The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-03-26

| to revive him. tie let IL DlOW III upon
his hot face and then threw himself,
half undressed, on the bed. He meant
to lie there thinking for a few minutes
before he closed the window and put
out the light. Even now he was not
| sure of getting any sleep: the draughts
had failed sometimes to produce the
desired effect. And tonight he was SO
restless and wide-awake that it seemed
as if nothing ON earth could lull him
into oblivion.
As he lay there, gazing out at the
star-sown night, he felt that he would
have given much to have seen the faces
OF his cid friends looking kindly on him
again He had gained SO many desira~
bla things that IL WAS absurd to lie here
oining for * little friend]iness from com
mon people. Only there are moments,
even in successful lives, when nothing
seems SO precious as those poor treas
ures that we laughed at and threw
away long ago.
How happy that pair had looked, as
Ghey stood, side by side, watching she
ho4o of the water! Yet it was only a
very common kind Of JOY that they were
feeling, and it might have been Mi
chael's too He had held it in his grasp
and tossed it from him; it was gone for
ever, and he had only just begun to re-
saiize it's true value. What had he gained
in exchange? Shreds of interest, given
spaaingly by 81 woman who had never
loved nor been loved, barren glittering
days, whose monoSony was only broken
by Mrs Chase's frantic efforts to get
into society!
AS he thought of those frantic efforts,
he laughed with sudden scorn Of her
and OF himself. He was beginning 20
know something about them now
those disappointed women who have
CHM bed q. little way up the social
ladder and chem stuck fas%. He had
seen their frenzy when some other
woman, poorer, but more attractive,
had glided gracefully past them, and
taken ND her position above their heads.
How pitiable this small ambition seemed
to Hmm at this moment, when he was
weak and lonely! The simple wifely
love, the clinging hands of little chill
dren, the sacred sweetness OF Et home,
were blessings that the successful man
was never to know.
Sleep came upon him unawares,
long sought, it kept Tar from him, but,
when he had given up all hope OF rest,
q deep slunaber fell upon his senses;
and he lay still and unconscious with
the night air blowing on his face. The
wind was rising, but he felt it not,
Then stronger puff caught the muslin
window curtain and aoated it peri]otasly
near the flame of the candle. which was
still burning ON the toilet table. But he
did not wake.
No, he did not wake, but his dreams
were terrible lie had vrongea Aaron
Fexllake, il was true, but surely Aaron
had taken cruel way to avenge his
wrongs. And Jane and Olive too: they
hal ever been soft aud nlercifdl in the
old days. but now they were helping
Aaron to hold him fast on the bridge.
And it was not the Neon that was run
ming along at their feet, bat river OF
burning lava, red and horrible. lie
was choking with its dense fumes: he
could feal it's fearful heat; but yet they
would not let him go. There was no
escape: they were bent on his destruc-
ton, and he could not even find voice
to utter faint cry. One more strug-
gle, wild start, and he sswoke at last.
The room was full Of smoke. The
little chamber had become as hot as an
oven. and now and then a flame darted
out of the thick cloud. Faint, and still
bewildered by the opiate, ne IVES slo"
in realizing his danger: but he made
strong effort, and CROPPED his way to
the door, gasping for breath,
He had locked the door. and the lock
was a very old one. Wildly he turned
the KEY round and round, but the door
remained fast closed, and the room was
growing hotter every moment tie
would try to escape by the window.
Only, it was impossible to breathe much
longer in this dreadful atmosphere, and
when he tried to call for help his voice
failed, and died away in a whisper.
1t was a cruel fate to perish in this
way, triendless and alone. There was
no more strength left III him now, death
was coming fast, and now that It was
really near he knew that he wanted to
go on living, A little while ago, life
had not seemed q very desirable thing,
but now it was precious and sweet, full
OF new possibilities and hopes. Per
haps if it had not been for this awful
fate, he might have begun to live new
life, frightened with charities and bet
ter purposes. He might have redeemed
the time if time had been granted
MIN. But it would be all over soon,
He had sunk down upon the floor,
and lay there, helpless and scarcely
conscious, when loud voice suddenly
made its way to his dulled ears. Then
there was great crashing of glass,
and figure leaped into the room.
Out of the burning room into the
windy night and the clear starlight he
was carried by firm arms. There was
just enough intelligence left in him to
make him cling to his deliverer, and
vaguely comprehend that he must
hold fast while they went down lad