The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-03-31

by GEORGE u that's Mary ne muttered
snIogeiionsyss. houses OF the indoor do
Inestics and other necessary outbuild
ings. On the other side was the old
fashioned garden: from where he stooa
Anthony could see the tall, quaint box
trees and the long, formal borders. How
familiar it all looked in the moonlight
In that old garden he remembered he
had once killed rattlesnake FIVE feet
long with thirteen rattles. He had
carried it to the back porch, dangling
across the stick with which he had slain
it, to show it to little Mary Beverley.
All the family had come out to see ii
and wonder over its size and rejoice in
its death, and old Mr.. Beverley had cut
off the rattles with his penknife, and
saying that the boy must have dime
for every rattle and two for the button.
had dropped three bright half dollars in
his hand, and Mrs. Beverley had smiled
on him and called him ''braYe boy,
and little Mary had danced about, full
of excitement and pleasure in his prov
ess, but dared on no account come very
near, for fear that it might still harm
her, although its head had been crushed.
Anthony laughed little when he
thought of his pleasure in that first
money he had ever owned, and Of his
pride in his own achievement. He had
done far bigger things than kill rattle
snake since, and for every cent of the
sum. that had looked so large then he
could now have laid down many thou
sands. Time had brought changes to
him, if not to his old surroundings, but
it had never brought anything that
seemed as good as little Mary's praise
and those first three half dollars.
Il wonder if she's living STILL" he
muttered, "or whether she's married
and gone away. came near asking
that lawyer fellow this morning. but
he's new to the place, and somehow |
didn't like to. I've always been fool
about that child; it's the only soft spot
in me. Lordl if she should be dead!
I'd rather that, though, than the other
thing-a damned sight rather"
From the window of the room which
he remembered was the parlor streamed
broad glare of light, making on the
ground beneath facsimile Of the case
ment, the divisions between the panes
checking off the light into squares with
slender crossbars of shadow. Hampered
by no nice determinations, Anthony
opened the gate and crossed the yard to
the lighted window, keeping in the
shadow as much as possible and treading
as softly as savage. No, fear Of dogs
disturbed his mind, since if there had
been any they must have discovered him
ere this. The house was low, the win.
dowsills of the first floor scarcely the
height of a mans breast from the ground
The curtains Of thin lace obscured with.
out concealing the interior, and through
their parting Anthony could obtain a
satisfactory view without pressing his
face against the glass.
The room, cheerful with the light of
the shaded lamp and the glowing wood
fire, had a quaint picturesque charm
which appealed even to the unimagina-
tive nature of the man outside. 1t was
different from any room to which he had
ever been accustomed-as far removed
from the gorgeous pomp of his later ex-
| perience as it was from the rude sim
\ plicity Of his boyhood and early man
hood. It was q room that had grown
old in the Eeeping Of one, race; it was
tender. harmo1ious, full IF associations.
Theilofty ceiling. the tall mantel under
IlTo BE coNrExUrp1