Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Signal, 1901-12-26, Page 7.e- ,fin' de+.rit e'4'e'Mwelaeie.. S'e;✓A> irw,, eve' e&e..rr.e ol L The Cherub's Tears A CHRISTMAS STORY 1 knew whin Italph came into ne revel. with that jaunty atop of le. did ruwetbhtg had phvaad him greatly. 11`r haudseemo face war radktut, and tb,w was a happy, hope- ful look in her apart whaleUti burl. ady tw long a (stranger. A letter from Dick Rayner, my boy," h t explained. cheerily, eh, w e: hot to rimed s'hrtmtuanm with hu• peopk.- "If the wwatler s ua l.i enough for hutttlug he oan mount ea, b' ray. aril of We have ea olittnahkeied ruse of l'hrietll►as We eau mhuut. What do you hi„ t do post7" I aumed. mean - :ugly. Ile mewed as be dropped Into my poet airy chair. "011. 1'w going. You may he Fire of tbrt. It will gl10 we, the chance 1 want." •' To Hunte lure to Ruse?" •' Exucely. Ion 7 t.'ry don't t ik h.trbs a tk toe Noon, do yw 414. more th.tn a year. Boehhw. 1 Idvaa1 h ,r before 10 tad. and if I don't lextk alive rola other (chow will tes fllllu` the breach." Yw are right," I saw. " Girls as pretty as Row Ituynur exist !n a per. lnto.al *tate of sage. Until th:y are initiated th•ru 1s- u,w:iyd roueboly • lasorn hole' to ravel. Borakw, !, could have swore that rho liked you i batter than Crowther. But you warn ro cenloua.lexl tau:unite live didn't th.uk it right W make her pretty h4Net'o berh or prem. far baud, or tis unythug to let bar see that you wer. dying tar ha, su Orowtb,r, put. fellow, wotI la a► -outer." •• I haalu't it Leri pedal note in tb world.' rt .slued Ralph tlukindy, 'au.. to what I diti. or, reeler, tilde t do, h obeyed the dictator 01 my aw:lselen::e. .however, those br(efww does ureovsr. and if theme' uo other fellow. u4 tongue won't ba tied thio Cbr►stumre Hurt's right," 1 said. " And 1 1, go, aro. Theis I Wit!! bo on the apo. to pant your buck U you wit." 'flare was very little uduuectee with hatpin Cul -rates love afiair tells. at I did taut. *nano4 tut.( l were fellow stutteutr and gree. chums. Rayner was me of thaw, forwent° individuals who read law merely to enable thew to 1111 the port of uwutry rnuglrtreee credkta bly• ebuaki that boiler tie cu.dcr:.0 epee them. He was called to the liar. and then, except at rare internale, wo saw hiw do maze. Naturally, we rioted Iilm. The ryle d " Yueug Squir' at Laanenw0cxl Amused eo unroll pkaamnter than hanging about the oourtr, and wetting uta stuffy ehaw- io s for laggard brief's. ale, and be- ingRaynor wool us, 1 sap'r a geol. generous' 1 *I ow, he did net, forget us when September ar- n,el. tt UtuwewOol wu wae,r the :.cquakntamue of hid beautiful 'fluter have. Ralph war captivated poor,s held might. bet being very p• himself ■temp tai aleck. 1 fell In lute with her, too, and not exactly 1n _ a mild sort of way, but wlx,:k 1 eon - trusted my squat figure and ugly face with Ilalph'e eplendel frame and reg- ular features. 1 withdrew tutu my sleet. and lopped of( wy faucyet Wines, stud wuglt have saw. us- tlw lloy.o e oho sun--euptum Crowther,- of the .as- off --at least, she appeared to be • and if It were, I confess that the t.,ek would be ppw110(01 In thus cane. latish, 1 Ito lel lned to think, acted rather precipitately. I waa fitting In the smoke meat on the sixth day of ur visit wbeu iie burst lu wildly ex- cited. -Mee' mine, old boy !" he cried, without looking round to see that 1 w;d11 alone. "Hush !" I whispered, for Gribben, the butler, cur on his kneed behind et-reen mnklug up the fire. It had twee emoting Ing hert1 moat of idle mor. - lug, ,dud we had returned early to the Will. "Oh, Gribben doesn't count," re- joined the happy lover, lightly. and, taking it sovereign froom his waist, Jolt pocket, he drew near the screeu. 'You didn't hear anything, did you "" ie went on, bolding the ooln between hie finger and thumb. The butler rase to Ills feet mud leek - rd fits quaetiotier In the face. I must lercrlbe that fellow. He war compnr- ,tively a youug man, about ttllrty- lve, but an old servant -he had been with the I(nynorr In various cape- •Itlee 'amore than twenty year.. In height he stood nearly Rix feet, but Ur bent shoulders made him look sev- ere Melee rlort@@r. Hle face wile ong, h.ilreess, an.rltiwnya very pale. Hts block eyed' were generally reflec- tive, watchful. furtive. They were fleshing now, and his features were livid. "No. dr," he said, or rather limed, 'I'm dent and dump. Speech and hear- ing are no good to a demi that any- body can kink and trample on." And without hen much tai a glance at the sovereign, lie left the room with o coal -scuttle and bengal the door. Ralph whlrtlod. "By Jove!" I saw. "That fellow hater you. I've seen men look like that before -In the dock, after sent- "0oe. "Se have I," rejoined Ralph, "I melt here given him mortal offence, some- how." At thle juncture Diek Itaynor came 0. Hud Ralph turned to him. "I war Jest thinking your butler has mietnken hes willing," he ,alit. 'He ought to have been a trage- i l a n." "'What do you meanr roughed nick. "Har he been showing you rime of hill airs 1" "Ile liar been making n tragic speech; but there, I dare silly some- thing has int hum out. I ought not to have taken any notice of It." "Gribben in a very queer fellow," rejoined Dick. "We can't any of us reckon hum up at times, but he under - elands hie work and keeps the other servants In prime order, •o we bear with hes eoeentrlcltiee." The mutter dropped. That afternoon and evening -I am Dot likely to forget the date; It wet. the L'1m1 of December -a Targe num- ber of gateau, mostly relations of the family. arrived. .omit of them une'c- Jwetettly, I believe. We were decor- ating the armor and ploturOa lu the hall 'with (hotly awl mistletoe after dinner. when Mrs. Itaynor, it honee- wife of the old school, who lett noth- ing entirely to the "art -ante, came with a nn!" book and-oheeked Deg not the sligbteet tattles of us. Uu euterillg the chamber, which was very large, with uu old fewtewu0d fire -place anti a tray window itlaie'l l With dlanicht d-ehapod paver. 1 was luuuedlattly struck by the bedetered. 1t Waal u very old carved oak "(our-psder," with a massive lop which touched the low milling. Thu. NUS rupgorted by four winged uu- gel.. rpluudtdly uaudellud. and 'usury 1lfesaixe. "How beautiful I" I exc'ealueed, "Aral so the. le why they wall it the angel room 7" Ralph did not answer directly. "hook ut the curtheg ao the top," lie Amid, cluruig and lucking the dour. "'lb see It properly you must be down oil the bed." 1 did s o. Over my lwaxl, and gas - Ing down at nue, as It appeurei, were eight winged cherubs, sur- rtuutfluugg uu eye, Itself the deutrs of rays wheat rpraug In every three tluu. The cherub. heads' were tura lad outward.' from the eye, and their winp were half-wpreud. "\1 by," ( cried, "this bed teed meat he worth a little fortune. 1 meter raw etwb spleudld car.iag auy where." 'Look at the cherub singly,' raw Ralph. "Lou't you think two of the faxes are rather rimester 7 f ulnae those over tate pelluw." "They are different, certainly." 1 aurwered. 'Tie sinister expresses' hew rourethbtg to do with the eyes." "1 see. Thu effect bar been to make them look more like eutyrr than cher- ube." t:eerily. Tho artlet never did it. Be• wouldn't rubs hie beautiful work in that freedon. Now. 1 want yuu W Ile- trl to it strange title." 1 law (runt the bed, and, crossing the room, rat dawn uu u vouch weir the window. "That la where I sept. or trled tri -'keep, hart nl,tttt;' Ralph went on. nll.•aUng the couch. "When I came to feed I spent mese time admiring that + parole (Henan of furniture. and after I got between the rheostat I lay on my batik looking up at the cherubs and wondering what such centime would fetch In Wardwr street. I had placed the randlo ort that table" -it table .rood 12iuo W the head of the bed - 'and pulled it near the pillow to light up the figures," "After a while 1 blew out the mend. Ito wee a good boukwg fei,uw, toe. but lie lacked Ralph i Curran 11 furciltatklrl and eloquent tootle.. 1, am pretty euro tent peque had a great tical to do with 1am &teetuing good fortune. No pretty girl, ur plane oto, for that Hatter, liked her ,µharts, W bo (welly r'eeelval, twit she0el encourage Ralph, that I will ho was Ice; and elm, un - u . Rut perceive the teralernear un- der/Mg lar erigiu. .leme:ulor. and never suspecting 'thatpoverty Crowther. p veield him Lack, surrendered lo We left the eaptalu at Daneuwool as happy sr a eucet'hsful lover ought to be. Italph and he rinx,k handy txor sally at parting. 1 "Weal glad to recollect that wl.mt balea. .then a had mouth after the engagement Wee aanaIUOetl, Raynor wrote to ray that. he war dea.1. Ile had died rud- tkuly while pny'ulg lie finesse a visit. Hard .e'rvi'u in Delia had leo durminal his toeetitution, and death lv iulted front failure of the heart's action, iut reaae I by champs of cli matt. Loo t110 water said. .\rue that autumn vol+it Italph rand !1110 Raynor had never met, although 17 loom prom Ind unanimously ate med my (Heal las the looming . and he weal now well up,un the of fortune with as- match work eared for. He would have gone +ee, to Danesowoal and tried his ;;, with a clear 0otwcienee, but he ee sit. Sufficient time had not red. He toted not go without for- , 'Invitation. This Ise had not re - 'e e1. and it was happy. If it trifle on, ts very good of you." he said in to my 'bottle -bider' epeet•h. ' I we go t ia)rrow 7" ughe•l at has eagerness. _w been icy' love. Ir "You have don't believe I have ever so much ne heard i le of the love -god's wings. But es..eser time will cone, and H tor - nail r repent ''N Ply matter be In It. There'' an ex• t 10.:10." 1 staid. And no the On arrivttrw+ Lite gtatbn we found lark Itaynor waiting with n wagon. rote drawn by it will. ce steppers which covered the three tulles to the hill in rather under fifteen minutes leek had int on fI40411 e111o0 we Iasi met and Fole It or 1.5 Mime, Out, tlte eaten weight had not nffeetea hew •tiirlte. llnneewmtt 11aa to n rambling sort of hail ting. 1 don't think it haus any niche int arehltectornl (enter -se though an eyp-rt might say it has it great nanny. 1 nm open t) correction. it _smelter to Inc that every owner during kale or five hnot(rwd 'vistas roast deter bnllt half It ,lot.n room; or e0 (roil his own plate, without the tenet re- gard for Were alrendly exerting. One wing Is of red brat, another of binel beanie and whit, pinater, while the facade between them, whet can bo Rrs•n of It for Ivy. In of .andetnne mnrh for the outside. Within, th• strange? le liable to get oonsder• nhly mixed np 01 her trey to bed Onn etaireame, Indeed, motnte no high d•r thnn the r,•Iling-Inndls to nowhere. in fart. Old Mr. Raynor told me on, day why It had never been pulled down. het the lagena haw eernp•ed inn \TIee rave and her mother were Pt tiding nt the prinelleal door when lie drove np-'t happy augury 10- I: dl,h. 1 thonght, and en It proved let Rove wail not exactly the ell' flower et fifteen menthe before. Her aha, -k. were peter. her eves more ens Inc,., her expreeainn more pensive but 11ne wan not lows benntifnl. In- eper1, ms- 1Meglnetttan rennet pietism the nnrhorlte whose henrt world net beat faster at right of her. Mine (111. 1 know; but, then, i don't prMees t, le an nnelwwlte. This la not a lave story. I hew tint. thank gondest., to ehenek'M went by with hes neck ernnlltg fat' Ra nlph dghe. and dmnwtl nvree, and a venni and tats alas oast down, for pr'OtmtatW, That le not my forte doing inn. "1 thought Meadows had mi.eal- entateel," ehe said. "Who will sleep in thn Angel roam f Some one must." "Here!" creed Italph, reefing his hand, schoolboy fashion. "I've al - ways wanted to boon the side of the angels. The chance is too good to be mi..eed." No one else spoke, wlbdh I should have considered odd hal i giveu the matter et thought. Rose hurried to her mother's side, and whispered sometbing in her ear. I caught the reply, "Nonsense I" Mrs. Raynor turned to the house- keeper. "Have Mr. Curran's things removed, Meadows, plena.," she said We were a merry party that night. k dance eat; ertempor►eed, and we kept It cp to a late, or, rather, an early hepar. I doa't recollect seeing inu(He of itetlph. Mars Ross anti he had worked up the vanlslting trick to a ieg degree of perfection Burt after 1 bad retired to my room I teearl him volrn in the corridor, and it great deal of laughter, and I supposed some of the guests had lost themselves.xr the neat to their chambers, which turned out to be the caste. III. " Ask MI.. BUIDI." JRalpb shook his head. No . 1 11 ark !)kik ea rum M 1 can °aWb him skate. In tb't wuautipu•, not, a wort to a smite 1 have uu wish W be laughed at." " All right," 1 wild. And we wont dowletaire." r 1V. 1a th-, ball we learned that Dick and ba father hitt tarred off tine geutW- wen to a rabbit warren. Thu snow lay too deep til the gruwtd for covert slaw otbig. We followed their trail, which UMW tut WW1 b, missed, across the park, and reached the warrou, a e jh'tlkav pelt of ubtut an enure In ex- tent, Met eta the remits bud gut to work. The rabbles were bolting La every direction. and Dick, standing by If war bla a. fast as bllflre xlllg away he could load. "Where are your guns?" he cried. "At the hall," Ralph answered. "f couldn't 1111 a hayetaek this morning. 1 have lute too great a .taock." "Whet do you uveae T" Dick de- manded, peering lu the rust of insert - Ing a couple of cartrldgee. "1 whit in the anigel room last night." the "So I've Meant. Did you get *hock there T" Raynor asked.. the quieten' In Lir ordinary tune. "I dud," Ralph answered. "What's the. mystery aborti It 1" "A lot dot idle taut. But I settled that rata time age. 1 dept In the angel room three unsettle on end, and nothing happened to rte." "Then something litre happened to somebody T" 1 interrupted. "Well, Crowther died of heart dis- ease to the angel bed', and that's where Melltdew lute Ilia long sleep. There W no doubt that he took an overtb.e Of cl.tasal. and flung the bottle unit of the wend w Into the shrubbery. Then. not liking to con- fess the truth, lie spun that thump- ing yarn to account for Ute close heave he'd had." "What waa the yarn Y" asked Ralph, quietly. Watt half it tnieirte," Dick bowled over a dimple of hunnkw In fine style, cul resumed: "Mellldew Bald the cherubs over her blit meemerised ham. Their eye• biased. He raw lights, hal Heaven know. coat. 1f he'd kept the ab.urd yarn to hlaneelf. YL wouldn't have mattered, but he blabbed tt all over the country. Con - fully iuformsdof the tWyrlbl* sueplchou which Itis keen, kigloal brulu lute wised bold of, so to *peak, 1 marvelled itt lib gaiety that l hastiness 1'.e. At (Ulmer tali wet mud tufa:iloum laugh kept the table lu a roar. Curran cur of Irian descent. and wbeu ho C110/P• he oath] ee us Y10801ou4 00 auy u( that gifted race. In tall t uu that followed a0 war first au remudt. Yet he (ouud time to qu ,u the wervuute aeg oesourlon offer , but lu such uu apparently carele manner that not nue of them .urpected de- sign, much lam that a tragic dlaoov- ery was lwmim:et. 'loon alter deduc- ing had began in the large hall, wbeu nli the committal were present, he eisappettred. 1 guessed that he had taken tate opportunity to explore the old chug, whleh turned out to be the caw Dick Raynor. who at most time, was joviality personified, seemed un- able to overcome the shock the reve- lation had given ham. Ho watched Italph narrowly, and from title to time gneetloned him In n guarded manner, but if the latter had learued anythlug he did not allow her know) edge to transpire. It Is almo.t need- lert to sty that Mose ■uspecte.l no- thing. uthing. It vers plain that ebe had not wlaliet her lover to sleep In the angel room. for obvious reasune Site had been anxious, naturally. bet bad unite regained tier spirits. Her par- ents eine their remaining guest. were ,leo blisseully uuconerclous of the strarge development In the angel room mystery. Of Mellldew's account of her experience In the angel bee, all, or nearly all, of them head heard Hence their Interest in Ralph's slum - hers. Rut tfelRdew'e tele was getter - illy dlacredited. It was amusing. per- heps, but too absurd. When the ladies had retired the gontlemeu gathered in the smoke room for a cigar and ulghtcap. Italph came and sat beside me. "Follow when 1 70," he haw. In a low tone, "but if there Is any one lu the corrldbr don't enter my mora Wait until the coast Is clear. Theta come In very quietly, give the beet a wide berth, and don't speak a word" One after another our companions rose drowsily end left the room When only a few old cronies remain- ed, talking half-forgotten ecendel round the dying fire, Ralph got up and went out. I looked at the clock The (Meowing ns-i,rning I rose pret- ty early, but when I reached the brenkfaset room i Towel thnt Ralph wan before ton. He had the room to hlrneelf. Drawn otxl was Liberty. Rail am regartr the breakfast how. There were on rigid rules. Each guest came town when redly. "Hullo!" I cried. "How did you Move the envie?" It wan a parrot question. I had no Idea why the an- gel room was •0 noosed. "They wouldn't let me sleep," he answered. "After brenk(ast, If you Imre_ hal( an hour to @pare, I want to tell you something. I haven't qutte got over It yet." I noticed that he won looking pale and ttnggerd, but before ore I had time to gwwtion him, the old (quire came ►n." "Well, Curran," saki .be, "how did you Bleep r' "Pretty well, lhnnk you," was the nnewer, which was n direct contra- dlctl n to Me reply to MP. The next to pot In an appearance ream. an ulderlY.gegtiemnn whnm MIs@ Raynor /01(1010/110r1 RR "Unele lieerge. i have forgotten tale surname, but I remember that he wen a pdyoctlll- CIS ell fellow. "(iota.', nwwniag, Mr. Curran." he ex- e1nsrrxsl. "How did pet eliep ?" Ralph Metes! ke-,l up In .urprive. Po del 1. It etrack me that aemeth{ng lay behind these "slumber" qi wetirms, eo, to cull them, and Italia ee'med to tutee cone to the name c.vnelalskm. "Very well. indeed, thnnk you!"' he atnrwcrat, almost abruptly. it wan oil, or rather, it wasn't odd In the light of after rnvel'Hone, tart at lest a toren of the gneute 1#et1 the same question, not, of coriree. In the mere form. etre. Ray - or, for Indeed!, dearer' to know whether Ralph had been dieter -tea Rowe, who came Into the rvxxn with her mother,'merely Holl "Goal morn• irrg." She evidently had not shpt well. There were dark ringe roiled her eyes and the feint pink of her eheeke had dlaapfoPnred. Being remitter with Ralph's every, mod. 1 mull tell from hi -t 'Hoorn. and rompreeneel lips that something had putt him out, end that each rne- r'ewoIvP quentlen Increased him ringer. 1 had net long to wait for an ex - plane time. "Come np to my t'o,vm," he wild, when the etreggling breakfast wax /Veer. 1 fo110we41 him nt neer. in the enr• Odor which led to the °lariat part if the house we met Gribben. tin ST. NICHOLAS, PATRON SAINT OF CHILDHOOD. the bol head. Drip! the drops of water were falling at regular Inter ' vale. Smell the pillow." he murmured. • It was unuax'oeenry. A pt•culair pun- gent odor, not unpluasiug, was very pereeptlble. "What Ir it?"' I asked. "The cherub's tears," he answered, I "It et waeplug chloroform. Crow- ther died of (allure of the heart's meths', they mild. We elute roe." attune, and then common mase would sly that I fell nsleep and began to Jrram. I felt almost certain that this waw 00 until the people came down to breakfast and asked the same ques- tion with such extraordinary unan- Imtty. Nov I cnn't make up my mind. Anyway, 1 heard n slight noise. ov'er- hrnd. or I thought 1 did, and two of the model) cherubs haat over my head ram.' to life—" I could not forbear emitting. '1'a' were certainly dreaming, my deer fellow: f interrupted. ' "1 am not so sure of that. When I sly they enme. to life, I mean that their eyes gleamed and their falces were Illumined. Not both at once. The leered, to the right Hort woke up that tv, two rays of palm light +trammed downwar'le from Its eyes, or, rather, the holes where the eyes ought to be. I felt the ray on my face. They went reit.. and in about a minute adn/1lar ebnfte of light etrettru d from the cherub oq_ihe left. Dented old. weren't it fTM - " I've had more unpleasant night. melee." Ienid. I Aare any. 8a h'tvn T," rejoined Rittph. idle. "Well. them Ilghte went out In n few ermnla, rind I lay 0111 trying to dtnmver whither I wit wake or In the land of dreams. i knew i Idnrhnd MT arm -nod felt the Iroln. Penitently I hen nl the rustling 'gain, and Immediately afterwards a drop of water fell on toy cheek. I not only felt, it, but heart It. 1 put my hand to my face immediately. Ther -nm.' another droop on my hand. 1' waw exnrtl,v an if no' of the chernhe were warping, Haul Ito tapes were fall 'ng upon me. I jumped out of bred, atruk it match, and lit the candles. My check and hand were wet, hut here waw nothing more to be seen no water on the pillow -nothing at -all. cherub had snddeniy reamed to weep. 1 :Tent the remainder of the night OD that maeh, but I never Ansel my epic. Now, whit do you think of It all?" "I hVP told yon." I Answered. 'Very 1'kely you did grit out of beef ani light the (armee. Somnambulists' nften iin Nt h ih`.rogw "1 nelm't that.. in Fant, It dxcnrred to me. Tint why should everybnrly wind to know if 1 heel slept well' They made me very envie. if there in any mystery nbut that hest 1 ought. to h^ :.• here. told of It. i or n't t. strike yon that there U wvmathing, and that it u perfectly well known Ito diet family 7" • " It doM look like that," I answered. found the idiot 1" He pretended to be in love with Rose, but he has never been near the place since his long sleep. Nobility wants hum of couree. Rose detests the fellow." "If I told you a similar yarn," said Ralph, "would you say that .I am an idiot T" "You!" Dick's Jovial face had snd- deoly become grave. "No. You don't mean to say thnt you've seen Itghte?" "I have." "What ! fihining In the cheruh's eyes 7" Precisely." Dick allowed the butt of hie gun to fall :oto tho.enow. "Great Heaven! Then there's some- thbg In it ?" • Yes, beyond: tionbt." Ralph re- plied. "What's this about a long sleep 7" Mcliidew didn't Dome down to brenkfnet, and the chanlbermald couldn't wake him hear. The gov- .erense went epsrtwlrs and found hie. as sound es a church. We foul.in't wake him, ani ler. Grey was sent tor. ile Bald Mellidew hail been tak- ing an overdone of chloral. nal might never wake again ,n this world. it wnw touch and go, i be - II him d Intlieveo In bat the afterbroutxxn.ht 1fe eawo'eroulne had token nothing: het 1. for one. didn't believe him. It begins to Ipok very mysterl.nes." "Very," Italph rejoined. "Will you leave the tank of unravelling the mystery to MP." i shall only be too glad. my dear fellow." Then don't let it word of thin PR - cape you. To -night will be ('hila• TAR F:vr, 1 And sleep In the an gel mom. and If the cherubs ^henee to wake to life again. 1 altall be preen reef.'• "What do you enuuprr.t ?" T nuked, when he had left Dick to elntlghter the rnhhits with as much energy as he could command. "1 hardly krinw. Murder, perhnpe," sold Italph. "1 have an idea, which 1 had rather not nay anything nevelt at prv.went. i nrppxwe 7041 wtwlldn't earn to mem the night in the ITS l - gel r,nm with me?" "i don't mine," 1 .nld. " 1 rhnnld rather like It." "Then you *hall. Rn Il settle the details inter" in the rnlnnhle art of enneenling hie feelings ('nrrn.n ware an adept. Partly thin wnw n natural gift. and pertly training. Afterwards, when I could not reply. l w•ae devoid by the awful thought* tiiat flashed' into my brain. t'rowther, Mellldew, and riow Italph Curran -all three 'tow's 'overs. Who multi the dilatorily aeras - lain bel And what his motive? Drip! Ralph moved. 1 heard his finger gropoltlg over the table, 11u.1 gummed he wee seeking Ute revolver. "All right." he whispered. "home ROW." We foundthe door,which Ralph opened notselnae:y, and Entered tate corridor, lit ny an unturtalned wiu- ibw. My competition led the way to t etnlrcare, Amending warily, wo retched another uuoarpeted corrhitr, but our stockinged feet made nu sound. At the first emu, lntneslintely above the angel room, Ralph paused. "It's sure to be locked," he mur- mured, "Listen." I obeyed, but heard nothing. Ralph ■tepped back to the opposite well amu braced himself up. "Look out," he wild, and rushed to the .boor. There wail a crush. The lock gave way. Next Instant we were both In the room. "11 you move an inch, you're a art ad never cried my cowpnnton, cov- ering the butler Gribben, who was on his knee Weide an opeu trap to the floor. I shalt never forget the fellow's flee, seen In the pule green light from a bull's-eye lantern, which Mood iin t chair close by. It wan horrible, ghastly, the chin drooping in rudder' .ear, the white teeth gleaming; but the wretched m'us's terror gave of ice to defiance while we gated. Towing heck the stinky locks which h id fallen over Itis eyes, he gnashed Ida teeth and glared like a wild cat r•,nght In a trap. e "Shextt--shoot !" he panted. "Kull me ! I'd Inve killed yoa. If you'd giv- en inc time dike I killed Captain Crowther, like I'd have killed [lir. Mellddew if 11e hadn't took warning. Kill Rae anti then marry her. The thngfhta o1 It woe't torture nue when I'm .lead !" Italph about with snakiest emotion. But hie voice war calm. "You're mad !" he said. "Mad! ha, ha, ha 1" It was the laugh of a maniac, beyond doubt. 'I've been mail this eight y'eara, anew 01000 she came home 1ruan school -maul of hopeless hoe t What .10 you ewelle klivW about love ? I'd have worshipped her. I've dune It- .lown on my knees, when she didn't knew. Willie I cooed clo that and wee her twenty tlmoa a My, I didn't caro. Captain Crowther wanted to take her away. I killed hint for It. Nobody found me tut -nobody res- pected. It I'm mad, I'm conning; and me ptrdll tale some beatlag-ha, ha -' Soddenly checking himself to the midst of hie wild laughter, he be- came silent ; his chin dropped on hes cleat avail, and the next moment lie was lying lu a heap on the flour: No ooe Dame to see wheat the up- roar war about ; nubtely beard It. A footman slept to that laodlnt, but he h:ut gone to bed very tired. Cer- tainly ire mast have slumbered lake a dead mn.n, or the noise would have roused hint It was a quarter past two. At seven- teen minutes past the hour I follow- ed him. V. Slipping off my shoes on the stairs, I made my way alongethe corridors to the okl wing, meeting no one. The door of the angel room I found half open. Entering nottele.sly, I cruse - ed to the sofa near the window and hootspeaking, oloeed the doer px g, proceeded to exchange his dress clothes far pyjn- man. The candle was burning on the little table previously inentlonol. A revolver lay beelde it. Presently he got into bed and extinguielred the light. Five minutes 'afterwards Ire was snoring, bet very wide awake, nevertheless. — --` Stretching myself on the sofa, I lay with eyes turned In his direction. The room was very dark, but the blind being slightly awry, it sl. rider beam of starlight was able to enter. IF-icil"&eroeri''tf►e nugele wt `,tie bed- foot, all revealed there dimly. Half - an -hour pursed. It wan weary work, watching, after such n tiring day, and 1 hall great diffienity hr keep- ing my eyes olden. Their 11ds felt ns- if heavy weights were pren.ing them down. Ralph found a rope -a box -Cord - end trusteed the wretch hand nod foot while 1 held the lantern, and we ex- amined the true -fon, hidden by the test and a strip of carpet except when a'rowtlter'r murderer wee putting Ido hideout" plan in operation. The ceiling of- the ro ow below had been cut :sway, and hokw bored from under- neath through the cherub'. ryes. In n hollow cut In the top of the bete :stead lay a medicine bottle half full of chloroform. It was corked, butthe cork had it groove In it through which the annewthette old escape drop by tdi��eeoopp flour holes had been bored. and after experiments proved that unless thnlvictlm's Iwai lay at the extreme of the pillow on either tide, the chloroform could be dropped cline to his nose through ono or other of the hole.. The lantern was n0 doubt need to ascertain the sleeper's exact p. eitiou. The poljWbllity that Its bene would awaken him had apparently been overlooked. Locking the door on our prisoner we returned to the angel room t, await the dawn. Ralph was very thoughtful and silent. "Thin affair mist bit hushed up. If porealble," he said, at length. "The man haw probably been inane for yearn, hnt the scandalmongers would not talk leen for that r.vnenn. in trey case, Rose must not be told.' I agreed, pleiging myself to aro. rr-cy. Immeetl*tely after brenkfart, mfr. Raynor, Dick, Ralph and I held a consultation in the Ilbrary, while the church bell,, were ringing ort their menage of "Peace on earth. Goodwill to men." In coneeenenee two doctors were privately gunmen - ed. After the prisoner had been ee- amined and certified insane, he was taken au quietly as possible to an aeyinm. Aeltly 1h. Niger 1. Sleeping. Softly the nliLt is •10•01.60 Go Sri (labra. • yes. ere' 111 t Silent tae •hmshe d. ranching. The gentle flacks are Mills But hark ' Ilie wondrow suel0 4'rib tram the eeeeler .k7 • Valley and cliff rreo*o Ulury le tend on blah I ('borue- Uloay to God, glory to (les. Glory w Uod ! it rings egala, 1'aoe on earth, good will to ones. Day In the Cast is breaking : Mir oer the enmsunsd earth New the glad world a waking. Glad In at. Saviour's berth Bee where the clear sky Wodet.k Over the manger blest ; See where the infant Jesus bustle. upon Mary's beast! Co • with abs sladewm. llep heed . Quick hMleolug from the fold ; Come with the wire men pouring 'uremia and myrrh and gel.L Come to /Out poor and lowly ♦ruuud the cradle throng ; Come with your hearts et pusadee, And situ the angers song eavr y• the wreaths un iediag, The dr tree sad the pia.; Oren from the snows et whits, To dock the holy shrine; Drina ye the happy childr.e: Por this t• Christmas morn i Jeeua the sliders Infant. Jesus, the lord I. burs. +++++++++++++++++++i•+d►+•+• $ THE OLD CHRISTMAS i waw on the point of giving np the etruggln to keep awake when 11 114 6104 overhead rousted rhe again to watch fulness. it was as if n heavy pldee of furniture were being cautiouay invest over a earpeteil floor. This ceased. A faint creaking notal fol• lowed(. Next moment two row. of pale green Lght, stretching from the eeri- er' top of thn bedstead to the pillow. revealed Ralph's, face. 1 sat up, .trangely excited and trembling. but Ralph never nosed. flux eyes were (dowel, and his reaptration WAR per (treaty regular. He had nerves of seer'. The Ilght's went out it. an,klrnly nm they had appeared. A rimed had evi- dently plowed before tate stare, for the darkness' wits ntter. straining my syn., but all In vain, I flattened In- tently. Drip I The sound WAS nnml.taknble. it was n drop of water failing on Ralph'. pillow. A few Rsweonde penned Then ngnin-Tlrlp, another had fallen Next 1 heard it mottling. Relph woe getting ort of he(. A moment niter wanly he stoat Motile my renrh. "Are pont awake f' no whimpered. "Yee." f Raid, under tby breath. Come with me." Taking my arm he guided me to $ SPIRIT SURVIVES. N But is old, old, geed old Chrietenas gone? Nothing but the hair of his geed, grey old head and t•eetrd left T Weil, I will have that, .eetug dant I cannot lutve more of him 1" t+t asks the old C1lristmas-play, written and spoken, whde yet Christ - Mae cIMP with boisterous merriment; when the Yule -log burned bright, and the roasted boar's head with a rosy apple In the snout, was carried 'deeming and hot into the feast ; when men laughed hard, sang loud and drank deep. Anti so asks wo all, as we look back to 1.110 Chrlatmus wo knew -not 00 many years since, ad tate world goer -et l'hrtetmur that brought with hum what marvellous gifts and what wonderful reaming, and cheer and happiness for all the world. And Is he gone? What tame cele- brations the world has In these dtayr ! Nothing but the hair of his old bead and beard lett ; the 'precious emile, the sparkling eye, the rosy cheek of the Christmas we knew -where are they 7 A troop of children come bounding into the roam. Little tongues run fast, little eyes sparkle, and little joys -bug as the world -are sbowere.l all about. flow pike the oto Chrlst- meaa! Maybe lee is not 7000 after all I- May be here L the gracious mule, the sparkling eye, the rosy check we have missed. The grown- up people of the earth usurp so many Of oar■ gifts, that it may be that Father ('hrlatmn@, bent upon giving the little ones their just compensa- tion, has reserved blasted( for them and them alone, and we can only leek on, and enjoy ham to memory. But no! an, the little ones come with their tale. of Christmas, we, too, catch something of the time Chi-letmon ; the sparkle and the glow comp back, and wonderful to relete, the old Christmas, alive and powerful, with hb peace on earth, hie good will to all mankind, 1s with un once again, aud once more do we realise that unless we become as little children, wo cannot know, not only the joy of heaven, but not even the highest joys Of earth. No, no ! Chrmas 1. not gone. Be- littled the grey old beard there Is room for the vitality of old, but wo mist put It there. We must animate the dead bones; we must give It life and being, The Christmas ipirlt-like all good -comes from within. It is still here -if we hate It within ua • • • 1* • UNPUBLISHED POEM BY BURNS.... From \I.rmIllnn'. Mngnzlna l , • • . Those gargle who brommn aware lhnt something unusual had trans- feral were Informed thnt the better hail been suddenly misled with einem. There wan no break In the feativl• tier, though Ralph's preoccupation brought it great deal of chaff npnn tale head, and Mrs. Raynor declared that she ootid not tell what 1104(1 happened to her husband and Dick. Ultimately _.lune-attielattefl their gloom to the heavy snowfall, which made every form of outdoor almise- ineut almost Impossible. Captain Crowther'', eonfeesed mur- derer never recovered. He wan n iteeeleef-ease genal lie rid;" "it- died la the asylum. 130 -far ns 1 know, Mrs. Curran la an Ignornut of the real 1ncte now it. she wan dur- 'wit- tine►{ meMorrvlbt, _-F.ItrlstMas Ralph might have told her. but It would be very unlike him to do s0 There are some secrete which n hus- band' elemild not ennihle ifci-itii wife. And the expinn;ttion of the mystery of the cherub's tears as one of then One (Ir.nt i:Ift. "And whnt w111 you give me for Clri.tmae 7"- A nd I tell her : "Ml dear gift% above, 111 give yon -let's see: All the Metres of me, And milllone-hint millions of Love!' But she says -hurt the best and the brighter* of girl's - "Fee got thnt already 1" -and shaken her bright curls. 11. "1!o what will you give me for Christman?" And the gifts of the world i recnll. Ami nih-er and gold, Ana bright enters are told, Rut Love shines the brightest of n111 Anil my Tittle one egtilee, and she knows love 1. best, And I kise her and fold her In f oee to ref arise! 11ic following verses were recently found amo0C some papers belonging to the late Mrs. Berringten, who died in 1885. During a great part u[ her life Mrw. 1) rrlagtuo itcc•l.11 illlonmouthelere, at no great die - tenni) from Itton Court, the !tome of Mee. Currie to whom. accord - Ing to the indorsement on the man- uw'ript. the verses were addressed by Burns. Mrs. (,erre, who died 1n 182a. was the daughter of 'John Rushby, Esq., of 1Inwald [owns, In 1►unttrieshlre. llhe copy from which the verses are printed Is in the handwriting of the late Miss 1 1 ea Waddington, whose faintly alta Ilv- art In Monmouthshire. It le hoped that the present publication may lead to the discovery of the orlgl- nal manuo rept. 011 look na, young Lassie, sae soft- ly anal sweetly! Oh smile na, young Lassie, s. sweetly on nye! Xlicr'r naught wrier', to hear tha' the mild glance of pity When grief ■wens the heart and the tear blind the o'e. Just rueh ons the glance of my '-ten^le it hnMay, -lest such was-ibs-gleam thee once brightened her e'e. But lues Is the smile sae impressed 0n my fancy, Anil' call le tree heart that 11411 Clear was to Me. likes wee tlow'ret we grieve to see blighted, I-.nW'rttle; and With'ring in front hipper plain The neat turn of Spring ehall ntvau- ken their beauty, But neer can tiering wnuken my Nancy again. And wan she lem fair than the [low'rn of the garden Wan she Ines sweet than the blos- som.' of May 7 Oh, wad ha her cheek like the roe' and the lily, Like the limes waving glance at the elo*Ing o' day 7 And oh Mc it heart, sae gu.le and son limier 1 Weel was It fittal for beauty este leaf ; 'lwae as pure en the drop in the bell n' the lily, A wee glinting gem we nought to eneeal. But tnhe blush ant the etude and the dlnrk Wes' mrd glntten.. I prize! them the tweet, they were levee kin l return, Yet tar less the lone of sic beauty lamen, "lwas thetedInve that she tors in. that gives me to mourn.