Year: 1875

away aSalu Will IeelluSe Ih"C Soti oaiJ w
imagined by those who, after days of intense
anxiety and almost despair, suddenly see relief
and hope spring up into view. When he was
fairly out of 81 ght, she flung herself upon her
knees, and poured her full heart out in fer
vent thanksgiving for the mercy thus vouch'
safed her. 1t was true, she had no positive
assurance that her letter would ever reach its
destination, or that she could rely on the 6del-
ity fthe bearer, whom providence had thrown
in her way. But she certainly had strong
ground for hope, and the revulsion of feeling
was 80 great as for the time, nearly to over
whelm. She recollected the necessity, howev-
er, of concealing her agitation, and appearing
as calm and composed as usual to Mrs. Brod-
erick's prying eyes and when that worthy
lady appeared, shortly after dark, with cup
of tea and a slice of bread for her supper, she
so far succeeded in suppressing all outward
signs of the excitement she felt, as to create
no suspicion, in her jailer's breast, OF any
thing unusual having occurred.


She noticed that Mrs. Broderick's counte-
nance wore an uncommonly satisfied express
sion, and that she looked at her, as she set
down her plate and cup, with an air of tri-
umph, as if something particularly pleasant
had happened, or was in prospect. She was
too much engaged, however, with the thought
of her own piece of good fortune, to concern
herself about those tokens of complacency,
which BODIED her no good.


81 hope" said her cousin, as she was leav-
ing the room, "that you will have good
nights rest Tomorrow you will probably
be removed to more comfortable quarters


Alice meditated on this speech, when she
was left alone, with some renewal Of her ap-
preheusons. What was the next movement
contemplated by her prosecutors? Nothing
prompted by goodwill, she felt sure; and
gloom and confined as her present quarters
were, she would have preferred the prospect
of being left there in undisturbed quiet, to
that of change which would probably only
increase her unhappiness.


"Perhaps," she reflected with a shudder,
"they have fixed upon tomorrow as the day
on which am to be forced into that hateful
marriage Well, let them try! They can't
marry me against my wilt will be impos'
sible. If say no instead of yes, no minister
will dare to 60 on. Everybody can't be as
wicked as they are surely some one will help
me when tell them my story"


Z
knew of the artfuness of the plot which had
been laid to entrap her, or of the foresight
exercised by her jailers in guarding against the
possibility of any one affording her the help
she hoped to obtain.


Before she lay down to rest that night she
offered up more earnest prayer than usual
for protection and deliverance and fell at last
into as untroubled sleep as if she was in a
safe and happy home, instead of being encom-
passed by "many and great dangers


She was awakened by bright light shining
into her room and starting confusedly up,
she soon became aware, from the red glow
which illuminated the walls, that there must
be fire in close proximity to the house.


on chair by the window, raised the sash and
looked out. She could not see the flames, but
the same red glow was shed over everything
in sight, and presently volume of smoke
was seen to burst forth from the window Of a
small she,l-room adjoining the kitchen. She
had no doubt that the fire must be in that
portion of the building, and wondered at the
silence which prevailed below, which seemed
to indicate that the other occupants of the
house we're not aware of their danger.


AS she could not get out of her room, she
commenced stamping and beating on the floor,
and against her door, and crying aloud to
rouse them. At length she heard their voices,
and the sound of hurrying footsteps, in the
rooms below; but no one came upstairs.
Tongues of flame were now shooting out of the
window whence the smoke had first issued;
and as she watched the evidently increasing
conhagration, feeling Of terror thrilled her
mind with the thought that they might not
remember to unlock her door, but leave her
there, helpless prisoner, to run the risk OF
horrible death.


Suddenly en- idea flashed into her brain.
What if she should try to make her escape
out of the window, by means Of the bough of
that old tree, which waved within her reach
Strange that she had never thought of it be.
fore She looked out and shuddered-it
would be fearful venture, but she might sue
ceed. If she failed She looked down at
the fearful distance, and felt that in case of a
fall, from such height, she must inevitably
perish Her room was becoming sufocating-
ly hot She touched the wall, and it burnt
her tender hand. Good heavens! were her
captors fends in human shape, that they made
no effort to release her? Then the thought
occurred to her that this might be her best,
her only opportunity for effecting an escape.
If once safely descended, she could, in the
present hurry and confusion, easily elude their
vigilance, and fly. But to descend Again
she measured, with her eye, her chances of
safety-and determined, at all hazards, to try
her fate.


The end of the bough was easily reached,
but it looked dry and weak, and she feared it
would not bear her weight. A little, just a
little farther down, there was short, thick,
knotted branch if she could get hold of that
she thought she would be safe She was a
fearless, hardy climber, and, as child, had
often fallen into disgrace with her aunt for the
rents in her frocks and aprons, resulting from
the pursuit of this style of amusement. Her
past experience might serve her in good stead
now. She leaned out and grasped the dry
bough, not trusting herself to look down.
Her only chance was to seat herself on the
window-sill, with her feet outward, and then
gradually swing herself down, grasping her
support, as far from its extremity as she dared
to reach. This she now proceeded to do.
Very cautiously she placed herself in the
requisite position-no easy matter to do, for
the sash was so low that she was forced to
bend her head to escape touching it, and the
window-ledge barely wide enough to afford
her seat Holding firmly with one hand to
the frame of the window, she leaned forward
She could all but touch the strong branch she
wanted to reach. A little farther, and she
grasped it-but in the effort she lost her bal
ance. Her head seemed to swim as she felt