Year: 1872

ItuAta NIoh tue rpttu VI hln NaIilhEtt :
his discovery, fight, annihilation. depend.
cd upon the speed Of the boy.


He thrust his head out Of the window
to beg for harder driving, more haste,
and aud more.


going faster. a.. horses
slackened. The distance was much smaller
than the curate had supposed. The
arrived. lie burst of the door in fever,
TO ask why they had stopped.


lie found himself before the rector's
house, which still had the same lights in
the window.


lie looked about him en- all sides /;
there was no yestige Of the boy, aud h,
became calm, thus imply NO that he Lad
half expected TO find some trace Of him OF
his secret.


lie revolved his affairs in his mind, and
counted altogether upon one circumstance
namely, that the boy had not arrived.


lie was cool; he had arranged plan.
a series of ialsehoods, by which the rect
would not, in honor, read his own letter.


He passed up the path and the steps
lie halted again to survey the place, and
to rehearse his form Of language. He
had a key TO the door, with which
he had been provided, in order to
reach the rcctOr's study, which was in the
house.


lie opened the door and went in.
was saluted by licate peri ME f
flowers which came fome a silver va
the hallway.


The usual flush Of light descendedfrom a
Chinese lantern attached to the ceiling.
The furniture of the place was changed !;
every thing was tranquil, not a sound was
to be heard. He could not s~c rough
cap upon the table, nor a suggestion of
disturbance in anything, and he, there
fore, felt doubly assured.


To the left was the room in which he
would find the rector lie was probably
studying, while his daughter sat beside
him sewing, and perhaps singing soft to
herself.


He entered the room with a bold air.
His eye at once fell upon the rough cap
he had looked for in the entry. 1t lay III
a heap on the blue top Of writing-case.


He was lost


He advanced a few steps and thel
stood still. The rector was standing up
right on the left Of the fireplace, looking
down with averted face; he carried his
hands behind him, and his attitude ex-
pressed the utmost sorrow.


His daughter stood opposite. Her face
was turned toward the curate, but her lips
were closed. She could not but be in
credulous, and her eyes glowed with pity
and affection.


The curate fixed his eye on the occu-
pant of an armchair. The boy uneasily
turned his head away, and placed his hand
upon the cheek next the cul prit.


A sharp flash of light broke upon the
sight Of the curate. He followed it and
and saw the ring lying upon the table
beside sheet of rumped paper which
was the slaters letter.


The rector raised his hand and silently
pointed il out, and then stepped in closer
to the fire, and hung his gray head upon
his breast.


The curate took up the paper with
bloodess fingers, and read it word by
word:


Ito THE RECToR


81 am a man employed 10 mend the
steeple Of the church. | know you by
sight and kindness, and | know your
daughter also. | know the curate.
[ know he will be the husband of the
lady. | once had bad wife, and | know
what bad husband is. Do you under
stand? Think of this, and it will pre-
pared you for the story | must tell.


al saw the curate steal money from the
poor-box in the organ-loft when | was
coming down from the steeple. This
was to-day at four o'clock in the after
noon. Charge him with it, and the
wretch will not deny it. Do not let him
cheat you, for he will try; saw him in
plain light Of the sun.


Perhaps | am meddling, but | will
take the blame OF q meddler to keep him
from bringing shame home to you. tell
you he is mean thief, and he stole
from the poor! am known in L..


Informed by


"JAooB SMITH"


A thief!


The curate returned the paper careful
ly to the table.


All was silence. Not breath, not a
rustic, not movement. even the flames
ceased. Pretty soon coal fell upon the
fender and broke to pieces. The hand oi
the good rector sought his chin to quie,
his trembling lips.


A prolonged sob came from the breas
of the beautiful girl.


The boy watched the curate, bat sale
nothing, gave no warning, made no alarm
A moment after slight click Of the outel
lock aroused the attention Of the two weep
ing people. They looked up. They wer,
alone with the boy, for the curate hac
disappeared.


The rector fell into a chair, PROSTATE,
with grief; he was unable to do anythin,
but to compare the eurate of yesterda,
with the curate Of to-day, and to sinl
under the exposal


The daughter was aroused. Love sur
mounted the disgrace and overlooked tn
crime.


For moment she actually looked upo
! the shrinking boy with the eyes of
tigress; then her glance fell upon he
crushed father. She remembered that h
was rector, and that they lived unde