The Washington herald., 1915-02-14

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Iplace, blowing the fire. She had her
ihousemaid's gloves on and the old
country sunbonnet she wore of a
morning, to keep the dust out of her
hair. She turned, saw the envelope,
gave gasp and pressed two blood
less lips together.
I'm afraid it's uncle" she said,
holding the letter and staring with
eyes wide open into Winslow's face.
It's a strange handI
THE postmark's Hull" said Win
Islow. =
THE postmark's Hull"
Minnie opened the letter slowly,
drew it out, hesitated, turned it over,
saw the signature. ITS Mr..
Speightr'
What does he say" said Win
slow.
Minnie began to read. "Oh" she
screamed. She dropped the letter,
collapsed into crouching heap. her
hands covering her eyes. Winslow
snatched at it. A most terrible ac-
cident has occurred he read; Mel
choir's chimney fell down yesterday
evening right on the top of your
uncle's house, and every living soul
was killed-your uncle, your cousin
Mary, Will, and Ned and the girl
every one of them, and smashed
you would hardly know them. I'm
writing to you to break the news be-
fore YOU see it in the papers The
letter fluttered from Winslow's
fingers. He put out his hand against
the mantel to steady himself.
All of them dead! Then he saw
as in a vision, row of seven cot
.tageS, each let at seven shillings a
week, timber yard, two villas, and
the ruins-still marketable-of the
avuncular residence. He tried to
feel a sense of loss and could not.
They were sure to have been left to !
Minnie's aunt. All dead! 7x7x52-
20 began insensibly to work itself
out in his mind. but discipline was
ever weak in his mental arithmetic;
figures kept moving from one line
to another, like children playing at
Wildly, Wildly Way. Was it 200 .
pounds about-or 100 pounds?
Presently he picked up the letter
again, and finished reading it. 'You
being the next of kim" said Mr..
Speight.
"How awfulr said Minnie. in a
horrer-struck whisper, and looking
up at last. Winslow stared back at :
her, shaking his head solemnly.
There were thousand things run
ming through his mind, but none
that, even to his dull sense, seemed
appropriate as a remark. 1T was
the Lords will" he said at last.
"It seems so very, very terrible"
said Minnie; "auntie, dear auntie-
Ted-poor, dear uncle"
at was the Lords will, Minnie"
said Winslow, with infinite feeling.
A long silence.
"YeS," said Minnie, very slowly,
staring thoughtfully at the cracking
black paper in the CRATE. The fire
had gone out. Eyes, perhaps it was
the Lords will"
They looked gravely at one an
other. Each would have been ter
ribly shocked at any mention of the
property by the other. She turned to
the dark fireplace and began tearing
up an old newspaper slowly. What
ever our losses may be, the worlds.
work still waits for us. Winslow
gave deep sigh and walked in a
hushed manner toward the front
door. AS he opened it a food of
sunlight came streaming into the
dark shadows of the closed shop.
Brandersnatch, Helter, Shelter &
Grab had vanished out of his mind !
like the mists before the rising sun.
Presently he was carrying in the
shutters. and in the briskeSt way;
the fire in the kitchen was cracking
with little saucepan
walloping above it, for Minnie was
boiling two eggs-one for herself
lI,;e ,,,o-,,,-cr nc ,,-aIi nc ma fo-