The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-04-14

soft curtains against her yellow hair:
then her dancing eyes ran unsuspecJ-
ingly over the mirror and caught mine
fairly watching hcr and she vanished,
in CONSERVATION rs II seemed.
soho" thought l
But the old maR gave no sign, and
/, of course, said pothing. Veracity is
dA-cult Accomplishment.
The little by-play was over in q few
seconds-almost before my old friend
could take up new sentence.
You see, sir" beginning with n long
breath, and gazing into the fire., you
see, sir, one looks vt things differently
at your time of life. Truth seems quite
true. and falsehoo9 quite false to you,
no doubt. But, when you come along
to sixty, it will not appear so easy all
offhand. And somehow, do you know
the little broken incidents of life often
please me best. the stories that have
he Il left unfinished and will never be
finished for us, perhaps. Not that |
love the Venus more because she has
lost her arms. poor lady; still the loss
adds wiStfulneSs: and usefulness,
when YOU come to think of it, is very
large part of the charm of art.
81 have just such Il one of those tiny
Incomplete dramas N my mind now.
! have not quite filled out the whole
circle of the plot from the small arc
which has come under my notice, but
| shall perhaps"
Here he turned and smiled again
doubtfully at me.
ut is Il very intercsting-a very in
teresting tangle OF events, | am quite
sure. Perhaps you know this large
hotel on Broadway in the next block
to us? Yes? 1t liz nue. affected by
Southerners believe. However.
that is neither here nor there, perhaps,
At all events, there was an alarm of fire
sounded shortly after midnight one
February many years ago. was liv-
ing not far from here and was just
coming home when | heard the COM
motion. AS | reached the square. com
ing down Fifth avenue, | saw the
smoke and flames in the direction Of
Broadway, and hnrrieu to the scene
with half a dozen companions.
when we reached the hotel the
flames were sprl ging out of the third
floor windows. There did not seem to
be any immediate danger to the in
! ates. The fire Us evidently confined
to one or two rooms. Suddenly a man,
partially dressed in evening dress TOR
partially undressed l should say, for
! take it he had just laid aside his
coat, rushed to the window next the
one where the fire was fierceSt and
flung it open. We saw the room burn
ing behind him. He put one foot on
the sill. Make a rope, make Il rope,
someone shouted from below.
He was too dazcd for that. He
vaultcd through the window and
struck the iron paling as he fell.
when my friends and | rushed foI
ward he lay moaning on the pavement:
No, no; I'm done for. No, no. Then
. sWooned. and We eaScd 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. | lO0Sened his Cravat, and
as | did so the fluttcring fingers caught
at a thin gold chain round his neck,
snapped it and Dlucked themselves
away in a weak sp ISM, grasping some
thing in their cle!'ch. Then his eyes
opened in terror n d a wailing, broken
voice came to us: She can't get out;
she can't get out: she can-not- get
out. Al, dear Coo" and 1t died into
q moan again and he was quite still,
with the shut rigl hand beside him.
W. thought him gone But in another
moment he looked up quiet quietly at
me and smiled. as if we were old ac-
quaintances. My friend he said, you
must keep it. and he moved his prec-
ious handful toward me. 1t slipped,
and with a sigh he was dead"
Il have his Keepsake" the old gen
tleman continued; 1T is a very curious
piece of jewel work"
Here he arose and went to a cabinet
in the corner.
A very curious piece of handicraft,
you will say If you care for such
things YOU must examine this
The Goals fell in the CRATE, and
desolate street cry came up from the
world below us, but the room was very
still. He came back to the fire and
showed me in his open-hand a large
gold locket, apparently of Indian de-
sign. rough and effective.
How beautiful it is" he said, and
his fingers dwelt on it gently before he
gave it to me to handle.
AS he turned back to the cabinet for
something the tiny casket fell open in
my hand and disclosed beautiful,
laughing miniature in ivory.
1t was the face had seen five min
utes before peeping between the dull
green curtains.