The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-06-30
What the
Lightning Did
By ALAN HINSDALE


lightning, which was followed In some
thunder. He was a fearless fellow, and
no matter how near the bolts, he kept
his place, admiring the battle Of the
elements.
Clara was below In the drn wing
room with Hammersley. She was en-
gagged to Yeardley, but was in love
with Hammersley. Yeardley possessed
a fortune, and Hammersley was poor.
The wedding between Yeardley and
Clara was to come OFF that day week
Clara had insisted that he make will
In her favor before the wedding. Set
Elements are not common In America,
but Clara argued that her aance had q
lot Of relatives who In case Of his
death would make trouble. without a
will she would receive only a widows
third. and that would not content her.
Yeardley had cousin, Lucia, who
had been left an orphan, and he had
since then provided for her. When he
made his will he left small income to
Lucia. But Clara objected to this, pre-
ferring that clause be put In instead
stating that the testator expected his
widow to support Lucia out OF the In
come OF the estate Tin every comfort"
The bride to be convinced her expect
ant husband that this would be the
better way, and since she promised
him to obey the injunction faithfully
in case he died before her, he yielded
the point
During the storm Clara, who had q
nervous dread of lightning, was so
agitated that Hammersley put an arm
around her to soothe her. While they
were In this relative position there
came a binding fash, and amid the
roar Of the. thunder they heard some
thing fall In the room above. Har'-
mersley went quickly upstairs, follow
ed by Clara. Yeardley was lying by the
window motionless. Help was sum-
moned, and he was laid on the bed.
The doctor came and pronounced him
dead. The room was closed and the
body left alone.
The thunder was muttering In the
distance when the door Of the death
chamber opened and Hammersley and
Clara entered. Approaching the bed,
they looked down on the marble face.
Then they went to the window and
stood looking out, talking In low
tone. Hammersley drew Clara to him,
and her cheek rubbed against his. |
After a few minutes they went out,
closing the door softly behind them.
Hammersley and Clara went back
to where they had been standing when
the storm broke. Clara tried to look
like girl who had Just lost her fiance,
but failed. Hammersley did not even
try to look mournful. Indeed, smile
lowered about his lips. Clara would
now be his.
Later Lucia entered the room and,
approaching the bed, sank on her knees,
buried her face In her hands and sob
bed. Then she arose and looked down
through her tear dimmed eyes upon her
cousin. In another moment she passed
put, sobbing convulsiyely.
Two hours after Yeardley had been
stricken an electric bell rang out sharp
". The register indicated that it had
been rung from his room. What could !
Il mean2 II any one was there who
wanted anything, surely he would not |
have rung the bell. c
The butler was sent up, and presently 8
returned with his eyes wide open. t
"Mr. Yeardley isn't dead !" he ex- a
,laimed.
Tt,o$ a. faH CLARA
Hes sittin' up in bed"
All FASTENED up the staircase, and be-
ore entering the room saw, through
he open door, Yeardley in a sitting pos
ure. e
whats been the matter with meT I
lie asked, in a dazed fashion. II feel t
IS If had been keelhauled." p
Clara ran out Of the room. Hammer p
ley followed her. Lucia came In and, I
eeing her cousin alive whom she +
bought dead, seized his hand and kiss q
d It
Electricity In a curious antagonist. q
ometimes 1t kills outright, sometimes '
/ will strip a coat off mans back =
nth but trifiing injury to him, and o.
ometimes 1t will throw him into a v
oma for hours. Yeardsley's bodily r,
aculties had been temporarily para II
7zed. b
Clara returned to the room where a.
er betrothed lay and expressed her d
1y that he had returned to life. But n
Ii difficult to express Joy when one y
eels regret She explained that she y y
ad been so suddenly cast down and -
slieved that she could not control her
ceilings. q,
Nobody ever knew whether Yeardley A,
ad been struck by the bolt or stunned VI
y its proximity. The question now Ia
ppermost In his fiancee's mind was al
neither he had retained consciousness. III
ut she dreaded TO ask him, and he re- pr
aimed from speaking Of the matter. to
The next day Yeardley was all right &c
gain. He sent for his fiancee and told ar
or that he had decided not to make a :.
I'll before his marriage. He had made 81
vow to leave his property to found an 80
stitution for the study of electricity i
ld' methods to protect human life eA
ON its bolts. in
Clara saw the handwriting on the de
all He had retained sufficient con- pu
iousness TO be aware of her actions co
his presence when she thought him en-
ad. She made no objection to his a
-. .ho 80 hfs frt