The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-03-22

JACK.
~Of course, 1 know that. But then she
would always feel disappointed in me
and hurt and-No, no, shall never do
that"
Then don't know what's going 70 be
the end Of it," says he.
I'VE must only wait, says Letitia, de-
spondingiy. "And now, Jack, you here
presently to zee how the men are getting
on with that fence. You kno " what an
excellent woman of business she is. II
she caught you here"
There would be wigs on the green"
says Jack laughing. "well, goodbye
for awhile. 1 suppose IL 1 come back
again this evening shall End you here p
"Yes-oh yes, Jack do take care; the
men will sse you :"
"Not they" says Jack, kissing her
again. @And you-what are you going
to do while I'm aWay?"
Think of YOU with a little saucy
glance at him from under her long lash
es.
By the bye, have you got q match about
your
"Whst on earth do You want II forg"
says he, giving her some wax lights out
ofs little silver box, as he speaks go
ing to havo cigzrette?-
| Nonsense. feel IS If I want to set
fire to some Of those dry little punches
ofgrass; fairy tufts, We used 10 call them
long ago. They would burn beautifully
to-day, the sun is so hot"
"well, don't SET IRE to yourself, what
ever you do" says. be, thoughtlessly.
Once again they kiss and this time real
ly part.
Lstitis stands watching hin till he Is
oat Of sight, standing on iiptoe As he gets
over the wall to blow last kiss to him.
Then coming out from the shelter of her
trysting pace she walks into the old
meadow, now beaten down save where
the tall, coarse tufts OF grass are growing
Lighting one Of her matches she kneels
down and sets FIRE tn the tuii nearest her
1t used TO be an amusement Of hers in
her childhood and she Is not yet so far
removed from those days as to have lost
al childish faneies. Sitting down on
the side Of tiny hiilOck at distance
she watches the dancing fAmes-so
small, so fiickering, 50 harmless.
She leans back against the bank be-
hind her and crosses her white arms be-
hind her head.
What a day it is most heavenly
sEeet-quite drowsy day How lovely
that light smoke is climbing slowly up
hill and fading away among the young
beech trees above. And the little flames
like fairies dancing. Perhaps they are
fairies who dwell in those old dry tufts.
No wonder they are dancing-Eith rage,
evidently. Their strongholds are seized
destroyed, BY the tyrAnt aaau. No-wo-
man this time. All, ah In this case
woman has come to the front at al
events. She had been reading about the
emancipation Of woman last night, aud
had laughed over It. After all, she didn't
want to be emsncipated she only want
Ell Jack 10 love her alwsys-no:hing
more. Perhaps the other queer women
only meant that too. only they hadn't
found their Jacks yet. How warm it IS
Gradually her head sinks back upon
her arms, her eyelids droop over the sofi,
clear eyes.
How delicious it Is here, How COY!
Again the eyes open, but very lazily this
time
See how the little insects run to and
fro over her white frock, hither and
thither, ali in search Of the great want
food. A passing thought makes her
lAugh indolently. she hopes they will
not make food of her. Aud then the
eyelids close Tes1lutely; she leans back.
Sleep has caught her.
So sound, indeed, is her siumbsr that
she does not know that now the little
black insects are rushing over her, no.
in search of food, but Of s.fety-safety
from the tiny hot flames that are creep
ing every moment closer to the thin white
frock. Now they have touched her foot,
and have so far penetrated the thin slip
per as to make her unpleasantly warm,
but not enough to w1ken her. Size only
turns little and sishs-but now
Now she springs to her feet with an
affrighted scream
Smoke. Smoke everywherel And
what is this creeping up the front Of her
gown? A thread of FIRE. 1t blows upon
her face. She Iecoils from it, bat it fol-
lows her.
Madly she lifts her hands and tries to
beat il back. The men the men at the
fencel Where are they! Alas! they
have all gone 10 dinner. Once again a
frantic cry bursts from her lips
1t is answered. Al this moment Har-
dinge reaches her, aad finging oil his
coat he catches her in it. Folding it
around her, he holds her as il in vice.
What brought him back beyond the
mercy of Cod he never knew, except
that those last words Of his, Don't set
fire to yourself, at all events" had seem
ed to haunt him after he left her. A
foolish fear about the word had touched
his lovers heart and compelled him to
mount wall and look back. In a mo-
ment he had seen.
He quenched the flames in a miraeu-
lousy short time. Lstitia is able to stand
up and answer family his passionate
questions as to her safety, when sudden
ly voice strikes upon them that renders
both dumb.
1t is the voice of Miss B4nbridge. She
has been toiling up the hill. She looks
almost distraught.
-Oh, sir, cries she, catching Letitia in
her arms. Il saw all, thought / should
have died. On, my girll-my darling
child" :" lShe spends her whole life tor
menting Letitia, but Letitia for that is
the apple Of her eye). ~Oh, sir, how can
thank your The gratitude Of my life
is yours-ihe preserver Of my pretty
child" Then the old lady bursts out
crying.
Half an hour ago che would have died