The Irish standard., 1909-03-06

the full tide Of hope and thankfulness,
1t stood still. chilled, as If by the
glimpse Of an iceberg in summer seas
Yet how absurd: 1t was only that he
had recalled his stoical aunt's most
unexpected touch of superstition.
Quite in jest he had asked her If she
felt any presentiments or queer things
IN her bones tonight. He expected to
be answered that Janet had driven
every other anxiety out Of her mind;
and how was she to break 1t to Mill.
cent?-or with some such caustic re-
partee. Instead, she had replied test
lily: Yes. do. BERTHE. feel-hor.
rid! feel as II something out of the
common awful were going to happen.
1t isn't exactly Atkins, either. Do you
reckon 1t could be the Suey When,
that bamboo-shoots mess we had for
dinner?"
Although they spent . good 20 min.
utes after shat, joking over super
stitions. and he had repeated to her
some Of Tracy's and Arnold's most in
genious "spooky stunts" to make the
neighborhood keep it's distance from
Casa F'uerte. and they had laughed
freely, she as heartily as he, never
theless he OWNED that her smile was
pretense. Suddenly, an unruly tremor
shook his own Arm spirits. Looking
out on the stepped and lanterned
arches of the wing, he was conscious
of the same tragic endowment Of tho
darkened pile. which had oppressed
him that night, weeks before. when he
had stood outside on the crest Of the
hill; and the would-be murderers
might have been skulking In the
shadows Of the pepper trees. He tried
vainly to shake off this distempered
mood. Although he might succeed for
a moment in a lovers absorption. 1t
would come again, insidiously. seep.
ing through his happiness like fume.
After futile attempts to sleep he rose.
and still at the bidding Of his uncanny
and tormenting impulse he took his
bath and dressed himself for the day
BY this time the ashen tints of dawn
, were In his chamber and on the
fields outside. He stood looking at the
unloveliest aspect OF nature, a land
scape on the sunless side. before the
east is red. The air felt lifeless;
there were no depths in the pale sky:
the azure was fat tint. opaque and
thin, like a poor water-color. While
he gazed the motionless trees, live.
oaks and olives and palms, were
shaken by a mighty wind; the pepper
plumes tossed and streamed and
tangled like banner; the great elms
along the avenue bent over In break.
ing strain. Yet the silken cord OF the
Holland window shade did not so
much as swing. There was not
wings breath Of air. But gradually
the earth and cloud vibrated with
strange grinding noise which has been
described hundred times, but never
adequately; a sickening crepitation, ~
Of the rocks in the hills scraping and
splintering. Before the mind could
question the sound, there succeeded
an anarchy Of uproar. In it was
jumbled the crash Of trees and build.
ings. the splintering crackle of glass.
the boom Of huge chimneys falling and
of vast explosions, the hiss of steam.
the hurting of timbers and bricks and
masses of stone or sand, and the
awful rush of frantic water escaping
from engine or main.
"Quake, sure's you're born!" said
the colonel softly.
Now that his invisible peril was
real, was upon him, his spirits leaped
up to meet 1t. He looked coolly about
him, noting in his single glance that
the house was standing absolutely
stanch, neither Keeling nor shivering:
and that the chimney just opposite
his eye had not misplaced brick. In
the same instant he caught up his re-
volver and ran at his best pace from
the room. The hall was firm under
his hurrying feet. AS he passed the
great arched opening on the western
balcony he saw an awful sight.
Diagonally across from Casa Fuerte
was the great house Of the California
magnate who did not worry his con-
esty Of workmanship as we'll as
colonial architecture. The stately
mansion with It's beautiful piazzas
and delicate harmony Of pillar and
pediment, shone white and placid on
the eye for a second; then rocked in
CHASTITY wise and collapsed like a
house of cards. simultaneously =
torchlike flame streamed into the air.
A woeful din of human anguish
pierced the inanimate tumult of wreck
and crash.
Bully for Casa Fuerte!" cried the
soldier, who now was making fren-
zied speed to the other side of the
house. He cast single glance toward
| the door which he knew belonged to
Janets room; and he thought of the
boy, but he ran first to his old aunt.
He didn't need to go the whole way.
She came out Of her door, Janet and
Archie at her side. They were all
perfectly calm, although in very light
and semi-oriental attire. Archie plain
ly had just plunged out Of bed. His
eyes we're dancing with excitement.
io Co f~Sk