The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1898-12-01

tmpefedly. bat ne the btsi work ~
done yet. Aud II ne successful. Ass,h,
] shsll be able 10 boy yoa that disnon
bangle you coveted tse other day.
Int even the reference 10 The diamon'
bsnsle failed to tnove Assths
Hos long will 1t take yon TO hnish IL
she @k, d .lowly. looking down At the III
tidy desk.
| hope 10 faisb !, by n'Xt week, sale
Arhuthno, t'iamrhsnily lee sliosed
Lorrimore, the Weekly Rsvies man, Il
see soms patti Of II. aud he's expressed I
ury favorable opinion aud tanks it'l
bonpd TO be a success
Assthss eyes narrowed 81 the corners.
Lorrimer'e q ol, she said. snsrily.
Il wss one cold afternoon ten days later,
that Atbuihnoi stood on his door step 10
the act Of inserting bis lstch KEY, smiling
81 me pleasing reminiscerces Of his 70
cent talk With bis publisher.
SuddeniyA Wild. terrified CRY broke
from the house. followed by scream after
scteam, reiterated With such intensity OF
sneuish that Arbnthnot himself caught
the Infection OF terror, and fumbled with
irem bling hsnss At the lstchkey.
Al last he managed to open the door and
run into the ball A fearful sight met
his eye. From bis study door few some
thing an object epyeloped 10 wriibine
flames, aud from it there came piercing,
ssonized shiieks. As the drausht from
the open door blew feroely down the oer
ridor the flames lesped higher and higher
round their living prey, until Arbutbnot's
sickened gaze saw nothing but brilliant
ball OF FIRE.
Godl 1t wss Assths, mad With torture
the Il imipg figure rushed toward him and
threw out its srms 10 agony. Arbuthnot
csught il in tight embrace and with oil
bis strength hurled himself and the shriek
ing figure onto the csrpetsd floor snd
rolled over and over until st last the
lanes we're beaten out and be knew the
ire was conquered,
Three hours later the doctor came softly
iown stairs. lie had used sll bis skill TO
bring life back to the dis6gured body tnst
,ow lay motionless on the bed. II wss
III in vsir, Agstbs's injuries we're beyond
III help, and she had lived only three
lours after Arbn hnol had carried her up
tairs.
Her husband had never left her side
nd though badly burned about the hands
nd face, and scarcely reslizsd bis own
Djuries. As be looked st that cruelty dis
cured face. now swsthed and hidden in
andsges. q rush OF tears blinded bis eyee.
nd he knew that sll past differences were
wept away, and that Agatha would live
enceforlb in his memory only % the
oman whom be had once loved With oil
is heart. Before life Aickered opt 10
nat sufl ring body, Agatha opened her
yes once and met ber husbands gsz, fixed
ith iuttnse pity and love upon her face.
o Arbuihnot it seemed that she pleaded
um bly, for rsiveness, but even ss he
oked the lids closed again. and in = few
oments Agsth.'s 81 irit mad slipped into a
le great siIencs.
When oil was over. Arbuthnot stopped
I'd kissed the pale cold lips. !,
Later in the evsning he went down
airs TO bis study. AZ he entered the
ON shudder ran through his body; be
membered the figure Of fame that bad
aped into bis arms but few hours ago
d his heart was torn at the thought OF =,
,sths's suflerines. :
AZ yet ii was q mystery how she had :.
ught FIRE, Presumably she had been "
lrming herself 10 bis study and Ler thin \,
ensdine dinner dress had swept too nesr y
Q q ,ms. A few dull red embers still
rned 10 the CRATE. Abuthnot lit the
mp and sat down mechanically to his -
SIX.
Thank God for work he said, with 2
ep sigh. At least can forget for -
ne
He opened the deep drawer wherein his
e OF manuscript had lain ready for the
inte1s hand. One or two omissions -
aid easily be rectified nov and the work
aid soothe bis weary heart and brain. y
t the drawer stood empty. Hastily
pulled out its counterpart. No, that .
}, held nothing. With feverish hand he -
nmsped each piseonhole. turned every :. -
ng ont OF his bureau, sought on the "
sirs and tables. The manuscript had
fearful thought dsrted into his brain.
ran to the fireplace eye fell on !.
ne chsrred ashes 10 the fender. !"
- - o.