Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-05-24

the evil reports of his enemies, and the good that was possible to him had turned
 to bitterness, the wound in his nature
 had gathered gangrene and proud flesh.
 But these hours had brought Vinie back to him. She seemed to have come from the pale shades of the other world,
 after their long separation, and to be
 standing there in the room with her
 gentle, beseeching face. He could think
 of nothing but Vinie, and her presence
 and nearness seemed to wrap him around
 in soft atmosphere of forgiveness and
 reconciliation. He remembered her as
 she was when girl, among the morn
 ing glories and tall hollyhocks of the
 old Mayhew garden, with the tender
 rose and snow of her pure skin, and the
 sun shining on her dark curls. He re-
 membered all her little movements, her
 smallest words, the glances, half playful.
 half loving, she had given him, the
 blush that came so readily to her cheek
 when he appeared.
 How was he ever to approach Vinie
 across that impossible gulf of years that
 had been dug between them2 He had
 promised Mrs. Whitcumb never to re-
 veal the secret of her perfidy, and aI-
 though the woman was a viper he must keep his word. Should he stride boldly into the old Mayhew homestead and find
 Vinie there by the window where he had known she was sitting all these years, although he had never looked her way, and clasp her and kiss her and claim her for his own? And would she understand without speech and come to him with the confidence of child2
 The man was shut out from all sights and sounds by the little world of emo tion in which he lived. He was away back in his youth, wandering again with Vinie in the Pelham woods on spring morning when the laurel was in bloom, and all the intervening, fruitless, with cred time had dropped away. The day had sloped to twilight, then melted into darkness when he raised his head, for a strange sound had pierced the quiet street through and through. It was the sound of many feet, the running of men and boys close pressed, breathing hard, down the roadway. Suddenly 8 church bell changed out, then another and another. He stepped to the window, opened it and thrust forth his head into the still even- ing air. A significant smell of burning came to his nostrils, the sound of stealthy cracking and snapping flames greeted his ear just as a womans shrin voice be- gan to shriek, "Fire! Fire!'
 A snaky red tongue shot up among the apple trees close to the bounds of Captain Bligh's garden. He looked about bewildered for moment trying to get his bearings. Suddenly it came over him like 8 blow that the fire was making headway in the l. part of the old Mayhew house. He heard the en- zines and hose carts rattling down the street, but he never knew how he got out of his house or scaled the interven- ing fences and walls between his garden and Vnie's home. He saw at once the fire was confined to the kitchen and shed and had not yet attacked the main building. The night was windless, and the flames went straight up against the sky with dense volumes of smoke and showers of sparks that hung like lumi- nous cloud just above the trees.
 The firemen in their shiny black hats and coats were getting two streams of water to play on the burning roof. Some of them were mounted on ladders knocking out windows and cutting holes through the shingles. At first the stream of water flew wide of the mark and dashed in among the branches of the 5rees, but presently it took 8 better aim; the fire covered down as the jets like million writhing serpents missed on the not embers. It is the fashion in Little field to "run" to a fire, and Miss May news lawn was filled with neighbors who could do nothing but get in each others way, and were as glad to come as If 1t had been garden party. Ladies ran out bareheaded and without wraps; young men and maidens sat on the wall ooking at the blaze, and large com, pany of boys roasted in the trees in front of the house. All the house doors were wide open and neighbors were bringing put the furniture, jostling each other on the steps and in the passages.
 Absorbed as the people were with the spectacle, there were some eyes sufficient ly disengaged to note the presence of \ Captain Bligh's tall form on the ground. There were silent nudges and "Well-did- you-evers" whispered behind hands. Just as the captain was pushing his way toward the door there was crash of falling crockery from above. The cap tain looked up and saw it was one of those giddy Wood girls, who had lost her head and had thrown toilet set out of the window.
 The crowd in front of the house swayea back, then parted, and two young men came out bearing Miss Mayhew in her well wrapped in shawls. As they neared the gate with their burden the captain, who had followed with long strides, stepped in front of them. Just then the roof of the l. part fell in with noise like thunder and all eyes were turned that way.
 "Where are you going2" the captain asked in his brief, curt tones.
 "They told us to take her to Fuckers, next door,"
 "Leave the lady to me-" and the tones were again decisive. "I will see that she q