The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-09-16
THE LIME BURNER.

tragedy he was cheerful. He had habit
of humming vague notes in the silence of
conversation, as II to put you at your case.
His body and face were lean and arid, his
eyes oblique and small, his hair straight
and dry and straw colored, and 1t flew out
cracking with electricity, to meet his cap
as he put 1t on. He lived alone in little
hut near his limekiln by tho river, with
no near neighbors, and few companions
save his four dogs, and these he fed some
times at expense of his own stomach. He
had just enough crude'poetry in his nature
to enjoy his surroundings. For he was
well placed. Behind the limekiln rose
knoll on knoll and beyond these the ver-
dant hills, all converging to Dalgrothe
mountain. In front Of it was the river
with its banks dropping 40 feet, and below
the rapids, always troubled and sportiye.
On the farther side of the river lay peace
full areas of meadow and corn land, and
low rooted, lowering farmhouscs, with
one larger than the rest, having q wind
mill and flagstaff. This building was al
most large enough for manor, and indeed
1t was said that 1t had been built for one
just before the conquest in 1859, but the
war had destroyed the ambitious owner,
and 1T had become farmhouse. Garrote
always knew the time of the day by the
way the light fell on the windmill. He
had owned this farm onco, he and his
brother Fabian, and he had loved 1t as he
loved Fabian, and he loved 1t now as he
loved Fabian's memory. And in spite of
all they were cheerful memories both Of
brother and house.
AT 23 they were orphans, with 200 acres
of land, some cash, horses and cattle, plen-
sxf tel,
for that matter. Both were Of hearty dis
positions, but Fabian had taste for
liquor, and Henri for pretty faces and
shapely ankles. Yet no one thought the
worse Of them for that, especially at first.
An old servant kept house for them and
cared for them in her honest way both
physically and morally. She lectured
them when at first there was little to lec-
ture about. 1t Is no wonder that when
there came a vast deal to reprove, good
Agatha desisted altogether, overwhelmed
by the weight of it.
Henri got q shock that day before their
father died when he saw Fabian lift the
brandy used to mix with the milk of tho
dying man, and pouring out the third Of
tumbler drink 1t off, smacking his lips as
he did SO as though 1t were cordial.
That gave him cue to his future and to
Fabian's. After their father died Fabian
gave way to the vice. He drank In tho tav-
erns; he was at once the despair and tho
joy Of the parish, for wild as he was he had
a gay temper, a humorous mind, a strong
arm and was the universal lover. The cure,
who did not of course know one-fourth of
his wildness, had a warm spot for him in
his heart. But there was vicious streak
in him somewhere and 1t came out one
day in perilous fashion. There was in
tho hotel OF the Louis Quinze an English
servant from the west called Nell Barra-
way. She had been In o hotel in Montre-
al and 1t was there Fabian had seen her
as she waited on tho table. She was a
splendid looking creature, oil life and en-
ergy, tall, fair haired and with a charm
above her kind. She was also an excellent
servant, could do as much as any two
women In any house and was capable of
more airy diablerie than any ten in Pom
tiao. When Fabian had said to her in
Montreal that he would come, he told her
where he lived. She came to see him in
stead, for she wrote to the landlord of tho
Louis Quinze, inclosed five testimonials
and was Immediately engaged. She came,
and Fabian was stunned when ho entered
the Louis Quinze and saw her waiting on
table, alert, busy, good to see She nod
bewildered just inside the door, then said
in English, for he understood 1t fairly,
"This way, monsieur"
AS he sat down he said in English also,
with a laugh and with swapping eyes:
"Good Lord What brings you here, lady
bird9"
AS she pushed a chair under him she al
most hissed through his hair, "You" and
then was gone away to fetch pot au feu for
six hungry men.
The Louis Quinze did more business now
In three months than 1t had done before in
six. But 1t was whispered among few
in Pontiac that Nell was vicious. How
1t had crept up from Montreal no ono
knew, and when 1t did come her name was
very intimately associated with Fabian's.
No ono could say that she was not the
most perfect of servants, and also no ono
could say that her life in Pontiac had not
been exemplary,
Yet wise people had made up their
minds that sho was determined to marry
Fabian, and the wisest declared that she
would in spite of everything-religion fshe
was Protestant), character, race. She
was clever, as the young seigneur found,
as the little ayocat was forced to admit,
as the cure allowed with sigh, and she
had no airs of badness at all and very lit
tic of usual coquetry, Fabian was enam-
ored, and 1t was clear that he intended to
bring the woman to the manor one way or
another.
Henri admitted the fascination of the
woman, felt 1t, despalred, went to Mont
real, got proof Of her career, came back
and made his final and only effort to turn
his brother from tho girl.
He had waited an hour outside the ho-