The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-05


! But he froze at this; gathered his fingers
in from the blaze and opened them wide two
or three times before he spoke; and i caught
a sudden hunted glance quite out of keeping
with his court1y demeanor.
He seemed to consider before he said:
Yes, yes, indeed. [ believe there are many
legends about the old building. | hear them
repeated from time to time; and usually they
have been a good deal embeshed-a good
deal embellished. Veracity is difficult
accomplishment, SIR
And he turned to with the most winning
and wise smile l said nothing, and he
lapsed into his attitude of considerations
watching the fire. 1t was just here that
curious thing happened. L leaned my head
back on the easy chair moment, waiting
for him to take up the conversation where he
had left it with hesitation. AS l did l
noticed for the first time small mirror hung
over the fireplace, and in it l could see the
dull green portiers behind 1 thought how
restful the color was to the eye. And then,
about five feet from the floor they parted
nd a girsh face looked through and 1 og uisil-
ly surveyed our backs. She smiled very mer-
r;ly, anf PRESSED the soft curtains against her
yellow - r, then her dancing eyes ran un-
sIsrectingly over the mirror and caught
mine fairly watching her and she vanished,
III CONSERVATION, as it seemed
l. ''Oho!'' thought 1.
But the. old man gave no sign and l. of
course, said nothing. Veracity is difficult
accomplishment.
The little by-play was over in a few sec
OndS-almOSt before my old friend could take
up a sentence.
You see sir" beginning with long
breath, and gazing into the fire., you see,
Sir, one looks at things differently your
time of life. Truth quite true, and
faisehood quite false to you, no doubt. But
when you come along to sixty it will not APP
pear SO easy all offhand. And somehow, do
you know, the little broken incidents OF life
often. please best, the stories that have
been left unfinished and will never be finished
for us, perhaps Not that l love the Venus
more because she has lost her arms poor
hR a6d yuictf
wistfulness, when you come to think of 1t, is
very large part of the charm of art.
| Il have just such Of those tiny in
complete dramas in my mind now l have
not quite filled out the whole circle of the
plot from the small which has come I'M
der my notice, but shall, perhaps
Here he turned and smiled again. doubt
| fully at me.
1t is a very interesting-a very interest
ing tangle of events, l am quite sure Per
haps you know this large hotel on Broadway
In the next block to US? Yes? 1t is much
aHected by Southerners, 1 believe. However
tnat is neither here nor there, perhaps. At
all events, there was alarm of fire sounded
Shortly after midnight one February many
years ago. l living not far from here
and was just coming home when [ heard the
fcommotion. AS Preached the Square, coming
down Fifth Avenue, / saw the smoke and
flames in the direction of Broadway, and
hurried to the scene with half a dozen com
paEionS.
When We reached the hotel the flames
were sprlnglng out of the third-foor win
doWs. There. did not to be any imrne-
d1ate danger to the inmates. The fire was
IeV.dently confined to one two rooms. Sud-
denly man, partially dressed in evening
dress Tor partially undressed | should saw e
for take it he had just laid aside his coat.
rushed to the window next the one where the
ire was hercest and flung it open. We saw
the room burning behind him. He put one
loot on the sill. Make rope make rope
some one shouted from below
He too dazed for that He yaulted
"a indn or,dc
ing as he fell.
When my friends and I rushed forward
ne lay moaning on the pavement: No, no:
m done for No, MOI Then he sWooned and
we eased him where he lay, expecting he
would die in a moment. But he turned on his
SIDE, pulling feebly at his collar with his
right hand. l loosened his cravat and as I
dld SO the hutterng fingers caught at a thin
gold chain round his neck, snapped it and
plucked themselves away in q weak spasm
grasping something in their cnch. Then his
eyes opened in terror and wang broken
voice came to US: She can't get out; she
can't get OUT she-can-not-get-outi All
dear God! and it died into a moan again
and he was quite STILL with the shut right
hand beside him. We thought he had gone
But in another moment he looked up quietly
at me and smiled, as if we were old acouaint-
ances. My friend he said you must keen
1t, and he moved his precious handful toward
me. 1t slipped, and with sigh he was dead
Il have his keepsake the old gentleman
continued; 1T is very curious piece of level
work.
Here he arose and went to the cabinet in
the corner.
"A very curious piece of handicraft YOU
Will say. If You care for such things Won
must examine this
Inc Goals fell N the CRATE, and desolate
sreet cry came up from the world below US,
put the room was very STILL He came back
to the fire and showed me in his onen-band