Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-01-29


And you needn't take light. There'l
be one down there"
Mr.. Sangster readily promised tc
comply with the request, and Mrs.
Collins went away, hoping for what
she considered 1.-The right results"
Meanwhile, poor Lucy Hildeburn,
sitting at her piano, continued to draw
forth such melancholy strains that
tears rolled down her cheeks.
81 must go away from here" she
said, half aloud. 81 can't bear it much
longer, indeed L can't, seeing him day
after day, loving him as L do, and
knowing that matters can never be ad
iusted between lis. els as proud as
but, oh dear! what am I thinking
of? 1t wants just two minutes to eight
And how hot the house is getting! !
must go down and close the furnace
DOORS
Thereupon she lighted the lantern
and proceeded down stairs to the cell
lar.
The house was very quiet, and the
lights all burned with dim, spectral
lustre that only served to produce
strange shadows throughout the rooms
and passages.
Every one seemed to have gone out,
and poor Lucy glanced dnervously about
her at every step.
At length she reached the cellar.
Ugh! What chill draught was
blowing in through one the gratings!
And there were strange noises all
around.
Lucy's heart thumped so violently
she was tempted to turn and run up
stairs again.
But goodness! The furnace was
dreadfully, dangerously hot.
Lucy summoned up all the resolu-
ton, and, STOPPING down, closed the
doors.
They SWING to with a bang, and
when she essayed to open them again
she found the effort beyond her
strength.
What was to be done in case of the
fire needing more draught?
She might, after awhile, find it
necessary to put on more coal, and
then it would be well to put ON more
draught.
But while she was debating with
herself concerning this, much more
serious mishap occurred, for the
candle inside the lantern suddenly
achieved the most inexplicable somer-
sault, and she was left in utter dark
ness.
Moreover, to complicate the miser-
les OF her situation, she heard stead
lily footsteps descending the cellar
stairs.
Poor Lucy stood quite still, with
her hands clasped together over her
heart.
This was burglar, undoubtedly.
He had seen oil the male inmates of
the house going out and the lights
lowered, and had thus chosen his op-
portunity to come in and conceal him.
self in the cellar He would, Of course.
murder her. Burglars always did that
when they found any one awake.
The first idea that suggested itself
to her was to creep under the steps
and remain there until Mrs. Collins
returned.
Ere she had time to do this, how
ever, a mans form became visible in
the dim, semi-twilight that was shed
from the kitchen door above. The in
truder drew nearer until he stood
within few yards of her, and seemed
to be fumbling in his vest pocket for
something. A dirk, doubtless.
Lucy, with desperate instinct of
self-preservation, put up both hands,
exclaiming:
"Have pity on me! Oh, have pity
and spare my life!'
Upon this the burglar drew back,
very much surprised.
"Miss Hileburn" he exclaimed, as
he struck match on the box he now
produced from his pocket. "What are
You doing here, and how can l serve
you?"
Now poor Lucy completely unnerved
and dreadfully ashamed of herself sat
down on reversed coal scuttle and
burst into fit of weeping.
Then Mr.. Sangster knelt down be.
side her, and u confused interchange
of explanations of various kinds en-.
sued.
The result was, that at the expira.
tion of half-hour, Mr.. Sangster took
Lucy in his arms and kissing the tear
stained face, murmured:
"God bless you for this promise, my
own darling! And, with His help,
trust these are the last tears I will
cause you to she'd
When Mrs. Collins came home, two
hours later, the house was very quiet,
the furnace in good order, and neither
Mr.. Sangster nor Miss Hildeburn visi-
BILE. But the following day Lucy COLI
iided to her secret, and Mr.. Sang
ster absented himself mysteriously for
about three weeks. After that, Miss
Hildeburn also disappeared.
"Gone to visit her aunt at Swath.
more, Mrs. Collins explained to the
other boarders.
But fortnight later the mail car
rier brought some wedding cards to
the house.
1T was all brought about through
the furnace" said Mrs. Collins, with a
gleeful chuckle.
But Miss Jane was infinitely dis.