The record-union., 1894-10-27

larity:
Susan, l was just practicing my part
IN case any of those young scalawags
come around here with their Halloween
doings tonight. pve made up my mind
to have no moro of 'em-not any, you
mindi"
Yes, Brother Anstruther"
'pu lame some of 'em for life-for life,
mind. No pranks tonight, now. And
II that boy and young woman of yours are
up to anything, you better get 'em to bed
early. Are they up TO anything now,
Susan?''
He turned on her with the questions so
suddenly and savagely that the woman
retreated in fright, talteringly only.
Yes. Brother Anstruther."
And yes, Brother Anstruther, what?"
he returned, glaring and swapping like
an animal at the helpless woman before
him.
''Only-only some little innocent amuse-
ment, Pm sure, Brother Anstruther.
But PHI stop it. sir. Oh, will stop it,
sir, if it annoys you; indeed 1 will"
She pleaded so in her tones, her man
ner, her very cowardly and wornout
helplessness, for some responsive mau-
hood and compassion in the remorseless
image of man before her, that her very
pleading angered him.
lie rallied at her, at her children, at her
dead husband who lay in the wind-swept
graveyard beyond the manse walls, at
countless things he had rallied at over her
covering body and spirit without ceas-
ing before, until Iivid with passion and
rage, and then, instantly changing his
manner, snapped at her like some vici-
Gus animal:
Get outv'
Scarcely before the door had quickly
and softly closed, he snapped out again:
Come back here!'
The door now only partially opened
and the voice behind it, in which was
mingled the tremulousness of tears, sub
missively asked:
wv ell, Brother Anstruther?"
Tho brought these letters?"
NMr. Penruth, Sir"
"Oh, OF course. Mr.. Penruth! That fell
low haunts this house like a specter!
Sparkling Edith, s'pose? Now, what's
up tonight? Out with it, or you'll re-
gret 1t, Susan kannockw
- es, yes. yes, Brother Anstrutherp'
she faltered, half beside herself with fear
1he young folks thought you wouldn't
mind If they used the kitchen-it's the
largest room in Millvale-and they'll
surely bring all the apples and nuts and
very sparing of the wood and lights!'
Nv ho's--w who's doings is this, woman?"
''Oh, sir, it's mine and Edith's and Her.
bertS and-and MIR. Penruth's-''
That scoundrel! And you beggars
dare do this in Kannock Manse without
my permiSsion?'
Here 'Struther Kannock's voice merged
into something like a howl of rage, rose
into a gurgllng shrek and died away
into gasp OF impotent condemnation
and GeteSLatiOn,
"pll see about this. I'll see about
thisn' he growled. ''See here, now. You
keep that cur of a schoolmaster in the
house half ali hour or SO. l may want to
look hlm over minute. Understand?"
'Oh, yes, sir.''
Then get out"
'Struther Hammock tossed the letters
upon the desksand paced his room, con-
sumed with passion and anger.
But there was a certain cowardice and
impotence in his rage which rendered its
expression puerile as it was brutal and
inhuman. Something restrained il. held
1t Just within the bounds Of actual object
I've outbreak, curbed it from it's own nat
ural tragedies and their punishment, and
so these storms were driven more wildly
and mercilessly through his own unpity-
ing heart.
When this storm had died away he
plunged into the armchair and betook
himself to the letters before him. He
cunningly examined each superscrip-
ton, postmark and envelope and bal
anced each letter in his hands as
though they were scales, before 'Struther
opened it.
"Umph! Check for this fellows last
quarters rent. Month behind. He'd
better look lively. Umph! This one
can't meet his mortgage. Oh, no, of
course he can't, Prays Tor little time.
On, yes, he'll get a little time 'Struther
kannock gets that place. Umphl Bah!
Can't 'Struther Kannock help the Mill
vale Charity Fund? Hard winter COM
ing on-many mouths to feed. Not
muchn'
And thus, on and on he told his own
miserable story to his own miserable self:
joyous in ruin, unmoved by piteous ap-
peals, scorning all human suffering and
hating all human kind.
He gathered up the Uttered mass to
place 1t in a pigeon hole of his desk. To
DO Lhis he had partly raised himself to a
standing posture and was leaning for
ward. Suddenly he sank back into his
chair with wildly staring eyes.
There before him, where it had previ-
ously escaped notice. lay letter plainly
addressed to him i'll his dead brothers.
familiar hand.
be rubbed his eyes fercely as if he
could not believe them longer He loos-
ened the collar at his throat as though
the dratty room were suffocating him.
He mopped his forehead with one hand
and another and beat away the cold drops
which had instantly gathered there, lie
bounded from his chair and backed into
his shadow against the wall, aud, SEEM
ing to remember his presence there,
sprang from that subtle darkness as
though it held revengeful life, when,
finally, like beast at bay, he wriggled
TO the middle of the room, peering and
painting in quick succession towards its
every side.
"Anson Hammock here again!-and on
Halloween night?. He said he'd curse
me in his grave if-if-who dare say l
haven't done right by 'em? Well, well!
Ghosts, eh? Bah! Didn't / bury him?
Didn't | put the stone over him? Only
fools like Susan would be frightened at
ghosts or letters from ghost!"
He edged up to his desk craftily. With
a quick lunge of his arm he brought his
INST down with crash upon the letter
There, Mister Arson Kannockl That's
what I'd do if you were in its place.
BAIL Who's afraid of letter?p
lie still held his fist upon it. Glancing
coyertly about the room he clutched the
missive and trem bliugly tore it open.
Then he read these words:
ANsTRUTHER: You have been false to
your trust. My poor wife and her chill
dren are without mercy at your hands.
ou VIII meet me beside my grave, be-
tween II and our fathers tomb, alongside
the Old footpath from the village, an hour
before midnight. Ii you fail to do this