The Merthyr Express

> ■»••• ■ ■ « I Ir Clean and 2ain ty I | ffome Jjakitjg. xvSr It is light work for '■*] jl dainty hands to mix i J^fCsjLJ PartotFloar1 to Parts °f ordinary Vu flour in a dry state. (I J This done no matter | \klJJuf what other ingredients are 1\ added after, you can leave "Paisley Flour" to do its work of raising thoroughly i \7l and be sure of light and \l i\v7 a we^ raised cakes. < |M "Paisley Flour" Hi 4uro miming mmxi ffl powder~ M\M\\PI V\ is sold in yd., 3Jid-. and id. packets everywhere. L

POET'S CORNER. BLUEBELLS Nodding in the sunlight, Dancing in the breeze, Murmuring sweetest musio 'Mid the forest trees Rivalling: skies of summer With thy colour rare, Shedeling fragrant odouia On the soft spring air. Hushing fears to wlenoa. Bidding doubt to flee: cooing us to worship God, who faahion-ed thek —Eileen Carfrae. TO BRIGHTER DAYS. 0 happy year, what wilt thou bring When winter dayr have ceased to be? tWiU flowers awaken with the spring. And will the birds sing o'er the lea ? !A snowy wreath, was on thy brow When thou didst usher in thy year; Cold was the icy breath, but now The anowdropli in the land appear. Soon wilt thou take us by the hand And lead us by a Bowery way; Soon wilt thou deck a smiling land With beauteous robes and sunny day. And in the hedgerows we will hear The nesting-birds sweet mueic make And once again on listening ear The song of summer shall awake. 0 happy year 0 cominjr morn! Haste ye, 0 haste thy laggard feet! And, till thy gladsome spring is born Fill thou our breasts with promise sweet. —Gilbert Rae (in "Chambers's Journal").

HER VENGEANCE BT B. R. PUNSHON. 'Author of "The Chcice," "The Spin of the Coin," etc., etc. CHAPTER XXVII.—CAPTURED. Hugh kne~ not in which direction to go, 1>ut ran by chance. Here in the bush there was welcome shelter from the sun, but Eira was heavy, and he himself much exhausted. He went on as long as he could till presently he stumbled and nearly fell, while a sudden darkness seemed to ewim before his eyes. He beat the weakness down, and conquered it but he could go no further, and sank beneath to tree, still supporting Eira. in his. arms. After a time she opened her eyes and looked round uncomprehendingly- "What has happened?" she asked, and then: T have had such dreanw." Hugh did not answer, for he knew those dreams of hers had been no dreams, but cruel teality. She sai up, with one hand held to her forehead- "Oh, I remember now, she said slowly; "are they following us still?" "I do not know." said Hugh; but this was not true, for he knew well, and was assured that the lynchers were hafd upon their track. "I remember," she said again, "that was Editor Keene we saw in the buggy. Where is Mr. Hethering-ton?" "I do not know, "Hugh answered. He has gone on. fr. 1 -1 toe „ ( "If 'he escaped, that uf '3ALSJ'" said EiM. "It is you who should have escaped, LVid Hugh slowly, "you who have risked so much for him." His eyes said more than his words; so mucn more, that a vivid colour spread over the pale- ness of her faco. But then she seemed to re- member. and she tried to move away from him. When he would not let her, she sa:d: "You are forgetting Miss Hetlierington. vNo," he said. "You are going to marry her," Eira. exciaim- ed quickly; "if you have forgotten that, I have ^"No," he said again. "Eira, listen. I got to Delia—I cannot explain, never loved her. It was all a mistake--& blun- ider I loved you from the first moment I saw you when you were pretending to be a flower girl. I did not understand then, but now I know I loved you." "You must not talk like that," she said '^tbere is Mio Hetherington, and beaiAes, this is not a time to talk of sueh things. We axe not safe yet. If they find us "That is why I must speak,* he said passion- ately, "because the time may be short for me —if they find us." "And tor me," sh eaidr "they will treat me the same as they will you." „ "That ifl my right to speak," he eried. that we share the same dangers. Listen. Eira, I love you. You have risked so much for us. •Tou gave me your hand to hold." • "I never did," she cried, for in fact LllM action of hers had beeft so instinctive that she bid remained half uncenscioth of it; "at leoit. I mean-well. it is nothing if I did. And you have given your word to Miss Hetherington, "If we evel get back into safety," he said, "'I will go to hr and tell her all the truth. I ehould have dope so before. I did not under- stand. It is only when the end seems near that one understands how little everything else matters beside the truth. Well, I shall tell her —if we go back "And if we do not—" Eira asked, still very *^Then I shall have done no treachery to her Iin, telling you I love you," be answered. "We have not planned or wished this, he said, with a. certain exultation in hie manner, "but it has come, and whatever comes now, you and I must share it together." She shook her ii«*d and moved a little away from lum. "•Ah1" he cried, stung by her action, 'you eave me my life, and you would deny me even "You are unjust," she said, averting her faoe. "This ia not a time to talk of such t things. They may be on us any minu "The more need to epeak while there » yet time," he cried vehemently- Eira, I love you, and I have always loved you, and you tnust love me, too." What she would have answered, one cannot Wejj tell, for at that moment they plainly heard 'someone shouting at only a. little distance be tween them. "Hark!" said Eira. "The lynchers!" "Then speak the truth now." said Hugh quickly; '•this is a good time for everything veept lies. I love you, Eira. Love me. too! She did not answer. She was listening in- ntry, but the next sound they heard was a voice calling them by name, and then Mr. Hetlierington appeared. "Be quick," he gasped out, for he, too, was touch exhausted "they are quite close." "Oh, I thought you had gone right 09, said Huerh, astonished to see him again. "And deserted you?" said his uncle. "I tried. t think, but I couldn't. Strange! If I had been a better man I might have done it. But t remembered all the mean and selfish things in my life, and J could not end it with one meaner and more selfish than any. So I came back. We will keep together. The railway^ is only ibout a mile away, if we can reach it." "There is r trair due about now," said FAr, 7,piish on and leave me. You can catch it, perhaps, and perhaps the men will not hurt ma—much." "I wish to heaven you had not come with ps but gone another way," said Hugh. "But it is too late now." He and his uncle took Eira between them and they hurried on. When they had gone •Jbout half a mile they heard the whistle of an engine, and saw above the trees a long trail of white smoke The train had passed. They had missed it, fend safety, by perhaps two minutes. Bjehind them men were shouting, and the .kound of the shouting seemed to be converging Ðn the path they followed. They came at last io the railroad, and by it they sank down ex- hausted, unable to proceed another step.. L "If that WM tha eastward train," Eira panted, "it passes the westward train near Athens, and 60 the westward train should pass her- soon. There is still a chance for uj," bu*; she did not speak with hope. 'I don't much care!" Mr. Hetherington gasped out. "I would rathei they found us than go another yard." Hugh and Eira sat in siience. Mi. Hether- ington lav at full length, breathing heavily. Behind them the sound of shouting rrrew ever more distinct, the mob of lynchers gre'v ever nearer. Hugh and Eira held other by the hand. Quite suddenly Mr K^i^nugton raised his head. His ear, close to the greund, had caught first of all the sound 01 an approach- 109 train. Hugh and Eira heard too. They looked at each other; they lived h gaintheir lips approached and they kissed. Mr. Hether- ington sat upright. "It's a train," he said. "This way, cross the railroad track, boys, and pnsb straight shouted a vo>oe apparently hundred yards north of where "Hey sat. "Y. wo are saved," whispered Hugh. Ho l-cofc Bira's hand, and said with paesion in his voice, "You are mine, for we have kissed." "That is nothing," she said, resisting him, "a.nd you are not mine but Delia Hethering- ton's." "By God!" cried Mr. Hetherington entranc- ed, "how bsautiful it is to hear a train com- ing." "Here they are!" screamed a loud voice just behind them; "here they are, boys, all three of them!" A rush of men appeared; as if by magrc every tree-trunk disclosed a man, every bush r spurted an enemy;, from all sides men came running, as if the old earth were sick and vomited men. "This is the end. and I can't pretend any more." said Eira. "I love you. Hugh. and you are mine, and nov Dla. Iielh^rinEton's." there!" Hugh should, and sprang forward to mee* the rush of their enemies. He felt in himself the swelling strength of heart and tongue to make alltheee men listen. know, understand :n9 felt he had but to speak to show himself their master. "You hear me!" he shouted. "I want to apeak for a moment." But it seemed they did not mean to give him even the moment he asked for; and so to gam that moment he jumped forward and knocked the first man head over heebs. It was the worst, most foolish tbinpr he could have done. Shouting with rage at this act of defiance so that Hugh's voiÚ lost in a tumult of cries, the other men bore down on him and overwhelmed him and flung him to the ground. As he lay one kicked him on the head so brutally that he lost consciousness, and the last thing he heard above the shouts of his triumphant enemies was the whistle of an ap- proaching locomotive and the roar of the pass- ing train. Once again they had safety by not much more than a couple of m'nutea. When he recovered his senses he was lying no longer among the trees, but out on the open prairie, though not much more than or three hundred yards from the edge or bush. The sun was now near to setting, a dying glory in the west. Close by him sat, Mr. Hethenngton, looking pale and rather dazed. Hi3 hands were bound behind him and hie mouth was bleeding, as if from a heavy blow. At a little distance stood Eira. Her clothing was torn and one cheek was bruised her hair was loose and hung down in a tangled mass of darkness that veiled her to below her waist. A cord had been tied around her neck, and the other end of this was held by one among a group of men close by. These men were talking among themselves and looked at her sideways, and, as it seemed, with a strange abhorrence. But she paid them np heed, and stood very still and silent. "Now, what's all this?" Hugh muttered to his uncle. "Theæ devils have got us," said Mr. Hether- ington, looking round at him and speaking with difficultly, so sore was his mouth. "They aco all mad, and they will not listen to a word. Do you know what thoy say they are going to do to us?" what?" eaid Hugh. His uncle did not answer, and looking further away, Hugh saw a number of men, apparently busy with three posts it seemed they had just been filing upright in the ground. Hugh won- dered vaguely what they were for, and he noticed that a wagon laden with wood had that moment emerged from the shelter of the hush. One of the men from the group near Eira separated from the others and came towards Hugh. Hugh waited, eager to speak to him, but when he was near he quite deliberately, and without saying a word, kicked Hunrh heavily in the ribe. At once Hugh put out his hand, and catching the fellow by the ankle threw him down. Some of the oth. men laughed, and the overthrown one got up and walked away. swearing and scowling at Hugh over his shoulder as he went. "Will you Irive me some water? I am thirsty," Mr. Hetherington asked. "You will want water for something ely- than drinking soon, you black villain," said one man, spitting as in sign of abhorrence. "Have you not told them who WI6&re?" Hugh asked hie uncle. will not listen," his uncle muttered; "they are all mad. They hit me on the mouth and eaid that was a game we had tried before; they said that was played out. Hugh, do you, know what they say they are going to do with us?" "No," answered Hugh. "What?" But Mr. Hetherington did not reply. He bowed his head as in despair, and seemed to sink into an apathy, overwhelmed by the strangely awful fate that threatened them. There came towards the three prisoners a tall, thin man with a. white face like that of a corpap and a màdman's burning eye. Hugh knew him at once for Editor Keene. "You, James Hetherington, nigger, he besran in a loud voice. That is my name," interposed Mr. Hether- ington rousing himself for a moment, "but I am not a nigger I am as white as you are.' "You don't look it," said one man standing near. "If he answers to his name we might have made a mistake in," said a third man, "he might as well admit his colour we can all see for ourselves." j. "And you other nigger," Keene continued to Hugh, "you have had a fair trial and been found guilty——" 4. "Why a trial! shouted Hugh in great ex- citement, petting to his feet, "thAt is all we want—a fair trial; let us be tried; hand us over to the polioe, and we can prove our story "Or else go on appealing and appealing from one court to another for the next few years, said Keene coldly, "and then get off at last on some smart dodge of your lawyer's. No, this is our own job, and we will run it our way we are not going to have lawyers playing with the honour and the lives of our women.' A low murmur of hate and rage echoed this declaration, and not a man there but looked at the two prisoners as though wishing to see them already suffering. Hugh held himself upright and cried loudly: "I tell you we are white men-I tell you we are Englishmen—we are as white as you, I 6aHe spoke with such a vehemence and strength of conviction that for a moment one or two seemed to doubt. Bu* Editor Keene said cold- iy; „ or black, what does it matter? You murderd Mrs. Bryan-that is the main ihuiflT; whether you are white or black does not matter -1.. "Always trust Editor Keene for talking horsa- senea," said admiringlv a little man with a narrow face and red hair. "But we are innocent!" ccied Hugh. HOb. you are all sorts of thines," retorted Keene. "If you are innocent, how is it your boots fit the tracks made at the Bryan farm? There are footmarks there, made by a man wearin. a boot with three largo naus showing on the left heel. Your left boot has three exactly similar nails showing on its heiel. xlow do you explain that? If you are innocent, why are there blood marks on your partner's trou- &ers"? Why does a picco of stuff we found caught on the wire fence at the farm just fit with a tear on his coat, eh?" ■ It flashed upon Hugh in an instant that this was all part of the snare in which they had be9n taken. No doubt the clothes Dodd had provided for them had been specially prepared to confirm the suspicions so carefully roused against them. "Well, let us be tried," he said despairingly. "If you will give us a fair trial we can explain everything." "You havfe been tried already, said Keene coldly. "If you were knocked silly and didn't know what war going on, you have only your- self to thank. You have been tried and found guilty by Judge Lynch, and we want no more of your -slack. Jabez Hunt, just go and stand bv the prisoner, and if he gives any more jaw, knock him over the head." The man addressed as Jabez, who was the same who had already kicked Hugh and been overturned for his pains, came forward grin- ning with a heavy stick in his hand. •"You also, Eira Siddle," Keene continued. "There is no need to try you at all, for we have all seen you doing what not a man of us would ever have believed the meanest white woman living, would ha.ve done. You ha.ve gone against your own race and your own sex, and you have been ready to help the murderers of another white woman to escape. Worse even than that, you actually tried to escape with them." Bia face and voice expressed a. genuine horror that was sUmpel also on the face of every listener. They a.!l thought Eira's action a crime beyond credence; not one of them. in fact, would have believed it possible had they not thought they had seen it themselves—it was to them the unpardonable sin. The loathing and abhorrence they felt towards the two men was intensified tenfold towards the woman who they thought had betrayed her woman-

DELICIOUS ^l|ST'i'r'iT*lh"M/T « fVll Vav.y iMiw ■ II n/ 0 C,

FUN AND FANCY. Beginning of a judge's career in Iowa; hGn- tlemen of the jury, you must now quit eating pea-nuts, and attend to the case. Pater: "Look here, Annie, that young man of yours should have proposed iong ago."—Annie: 'He did, father;, at least, he proposed that little Willie be absent the next time he called. They had had a few words over the quality of the dinner. "When you married me, shrill- ed the, woman, "you didn't marry a cook, re- member." "Well," said the man—and his tone was very bitter—"you needn't rub it in. His Mother: "What are you moping about the house for. Tommy? Why don't you go over and play with Charlie Pinafore?'—Tommy: 'Cause I played with Charley Pinafore yester- day, and I don't suppose he's well enough yet. She (sighing): "Oh, I met such a, lovoly, po- lite man to-day." He: "Where was that? She: "In the street. I must, have been carry- inc my umbrella carelessr* >cr he bumped his eve into it. I said, "Pardon me," and he said "Don't mention it; I have another eye left. Gardener: "Hogan's co; bruk into the I strawberry patch this inorpm, sorr, an its hivvy damages ye git from him. The Squire: It's no tlse, Patrick. He'll bo sure to •'wear it was somebody euc <s cow." Gardener: "The divil a bit 6orr he^can't. Oi shut the baste in them fur ividence." A friend who had been appointed to a judge- ship in one of the colonics was, long after- wards, describing to Sir G-eorgo Rose the pgonies he suffered on the voyage out from sea sickness. Sir George listened with much in- terest to the recital of his friend s sufferings, I and then said, in a tone of de-p commisera- tion, "It's a great, mercy you did not throw up I your appointment." A young man I>:nt on mischief recently at- tended an" anxious inquirers' meeting in Scot- land, and asked » clergyman whether he could i work a miracle. The minister, seeing; through I the le with which the question was put, i do-aed him firmly by the shoulders and threw him outside the ohurch door, saying We can- i not work niir?cl€s, hut wc cm cast out devils. "Oh, dear!" exclaijned the young lady who was being taken to a concert by a rather back- ward woeer; "I'm suro we shall miss the open- i ing number. We've waited a good many min- I utes for that mother of mine. —"Hours, 1 should say," growled the young man.Ou? Oh George! bow nice of you to say so at last., cried the sharp-witted girl, as she summoned up an approximate blush- "Ah," said a visitor, so you are back home from your fishing trip in the States. Well, what did you catch?" We <h.d pretty well, said the fond mother. Julia caught a ban- ker, Bertha caucrht a lawyer, Fannie landed one of the finest-looking Army officers you ever saw in your lite. Hattie was unfortunate. She a. young fellow with all kinds of money on tho hook, but just at the last moment he got away." A certain bishop staying »t a country house noticed that he was closely observed by his host's little daughter. At length she found an opportunity to question him. 'Are you really a bishop?" she asked. "Yes, of course, I am —really," answered the amused prelate. "Well. I don't believe it," responded the child, whose father was an ardent cheesplayer, rye watched you over since and your head isn't split down the ro.i.3dh tnd you don't walk comerways." It is safe to say that nobody but 5n Insuman cchild be the hero of the fGl!sitlt1: story. Mr. Murphy was inquiring of his friecd, Mr Doolan, how his wife WM feeling aftor the excitement of the recent wedding of their daughter. "She's well enough," replied the other, "excepting that she's grieving over a pair of illigant new kid gloves that got lost on her that evening. She's feeling bad about thim. but rye advertis- ed in the paper, and I'm thinking she'll get thim back again befoor long. They cost Mrs. Doolan foive shillings." Arent you afraid whoever got thim will be slow to answer tne advertisemint ?" inquired Mr. Murphy. "It's meself that knew how to fix that," returned Mr. Doolan. "I advertised thim illigant gloves was an owld cotton pair, burrsting away at the seams, and wurrth nobody's keeping." Hamish was a.thrifty Scot, and hke many of his race, an enthusiast over golf. But one day Hamish had such peculiar and unpleasant feel. ings thrt he reluctantly consulted a physician. overdtlM the matter of exercise, man," said the doctor, after Hamish had de. tailed hia symptoms. "You must give yourself a day's quiet now and then, and avoid ex. posure. How often do y°u. 1^ S°! ,• Every day but the Sawbatb,' «"d Hamish, rising.— "You must be more temperate at it," said the physician. "Twice a week in good weather is enough for you."—"Good day," said Hamish. moving towards the door. You ve not paid me for advice." said the doctor, who knew hia man.—"Nae, for I'm no takkin it, said Ham- ish, as he reached the door and made his escape. "Advice to Mothkhs-rc yon broken in your rest by a sick child suffering with the pain of cutting teeth Go at once to a chemist, and get a bottle of Mas. Winslow a Soothing SYRUP. It produces a natural, quiet steep by relieving the child from pain, and the little cherub awakes "as bright as a button." Contains no Poisonous Ingre- dient. Of all Chemists. Is- Hd. per bottle.

FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS." THE SINGING THRUSH. There's a merry brown thrush sitting up in a He's singing to me! he's singing to me! And what does he say. little girl, little boy? "Oh, the world's running over with joy! Don't you hear? don't you see? Hush! look! in my tree! I'm as happy as happy can tV* And the brown thrush keeps singing "A UE 6t do you see, And five eggs hid by me in the juniper tree? Don't meddle! don't touch! little girl, Uttlo boy, Or the world will lose eome of its joy! Now I'm glad! now I'm free! And I always shall be If you never bring sorrow to pad." So the merry brown thrush sings away in the tree To you and to me, to you and to me; And he sings all the day, little girl, little boy, "Oh, the world's running over with joy! # But long it won't be, Dent you know don't you see! Unless we are as good as can be." — LUCT L&bcom. GOD IS WITH ME. God is with me when I wake, Life more beautiful to make, He is with me all the day, And is smiling when I play. God is sorry when I cry, He it is my tears doth dry, All He sees; the work I do Thrills His heart with pleasure, too. God is happy when I sing Songs of every lovely thing; God is Love; the love I see In their eyes who care for ma. God is Love; the love I give All around me where I live, ^n God's breast I lay my head, -Pj6 4 tljP at fiiglit iu bed. I .Ÿ1U2I!, <

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hood. her sex, be* rac? everything that they held "You pnek of fool*. ba a- Hugh ai the top of his V01' ho got. no further, for the man Jabez promptly aimed a heavy blow at him. Hugh forded it with his arm and so avoid-ed the full force of it, but it struck liitn I down all the same. "Bring them along," said Editor Keene. Men seized hold of them and hurried them to the spot where those 1.Ie stout poets had been fixed upright in the ground. Another wagon laden with wood had joined the first that had issued from the bush. Both wore quickly approaching behind, a third was visible, loaded; too, with dry wood. In the west t: ? lo,;ing rim of the sun just dipped beneath the horizon. CHAPTER XXVIII .-DEATH AT THE STAKE. Each one of the prisoners was hurried in the oentë, oi a. group of ""ptor#, and none of them «. Dnld see what was happening to the others. Hugh, a little dazed by blow he had just reserved, found himself pushed with his back against one of the tall, thick posts, whose t1'1 1-oS had wondered concerning. One man held h;(l1 there by th-* throat, and he could not resist for others held his arms. He felt something and tight drawn round his waist, and there was a sound of someone ham- mering behind: He could feel his post against which be wa.s Vld Iuivering with the force of the blows. "What aTA "ou doing?" he said, and then, "I am an Englx-hm?.n and you will have to an- swer for this." One of them struck him across the face, but they made no other ars*ver. Tlj-en they drew away from him. He was left standing alone, leaning against the pcsx behind him, and look- ing down he realised b," "as secured to it by a iron chain, passed round his middlo and fastened behind. The sbcck of this called him to himself. It was as though a kind of veil had fallen from before hie eyes, and he ilaw and understood everything with preternatural clearness. Be- hind everything else in he mind was a vivid recollection of a picture he had known as a child in Faxe's 'Book of Martyrs," represent- ing two of the Protestant reformers in the sixteenth century chained t;) stakes and on the point of being burnt alive His brain roeled as he now clearly understood that, this sso.rtve awful fate was now to be hie and thai o; his Tompanions. He strove iVr ? against the iron links that bound l; the was wet! and truly fastercn, post itself stout and driven dp into 1, -wlb. Not if he had had the strength of r, of old in all his fury could he have ri.:mseif or loosened himself by so much as t" inch. He turned his head. On h's right was an- other, p-ost, and to that Mr- Hetherington was fastened in like manner. He seemed to have swooned and was hanging down, doubled over the chain securing him. Jesting coarsely, one of the lynchers was fastening a cord llnd-T his shoulders, so as to hold him in an upright posi- tion. On Hugh's left, as h" well knew, there was another post. but at this atfirst he dared not look. Then by a great effort he turned his head and looked. There it was and, most horrible to see, there Eira stood against it, ehe, too, sacur- ed bv a chain drawn fast about her waist. She was very pale, but she held herself upright, with her hands clasped before her and her face turned upwards. She had herself, in order to avoid being handled, walked to the stake, plac- ed herself in position with hal- to it, and had with her own hands adj ;-1 the chain about her slender body. She knew at once when Hugh looked at her, and glancing to- wards him, she made him a slight sign, to which he could give no reply. A wagon was drawn up near her, and men had begun piling dry wood around her, so that already she stood knee deep in faggots. But she seemed to heed very little wha.t they did; and even her executioners, though they loathed and abhorred what they believed she had done, yet were forced to admire the calm and quiet courage that the showed. — Another wagon drew up beside Hugh. Two men threw the pile of dry wood down from it; men threw the pile of dry wood down from it; others arranged it about him. For the first time despair seized on him and made him its sad prey. He was aware of an impulsa to open his mouth and scream, and scream, and scream, and never cease. To the preternatural clearness with which the mo- ment before he had Fn and understood every- thing there now f jeered "v dull hazeot horror, through which seemed to see the mon about him, like moving to and fyo- He could not. b?Ii«vo iu the reality of what was ^"Vfhat^are you doing with that wood? ho said to the men busy about bun. They looked at him s^de.vays, but non of them answered. They were very pzle and silent, but very resolute, He his eyes to tbe heaven aljpve with a belief that from there som voice must come, some sign sh°"I1Vto save them from a fate so awnil. But the sky, soft with the shades of evening, showed notn ing, and the wood the men piling aoout him reached now above his middle. From the »kv his eves turned to search ove. the prairie, for he thought he might see an army there, marching to their rescuc. Bat a i that was visible upon its va«t expanse was a few buggies and wagons, and two men on horse- back and a woman riding. Most of these wero just sutlers ot the neighbourhood hastening lost thSy should be late for a rare spectacle But all were not, for one of the foremost was an old man with a strange, noseless face, who rode wildly; and behind him, a long way be- hind him, the one woman rode desperately too a? if with some purpose other than the mere fascination of horrible things. Hugh turned his eyes away from the prairie and looked towards his uncle. Mr. Hethering- ton was siMI unconscious, and Hugh envied him. Then the thought struck him to wonder what his colleagues, of the London Stock Ex- change, those respectable, top-hatted, frock- coated men, would think if they could see the senior partner in Messrs. Hetherington, Financiers, Lombard-street, in his present po- sition. The incongruity of the thing seemed to him so wild that he laughed. "Hullo," said Jabez Hunt., who was one ot those arranging the dry wood about lum, glad you see the fun of the thing. "Got to answer for this to England, hey, Mr. Britisher?"' said* another. „ "Why, no," said Hugh, "to God. I think. Thev locked a little uncomfortable at that, but said nothing. Their work finished they went away, and Hugh was left standing breast high in carefully arranged faggots of wooa He turned his head and looked towards Eira. Wood was piled so high about her that only her head was visible, but seeing him looking shf again waved her hand to him. He knew the gesture meant he was to be brave, and he marvelled afresh at the calm courage she showed. "Just look." said one of the men near, hor- rified. "she is making signs to the young negro. Absolutely shameless, isn't she" "I don't believe she can be a white woman at all declared another; "it don't seem credible. Can she be a quadroon, do you think "If so, she ought to be release.d, said the fint man- "if she were coloured, she would just have ehown herself clear grit. It is only because she is white that what she did was so abominable." xi "The abomination of desolation, the unpar- donable sin," said a third man, a deacon of the local Baptist church. "Editor Keene, are we not ready? It is getting dar." "There will be plenty of light soon," replied ^"Bovs," shouted someone from the back- ground, "here is old Noah Siddle coming to see his pet niggers burnt. In fact, it was Noah Siddle who, riding wildly on a aaddlelesa horse, now drove his way into the oentre of the crowd, and in the centre of it fell rather than jumped to thc ground. "Mr. Siddle! Mr. Siddle!" shouted Hugh, striving against his chain, "tell them we are white men and innocent." "Take that old man away, said Editor Keene. "What are you coming interfering for, Noah Siddle? These negroes have been tried and condemned by Judge Lynch; and if you value your safety, you won't try to interfere. Noah looked wildly round. Another wagon laden with dry wood had just been drawn up close to the stake to which Eira was fastened, so that she was hidden from her grandfather's hasty glance round. "Do what you like with those two black vil- lains," panted Noah "they deserve it all." "Oh, you know we are white men—you know it!" cried Hugh despairingly. "You are two black cursed niggers, said Noah with a gesture of inextinguishable hatred towards the 6till half-conscious Mr. Hethering- ton. "But where is Eira, mv granddaughter? Someone told me Eira—but that's clean impos- sible. Please tell me whre she is, for she is a good girl, you know." Although np one answered him, he saw how they all looked in one direction, and he moved his position and looked that way, too, past the loaded wagon. Now he saw Eira, looking at him palely over the piled wood that sur- I rounded her, and at that he gave a great and lamentable cry. "She is the worst of them all," said Keene. "These brute beasts only followed their own beastly nature; but she is a white womt^.her- self. and yet she helped them——" "You fools, you blind fools!" the old man cried. "Why, she had nothing to do with it— free her at once! Why, I never meant her," he said thickly, with one hand to his throat. "Take him away," said Keene. "Give me that can of oil. Has anyone a box of matches?" Some of the men took hold of Siddle, but he resisted. They exerted greater force; he still resisted, screaming incoherent things. At last, by a greater effort than they had expected from so old a man. he broke-away from them. "V ou must not hurt her!" he shouted wild- ly. "I never meant her, my own boy's child, my Eira. Just listen: these two men are not negroes, they are white men—they are English- men." I:> ( "That is a pretty thio yarn at the best of times," said Keene coldly "and I guess we are all about tired of leanng. it this trip—it's only a dodge to gain time. Take him awuv." But Noah drew a pistol from his pocket and threatened those who approached him, so that, taken by surprise, they drew back. "God have mercy!" Siddle screamed, "I planned all this—for years I planned it against that roan Hetherington. but now it has struck Eira too. Every one, listsu to mo You are isii jw eymVu 2 & Uuu j v, .4' ranged every single thing you have done to- day these two men are white men and are innocent; my girl is innocent; lrs. Bryan has never been murdered at all. Do you hear. "Mrs Bryan not murdered at .all? repeated fhe Baptist deacon. "Why, I helped to get the bodv out of the flames myselt "We are his puppets, «re .• sawl Jabe* Hunt laughing. "Thalfc is a ;ood-s:zed cla.lm, ain't it, boys? ) f "He is either plu^n-crazy -r ^xcs \l-5f fools," said Editor Kettle dr.y^ns a pistol fiom his nccket. "Hands Vp, old m»n Unheeding this demand No-ih heid up in on hand a paper, and fluttered it hkc a flag in the W1"Li5ten to this, then!" he cried. cret here that will make every nl""°fhy°^et —I'll give it you to let my Eira go—the secret of making diamonds^ "He certainly does take us .or fools, said Editor Keene. "Hands up, old man, or 111 plug -a No.* swung round fiercely on him. Each had his pistol levelled a. the other, each fired at the same moment, neither miss. With a bullet through his "tormy and unquiet brain Editor Keene leaped up into the air three feet high, and then fell down m & ?rumP^ heap that looked most strangely small, bho* through the body, his lungs Pureed INoah Siddle fell forward on us knees ) face. The Baptist. deacon ran and lifted him "My revenge," No&.h Si<;ldle uttered, ralS. UP"My revenge," Noah Siddle muttered, rais- ins- himself and looking with Winded eyes to- wards Eira. "I've planned it the6C fill years and thought out every detail of it, and now I've got it' -and a suaden rush of bkod choked him thai; he died. -_j His body and that of Keene were earned it.and that tern, wrought-up oro^dot .uen, unawed by the tragedy they hadjustw.t ne=<d. set themselves to carry outthetemble thev firmly anc'i honestly belicved be ■their duty. It was Jabez Hunt who P10^ the can of oil from where Keene s dead hand had dropped it. had dropped it.. "I have matches,be said. urtl,+ He went towards F:ugh and poured out about a pint of oil on some small sticks, arranged all readv at the base of the pile of wood. He struck a match. The ?mall dame burnt steadily in the cX evening »r Every eye was fixed upon this small flame. It seemed the 00'^ thing that lived and moved so still were all things else, men and nature together Bo m tense the silence upon that strange and dread ful scene. Stooping, Jaboz put the rn^a to the oil. A flame leaped up at once And ^ew upon the fuel ready for it. There was no smoke only a small and very bright flame, and a crackling of wood that sounded like thunder to those who one; that's done," said Jaboz Hunt, •^CDping backwards. (To be continued.)