The Newtown bee., 1897-12-31

himself to have been. At swift, logged
pace he kept on until he came to mar
rover street which was busy by day and
quiet by night. 1t ran parallel with the
river and the canal which supplied in part
the power to the large mills and shops. Az
Jacob hurried along handsome carriage,
drawn by a span of spirited horses, rolled
past. The occupants were the family of
your g Mr. Conway of the Monitor iron
works. How the harnesses glittered with
gold and silver M untings, and how COM
Portable looked the cloaks and furs of the
ladies and children! Even the driver had
sleek and well-fed face, the sight of
which filled Jacobs heart with the bitter
ness of envy.
"Dang-tha !" he hoarsely cried, shaking
a clenched hand after the receding vehi-
CICs 1hC hdA0SoAIC SuG l1S UCCa~
pants, the sound of laughter from Mr. Con-
ways children,--rhese. with the haunting
recollection of his own cold hearthstone
and the pinched faces, with Martha's blue
eyes full of mute appeal, were nc ore than
his brain could bear.
"Dang-tha, for thy blue blood !" Jacob
cried again, in choked voice.
A moment more and he stood opposite
to the long, low brick buildings of the
Monitor works. The tall chimney, dis.
tinguished by stripe of white bricks
along the entire lengsn, doomed against
the grim sky and flying clouds.
Jacob paused at the closed gate. He
knew there was q Waterman somewhere
about the buildings, yet one might 60
through them all with little likelihood of
meeting him. To Chamber over the gate
was easy for an active man, and Jacob
was soon in the yard. He had been the
engineer in the works and had keys to the
engine and furnace rooms, but they would
not admit him to the part of the building
he wished to reach. But the fiend which
was tempting him appeared to favor his
designs, for, upon trying window, it
opened to his touch, and after a hurried
glance and nimble leap he was inside
the building. He paused to listen, and
then CROPPED his way past the silent giants
of machinery to a certain door, to which
he likewise held key.
He opened the door, and was met by the
strong odor of oil. He knew just where
the cotton waste lay, and to saturate q
quantity Of it in the oil was a thing which
he had often done for a more legitimate
purpose. He seized an armful of the
greasy stuff, unmindful of the harm to
his holiday attire, and made his way to-
ward part of the shop where his pur-
pose could be most effectually accom-
plished. He felt no fear of discovery
he only dreaded the possibility of being
thwarted in his design, and for that rea-
son he hurried past the machinery to-
ward stairway. Then he became con.
scious of pursuit, and it seemed to him
that score of flying feet were following
through the darkness at his very heels.
He tried to quicken his pace, but as he
did so he tripped and fell headlong and
his head struck upon something that
gave him the boon Of insensibility.
So Jacob Barlow had good excuse
for not carrying home any bundles upon
that Christmas eve. Indeed, SO far as
Jacob was concerned, the holiest of Sill
the holidays was ushered in without his
knowing or caring anything about it. It
is true, he dreamed that he was back in
England, and that Christmas morn was
being rung in with queer jingling sort
Of chimes. Then he suddenly realized
that the sounds were really the chatter OF
plates and spoons upon the table, and he
vaguely wondered what Maria could be
doing with those things when there was
nothing in the house to eat from them.
THANK yor, Mr. Conway" Martha'a
voice struck in at that moment. ssJacob
seems to be sleeping quietly now, and the
doctor said be thought he would wake
up with his mind All clear again. And