Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-09-02

trying TO laugh as she walked AWAY.
At the doorstep she was tempted 10
20 back, but the thought OF Urestes
waiting so patiently at the roadside
was too much for her.
The squire lay for ten minutes tense
ly broodlng. his face drawn aud lined
Then he sat up and began recklessly to
hitch himself out of bed. Within reach
were the crutches which he WIS TO
essay tomorrow. Once he put out his
hand. to the bell, but drew II back,
muttering; mol BY the Lord, I'll do
1t all myself I'll show them they
can't run over me-not quite" Then.
still muttering and mumbling, Ire
wrapped himself In his dressing gown,
reached for the clutches and swayed
and staggered across to the door.
The squire sat down heavily upon
the second step OF the broad stairway
and began craftily going up backward.
He lifted himself from tread to tread.
then drew the crutches after him. BY
some within he had kept his desk and
all his papers in tho big south cham
Der that had been his wife's. He was
going there now. IL he lived to come
back from 1t he would leave behind a
new will, one that would come near to
disinheriting his rebellions child. 1t
| would do more than that 1t would
set forth her rebellion, her neglect of
him, In such fashion as to shame her,
here where honor to parents was so
vital part of decency.
Painfully. with set teeth and, agon-
hn 10 10 nd
sat In front of the opened desk. He
found the will readily and tore 1t
through angrily. then wrote upon the
biggest fragment. This is the work
of a neglected father"
But all this had taken time, and
dusk was falling rapidly.
He snatched up a fresh sheet and
began to write, but the racing dark
ness was too quick for him. Before
he was half through he stopped and
looked about him, full of thwarted,
impotent rage. He flung out his hand
and struck It against a taper which
had lain there so long he had forgot
ten 1t. BY its feeble light he finished
the new will and signed his name with
heavy, scrawling flourish.
Slowly, heavily. he got up and tried
| to steady himself while he put the
crutches in place, but sharp twinge
made him stagger. He lost balance
and fell prone. overturning the lighted
taper and bringing 1t In contact with
the contents of an open drawer. They
blazed up merrily. In a wink the
whole room was ablaze. AS he lay
helpless he saw the flames lick at the
carvings on top of the desk. Then in
| deed the squire groaned aloud and
dragged himself to the open window.
A wall of fire was behind him. be-
fore him fall of almost twenty feet!
To swing out and drop down below
meant certain death even If he had
strength for 1t. He shouted, but moth
ing came of it. Sally was really fast
asleep in the cool back yard. He shut
his eyes and thought of Edith's moth
er. In the great extremity there came
flash OF comfort-when he was dead
both Wills would be burned and Edith,
his only child. would have everything.
He ought to have been angry, but
somehow he could not be. The mount
ing flames made his own wrath look
poor and tame. He had given up and
was waiting for the end when straight
through the wall of fire there burst a
slim figure, sheeted and blackened. but
moving like the light itself. In wink
| 1t had torn off the wet blankets pro-
tecting it, swathed the squire in them
and was bearing him out to safety re-
| CARELESS of the flames that leaped at
its own head. Once through the door
other arms laid hold on him and help
ed to bear him down the stairs. When
he came to himself fully he was
stretched on the grass at safe dis
lance. while neighbors and farm folk
fought the fire to finish.
The squire lay very still, but kept his
eyes on one slim scorched figure that
led all the rest. When the danger was
past he raised himself on his elbow
and said, pointing to the slim leader:
Daughter, take back everything.
1 You've chosen a man."
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