Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-07-05
THE ,,,4oow OF coon FORTUNE.

obout In uneasy sleep, broken by cries
Of pain. or terror; the shrill, complaining
voice went to her heart She ola not
understood an he said, and her very
failure to- comprehend those half-deliri-
Gus words hurt her as nothing else
in her short. hard life had done. 1t
seemed to her that the one thing
which fate had left her was escaping
from her grasp into a land into which
she could not follow it, Again and again
came the cry she could not understand
the start of terror which puzzled her.
"Oh, mother make them give 1t back
they have stolen it-they have put II
in the ground Oh, mother, / want 1t
so-make them give it back to me! The
boys laugh at me-dO not let them
laugh any more want it back
want it back
"sava. my darling. what have they
stoen-what is it that you want?'
But he did not seem to hear her voice.
or to understand what she said. Still
the little figure tossed to-and-fro under
the shabby carpet coverlet which she
vanly tried to keep over it; still the fret
ful cry rang in her ears. Since sunrise
she had sat there by the bed, motionless,
terror-strken; it was sunset when the
door opened. and Madame Nikolich thrust
her grizzed black head into the dark
cning room.
THE boy is sick, Militsa-eh?"
She looked up with a gesture almost
of relief, though Madame Nikolich was
no friend Of hers, but merely a very
worldly landady with a very sharp eye
fixed upon the not always rosy posi-
biities Of rent
"Oh, he is very sick-I do not know
what TO do for him"
Madame Nlkolich came forward and
stood at the foot Of the bed looking not
unkindly on the small, restless figure.
Yes. he is certainly very sick.
will tell you what is the matter with
him Militsa. My Mika has just been
talking about it, He says the workmen
at the big house round the corner caught
Sava two days ago and made him stand
in the sunshine while they built his
shadow into the foundatons--you know
it brings a house good fortune when a
living shadow is caught and built into
1t. But the person who has lost the
shadow very often dies-so many people
have told me that" Militsa shrank
nearer to the bed Sava lifted his
rufed curls from the pillow and raised
once more the beseeching cry
They have stolen IT and put in the
ground. on, give It back to me-give
il back"
MiItsa shivered; Anna Nikolich nodded
Ia dismal triumph
There do you hear what he says2
That is what ! told you-they have
stolen his shadow. and put it into Bora
JoNanoNich's fine new house. 1t will
bring Bora JOvanovich good fortune. no
doubt, but I think You VIII lose the child.
Militsa turned upon the other woman
Ike a tempest. with n swift. passionate
protective movement towards Sava
"No-no-not that" she said. He is
all l have-there is nothing else in the
world for me. l win not lose him-I
cannot"
Anna Nikolich turned towards the door
When she reached 1t. she paused for
moment and looked back
Il will send Mika up with some sumner
for YOU she said "and-and the rent
may stand over for the week"
Militsa sank down beside the bed
without word Of gratitude. The others
Kindness struck her like a curse-if Anna
Nlkoilch could be gencrous-Sava must
indeed be far gone.
The darkness came down upon tho little
room; Mika, shy and solemn-eyed
brought the supper Militsa could not
eat, and went away again. Stiu she
crouched by the bed; still the chid's
restless cry went on
on, give it back-make them give it
back to me-"
She rose suddenly. and bent over the
child for a moment
'Sava, you shall have it back if YOU
VIII lie quite still uuul-until I bring
IL to You. DO you hear me-do YOU I'M
derstand? You shall have it II you will
lie still and go To- sleep"
For the first time that day her voice
seemed to reach him. His great black
eyes rested with a look Of comprehension
on her face as she bent, lamp in hand
over the bed.
You will bring it back?" he muir
INJURED sleepily, ana sank back almost
cont,ntedly upon the pillow
As she stole down the narrow stairs
for the first time that day the restless
cry was still.
Bora Jovanovich sat in his office-the
hhest Office in PALATE, for he was the
rlchest man in the town. He was think
ing little Of his wealth. and his success
as he sat there in the morning sunshine
with his pen tracing idle patterns on the
hlotting pad before him. He thought of
the poor mountain village where he was
born, and which he had left seven wears
ago to come down to PALATE and find
taNor In the eyes OF the greatest merchant
in the place and marry his only daughter
ana succeed in due course to all his
rlches. Jovanovich sighed as he thought.
SO perhaps he did not find the conten,
patton OF his success altogether salts
factory 1t was spring, and the soft air
uIoWlhs through the open window seemed
TO blow from the blue hills Of his home.
lie remembered the signing pines, and
the cool white foam Of the waterfall nv
which he had walked with the popadia's
priests wife) pretty niece in those far
on days. His wife had brought him
rlches and success, but he loved one curl
on the black head of the popadia's niece
better than he loved the whole body of
me rlch merchants daughter. Now that
ms VIE was dead he was a lonely man
IN the house where his father-in-law had
INed. Perhaps il was for this reason
that he had set himself to build n new
ana more splendid house, which should
De all his own and hold no memory of
the woman who had bought him-perhaps
II pleased him this morRing to remember
that at the corner of the market-place
the walls of his new home We're already
rising fast There was a tap at the door.
ana Bora Jovanovich reused himself
abruptly from the dream into which he
mad fallen. workman in a greasy
blouse answered his invitation to enter
and then stood tongue tied in the door
way regarding the great man OF Palate
The house" he stammered at last
Bora Jovanovich laid down his pen.
What has happened to it?"
II no tault of ours" the man said
suilenly. Yesterday it was the same
hat our days work undone. And TODAY
the wall is down again. We do NOT
understand it
Who pulls the wall DOWN."
How should We know" The mans
tone was half fierce, half frightened
Some one comes-at night-and nulIs
down half of what wa do h., A., D, ~