gather in the side streets. As he reaches
the park something seems to detach it
self from the duskiness on the left and
move forward to where a broken board
ing bespread with a CANDY placard an
nouncing the appearance OF a favorite
actress in the tragic drama of Leah"
provides n convenient screen. Harry
Trent passes steadily on and the shadow
follows him.
And now. at length, the goal of the
little journey is in sight. There stands
the new house, solid and shapely on its
strong foundations, built to last and to
be the abode of prosperity and happi-
ness. As Harry Trent approaches it he
slackens his pace, and a proud glow of
proprietorship expands his breast. He
sees, as in a swift vision, the perspective
of the years to come. Within these four
walls is to begin the long succession of n
happy posterity. Rich, powerful and
peaceful, they shall take their place as
the best type of the foremost nation of
the earth. The women shall be beauti-
full and bountiful, the men eminent. and
honorable, friends of the great and great
themselves. The house of Trent! 1t
stands dark and empty now, but the
hour is at hand when its windows shall
be illuminated and its doors opened, and
all the city come to do it homage.
There is pleasure for an imaginative
mind in doing privately and, as it were,
by stealth things hat ordinary persons
would make no secret about. Harry
Trent, in spite of his proved and prac-
tical business sagacity, has n lively imag-
nation; and, as the miser steals off to
count his money, or the lover to serenade
his lady love. so had Harry become in
fatuated with the idea of spending an
unsupported night in his new house. He
would not share with any other that vir-
gin experience, and it would be agreeable
in after years, amid the stir and voices
of an OVERLOOKING family and social life,
to look back upon this first night of soil.
tude and meditation.
With an inwtpd smile of satisfaction,
accordingly, Harry Trent ascends the
steps and puts his key into the lock. The
door yields before him and swings on
noiseless hinges, but as he closes it the
hollow sound resounds through the dark
ness. Hereupon, presently, steps are
heard in the distance, and light APP
pears, carried in the hand of the faithful
%caretaker, who, with his wife, maintains
guard in the basement. Strictly speak
ing, of course, Harry win not pass the
night alone, nor, perhaps, can a man of
his hnEinasa and cppin1 pnr,,rtapCa avar
hope to escape entirely from the knowl-
edge and supervision of his fellows. It
was possible that several persons might
know of or suspect his present where
abouts. But, on the other hand, care
takers can hardly be said to count as &C.
cupants, and if IA man believes his move
ments to be u%utraced, he is just as con
tent, for the time being, as though they
really were so.
you're not DOING at your post, l see,
sergeant" says Harry, for the man was
a veteran of the war. "How is Mrs,
Simpson,
In good health, sir, and thank zee; we
wasn't looking for you so late"
The fact is, sergeant, I've come to
spend the night. Is the bed ready"
ut is, sir, and a good fire in the
CRATE
That's right! l want to find out, you
see, what sort of dream the new house
Will give me"
May they be good ones, sir; you'll
come honestly by EN-. If any one calls
will l let 'em in?"
well, visitors are not likely to be fire.
quent this evening. This is something in
the way of a scout reconnaissance, you
understand. However, if any one does
come 1t will he on particular business, |
should suppose; so they may come up"
Very good, sir. You'll not be turning
in quite yet, sir
mo, not for two or three hours, prob
ably. Good night
Good night, sir, and "A pleasant awak-
ening!'
With the dawn of the next day came
SNOW, covering the roof of the new house
and the stone steps of the entrance and
the vacant avenue. Sergeant Simpson
aroused himself betime. and having filed
Il coal scuttle with coal mounted the
stairs to the door of the library, which
communicated with the chamber in
which Harry Trent was to have silent.
Tie library door was AGAR and the ser
geant was surprised to see the light of
the gas within still burning. Had the
-. - III ~ Ia" liz
NipNhNH HvLtlNs anu Iltu lltlt DtllB uO
| iesp'nse he Ner'ureu 70 push open the
tn uaeii"ht s,,,;,
blo tb,f steo1 naar H. frarI,oa 49,