Infelice

found the intense heat almost unendurable watched with delight the sl

that the store of heat in the sun must be finally exhausted." Certainly to those who had fanned themselves through the tedious torture long remembered as the "hot Sunday," the science-predicted period of returning glaciers and polar snows where palms and lemons now hold sway, seemed even more distant than the epoch suggested by the speculative. In proportion to the elevation of the mercurial vein which mounted to a

tempts of the mother to drive back tears, compose fluttering lips, and steady the tones of her usually cheerful voice. For several days previous

end of the north verandah, and with intuitive delicacy, Regina shr

down a walk bordered with ancient cedars, which led to

nward. An avenue of noble elms led from the iron gate to the broad stone steps; and on either side and behind the church swelled the lines of mounds, some white with marble, some green with turf, now and then a heap of mossy shells-not a few gay with flowers-all scrupulously free from weeds, and those most melancholy symptoms of neglect, which even in public

the dead,-who, in hurrying along the broad and beautiful avenues thronged with noisy groups of chattering pedestrians, and with gay equipages that render the name "City of silence" a misnomer, converting it into a quasi Festa ground, a scene for subdued Sunday Fête Champêtre,-who, passing from

ancel we shall one day be softly and slowly borne away to our last, long sleep? Why not lay us down to rest, where the organ that pealed at our wedding and sobbed its requiem over our senseless clay may still breathe its loving dirges across our graves in winter's leaden storms, or in fragrant amber-aired summer days? Would worldly vampires, such as political or fi

e open windows where butterflies like happy souls flutter in and out the motionless chiselled cenotaph that rests like a sentinel above the pulseless heart that once enshrined her image, called her wife, and beat in changeless devotion against her own; or the little grassy billow sown thick wit

a favourite retreat with Regina, and, divesting the graves of all superstitious terrors, had

unconscious homage to its hallowed and soothing influence. Passing slowly and carefully among the head-stones, she went into the church, to which she

ed toward the mass of trees which so completely embowered the parsonage, that only one ivy-crowned chimney was visible. Low in the sky, and just opposite the tall arched window behind the pulpit,

distant clouds? Do not our own highly charged nervous batteries occasionally give the first premonition of coming thunderstorms? Long before the low angry growl tha

parsonage was derived from the sunny presence and sympathizing companionship

his seniority, and treated him with the quiet affectionate freedom which she would have indulged toward a young brother. Next to the memory of her mother, she probably gave him the warmest place in her heart, b

and dreary. The blazing sun went down at last, the fiery radiance of the pulpit window faded, and the birds that frequented the quiet sheltered enclosure sought their perches in the thickest foliage where they were wont to sleep. But there was no abatement of the heat. The air was sulphurous, and its inspiration was about as refreshing as a draught from Phlegethon; while the distant occasional growl had grown into a frequent thunderous muttering that deepened with every repetition, and already bega

y pale, but bravely fighting this her first great battle with sorrow. Her face was eloq

were lost in the pallor of her rounded cheek and dimpled chin. "Going away to India;" like some fateful rune presaging dire di

imultaneously Regina heard the sound of footsteps on the gravel outsid

eat me out of my share of the profit. But I have watched and waited, and bi

many years, when you might have turned it into gold. The o

ed tones with a middle-aged man, whose flushed and rather bloated face still retained traces of having once been, though in a coarse style, handsome. In length of limb, and compact muscular development he appeared an athlete, a very son of Anak;

and stretched out his hand,

own into the sea to cool off; and if I have changed its hiding-place once, I have twenty times. If the old General doesn't pay well for it, I shall gnaw off my fingers, on account of the sin it has cost me. I was an honest woman and could have faced the world until that night-so many ye

all, what is your bit of petit larceny, your thin slice of theft, in comparison with my black work? But really

as I do small-pox or cholera. A pretty life you have led, dancing after

alked; I always loved her, and she was fond of me, until that college dandy came between us, and made a fool of her, a villain of me. When she forsook me, and followed him off, I swore I would be revenged. There is tiger blood in me, and when I am thoroughly stirred up I never cool. It

s are always sent to a lawyer in New York, who directs them to her. I

you pump

ron, and pumped. She is closer than sealing wax, and shrewder than a serpent. If you pumped h

is the

ed here, amo

dampness will destroy it? Psha

wiser at your age than you will be at mine. The paper was safe and sound when I looked at it

e it? Suppose

rust. I never was afraid of the devil until my sin brought me close to him. I want to finish this business, and before day to-morrow I will come over here and dig up my box. There will be dim moonlight by three o'clock, and if it should be cloudy, I can shut my eyes and find the place. I tell you, Peleg, I am sick and tired of this dirty work; and sometimes I think I am no better than a hyena prowling among dead men's bones. Come around to the cowshed in the morning, about seven o'clock, when the fam

sibly can be. I should like to see the child, Minnie's child; but I might

d two monuments; a marble angel with expanded wings standing above a child's grave, and a broken column wreathed with sculptured ivy, placed on a mound covered with grass. Just behind the former and close to the railing, ro

everal moments, at the lush green creepers, then s

ar that tree the paper was secreted; and she was painfully puzzle

r beautiful proud mother! There must be some dreadful mistake. Somebody is wrong; but not mother,-no, no-never my mother! Once she wrote that she was forced to keep some things secret, because she had bitter enemies; and this man must be one of them, for he said he would hunt her down. But

so hallowed in her estimation, and this vague threatening of danger to her mother sufficed fo

ed at the discovery of her complicity in a scheme which she admitted had made her dishonest. Only two days before she had heard Mrs. Lindsay lamenting that misfortunes never came single, for as if Douglass's dep

r her resolution. But she obstinately maintained that she was "a worn-out old horse, who ought to be turned out to pasture in peace the rest of her days;" ye

ection with the parsonage, and no matter whom else she might have wronged, Hannah had faithfully served the pastor, and repaid his kindness by devotion to his domestic interests. Regina's nature was

ed white aprons, which the same skilful hands had surreptitiously washed and fluted before the regular day for commencing the laundry work, all of which now made clamorous and desperate demands on the girl's gratitude and leniency. So complete had been her trust in Hannah that

at I accidentally overheard? If I only knew 'Minnie' meant mother, I could be sure this paper did not refer to Mr. Hargrove, and then I sho

gloom that since she last looked out had settled like a pall over th

roaring of a vast flood broke the prophetic silence, then a blinding lurid flash seemed to wrap everything in flame; there was simultaneously an awful detonating crash, as

as if they were mere reeds, and shook the stone chur

failed to find it, and rolled helplessly to the floor of the vestibule. Stunned and mute with terror, she attempted to rise, but her left foot, crushed under her in the fall, refused to serve her, and with a desperate instinct of faith she crawled throu

of Christ, as, looking down in benediction, He soared away heavenward; and above the howling of the hurricane rose her cry to H

newal of elemental strife, amid deafening peals if thunder and the unearthly glare that preceded each reverberation, there came other sounds

ched fingers; the other, a supernatural wail that came down from the gallery, and that even then she knew was born in the organ. Was it the weird fingering of the sacrilegious cyclone that concentrated

ntil now, began to bark violently, left her side, and ran to and fro, now and then uttering a peculiar sound, which with him always indicated delight. His subtle instinct was stronger than her hope, and as she raised herself into a sitting posture

ack! Hero, don't le

as illumined with a lurid glory that seemed to scorch the eyeballs with its intolerable

the plastering in the gallery had fallen, though the tremendous crash portended something more serious. She tried to stand up by steadying herself against the balustrade, but the foot refused to sustain her we

eatified Christ floating above the pulpit; and in the intense intervening darkness tried

bark sounded under the window, through which he had effected his exit. She tried to call him, but her throat was dry and parched, and her foot throbbed and ached so pa

na! R

with a desperate exertion o

Mr. Lindsay,

in o were more readily disting

! Oh,

been heard, and then through the window ca

ent. I a

, and it seemed stranger still, that after a little while all grew silent again. But her confidence

d, turning toward the window, a lingering zigzag flash of lightning sho

where a

here

nging a lantern in his hand, and

th her white suffering face upturned piteously to him, and sto

has been mercif

and clung to him, while for the fir

t in, and feared you were crushed, until I heard Hero bark from the inside and followed the sound, which brought me to the window, whence he jumped out to

hat ascended to the throne of grace, but no words were audible. Rising he a

tter? After all

d, and I stumbled and fell down the steps. I must have broken someth

ere? The steps are at t

safest place, and I crawled

st his shoulder, and his

the spot where you must have fallen are a heap of stone, brick, and m

nd caught hold of the railing that t

fe He has mercifully spared to you. Stand up a minute, even if it pains you, and let me find out what ails

and as he firmly pressed the foot

y. Now, little girl, I must go back for some assistance. You will have to be taken out through the window, and I am afra

don't leav

ang to his eyes as he noted the pallor of her beauti

st possible time. The danger is over now, even the lightning is comparatively distant, and y

nd laid her tenderly down on one of the pew cushions; th

keep up your courage. Put yourself in God's hands, and wait here patiently for Douglass. Don't you kn

t she and her dog were once more alone in the ancient church, with none nearer than the d