The Fourth Watch

der of

laze. The soft light from the shaded lamp fell athwart her wealth of dark-brown hair and fair face. Her long lashes drooped as she leaned back in an easy-chair, and let her mi

ly in that direction and saw Dan sitting bolt upright, gazing intently upon

a nice sleep

you and my father were right by my side, but wh

hardly knowing what to say. "We want to make you

dly threw back his head. "I can hunt and work. See how strong I am," a

y father, won't you?" replied Nel

father who br

es

at's hi

im 'Parson John.' You'll call him tha

to, I will. But, sa

e, Nellie Westmore. No

at was my mother's name--Nelli

emember your

e was good and pre

r, will you? I sh

d about his mother, her death, and how he and his father had lived together in the little log shant

You must be tired. Come, I will show you where you are to sleep

ll lamp, and with this in her hand she an

the north of the house. "The pipe from the hall stove comes up t

tinct start. It was not from the moon, for the night was dark, but from a burning building, a short distance up

the scene. It was Billy Fletcher's house! and what of he

'm afraid that something terrible has happened! Get on you

throw on their wraps, and t

mean? Here Nellie paused and with wildly beating heart looked at the seething mass before her, and listened to the roar of the flames as they sent up their wild flamboyant tongues into the air. Had her father been entrapped in that terrible furnace? She glanced towards a barn on her right and as she did so her eyes fell upon a sight never to be forgotten. Someone was the

d help. He must be taken to some house. I wish you would hurry up the road for

ce for assistance, Dan following close behind. They had gone only a sho

wrong?"

lie replied. "The ho

Billy; is

safe, but a

box, what

at

on one, where he keeps

repugnance welled up within her at the heartlessness of the man. He cared

eached the place where

ng?" shoute

bt if he can last long. We must get him

on; did you save i

ut it, and, besides, I d

upon his nephew's face. He tried to speak, but his

he box?" s

this he made an effort to rise. The struggle was too much

th a look of awe upon their rugged faces. Nellie drew her fath

r go home, These men will do th

eral supply of wood, and making Billy as comfortable as the circumstances would permit, he had sat down to watch his charge. Ere long the sick man grew much worse. Then the chimney had caught fire. The bricks must have been loose somewhere, which allowed the flames to pour through into the dry woodwork overhead, which w

lusion. "He was careless about higher things. I h

ays like that, fath

life. He became very rebellious and never darkened the church door. He acquired a great passion for money, and grew to be most miserly. As the years passed his harshness increased. He waxed sullen and disagreeable. His neighbours shunne

st have been something good in poor old Billy

rally believed that Billy confided many things to Tony. He is a peculiar lad, and people have tried in vain to find out what he knew. He will certainly feel badly when he comes out of th

roadside, he would meet it single-handed, kill or drive it away. Then to behold the look of gratitude and admiration upon the woman's face as she looked at him, what bliss that would be! Little did the father and daughter realize, as they slowly