The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-14
PART III.

difficult; TO describe the sensations OF
another is impossible.
Mr.. Van CortlandBrowne had been
a very proud man, proud OF his family,
proud of his wealth and proud OF what
he considered his own superior person
atty; but clinging to that frail cedar
tree, with his soft, white hands grasp
ing at the wet rocks, the meanest crea-
ture on earth would not have envied
him his position. The darkness thai
shut out the awful depths below but in
tensifled the danger to his excited imag
ination.
AS he clung there, feeling that the
roots of the tree must give way at any
moment and send him crashing to the
bottom, he heard on the heights above
the voice of a negro, blithely singing
plantation melody. Mr.. Browne rec
ognized the voice as that of his own
stableman, evidently on his way to
visit his sweetheart at Mrs. Maj. Floyd
Floyd Jones villa; and the master en-
Wed the man. Indeed, so far had Mr..
Van Cortland-Browne's pride van
ished that at that instant he would
gladly have exchanged fortune, family
and complexion with his servant.
Mr.. Browne braced himself TO shout
TO the black man on the cliff in the
hope of attracting his attention, but, az
he inflated his lungs for the effort, he
heard, or imagined he heard, the groan.
ing of the cedar trees roots, and, think
ing that his cry would add TO the strain
and so precipitate the catastrophe, he
desisted.
Still on the heights above, and even
from the vessels on the river. and par.
ticularly from the direction of the great
city to the left, he saw rockets cutting
through the black night and bursting
into rain OF many-colored fires. Now
and then the sound of music came to
his ears, blending with the cheers and
delighted cries OF small BOYS who are
never so happy as when playing with
fire.
Resembling the lines Of quick, pallid
lights that penciled their course on the
clouds, there shot across Mr.. Brownies
mind green flashes of jealousy as he
gave sudden and momentary thought to
Col Johnson and the beautiful widow
whom he imagined riding hastily home
the storm on their wheels and
now enjoying n tete-a-tete in the draw.
irg-rc ON of the latter.
II Mr.. Browne had not strengthened
his muscles by months of bicycle eff
fort he could not have retained his po-
sition astride the stunted cedar for
hut h.a L., 4
for congratulating himself on his abil-
ity 10 defer for few black hours what
seemed to him inevitable death.
Now and then Mr.. Browne gave n
thought TO his daughter, and he felt n
pang of remorse as he recalled his OPP
position to the attentions CT Commo-
tlore Blakely Horton-Smith, and he
promised himself that IL by any chance
he should survive long enough 10 ser
the young people he would give them
his consent and his blessing.
How long the minutes seemed! Each
hour was. an eternity of indescribable
suffering. Although his position astride
tho cedar tree was much like that in
the saddle of n bicycle, there was nc
correspondence in the comfort BY mid
night he began to feel that IL the tree
did rot give way aud send him to the
bottom he would soon split in two and
The halves would go crashing down the
jagged sides Of the palisades.
Mr.. Browne came at length 10 think
that the sun had gone down for the
last time, or a. least that the earth
had ceased 10 revolve on its axis, which
amounted 10 the SAME thing; and
strange TO say, this gave him a spark
Of comfort. for IL meant that the peo.
pie cheering and setting off fireworks
in the upper world could not long sur.
vive him I'm the eternal darkness.
The wretched mans hands were un.
fitted for the work 10 which they were
now subiected: white. soft and shapcly,
they were torn by his efro;is to cling IN
the rocks on either side and above his
head
AZ length the rockets ceased, the
glow Of roman candles died out, the
shrlll yell of the small boy was mo
longer heard. and the footing Of steam
boat whistles ceased TO come up from
the river.
An appalling silence came 20 the
heights above, but the wind coming
down the river and the murmur Of the
water In the black depths beneath
struck his strained ears like the saddest
dirge ever heard by mortal. II was like
the dead march played IN advance 20
the condemned soldier as ne is carried
blindfolded 10 the place Of execution.
We are told that whsn the box of
Pandora was opened all the evils thai
now afllict mankind few out. and ,ho,