The Broken Emblem.

awful blackness , they Avere startled by bearing Avords , very faint and IOAV , from the lips of Mm Avhom they supposed dead . BoAving their beads to catcb if possible bis faintest breath , they both beard and fully understood a feiv closing Avoids of that sentence so Avell knoAvn to all Master Masons , Avbieb tolls a Brother Mason of the dire extremity and distress to which he Avho utters it is

reduced . Colby and NeAvton Avere brethren of the mystic tie , and Avell kneAV the duty that thus fell upon them . " 0 dear , " cried NeAvton , " Avhat can Ave do , here is our Brother , Avhoever lie may be , and from the very portals of tlie gravelie calls upon us

, for aid and assistance . Oh ! Avhat shall Ave do ? " " There is but one tiling Ave can do , " said Colby , " and that is for you to go the best Avay you can , in search of aid , Avhile I remain here with our dying Brother , " and as lie said it , lie calmly seated himself on

the Avet ground , and drawing the strange , but dying brother ' s bead up to Ms bosom , lie wrapped bis thin coat about Mm as best be could , and prepared himself for Ms lonely vigil in the darkness and storm , with the dying or tlie deadwhile bis friend

, Newton should seek the help so much needed . Newton turned to start upon the discharge of Ms part of the painful duty , but bad scarcely stumbled more than three or four steps from Ms starting place ,

. Avben Ms ears Avere greeted by a very merry ringing laugh , full and loud as if coming from many voices , backed by many happy hearts . The laugh seemed to come from a bouse a little to the left of the road , and at no great distance from them , but the light from Avbieb Avas bidden from

them by some intervening object . As if by one impulse both tlie friends set up a shout , and the cry of "help ! help ! " rang out upon the niglit air and seemed to join in making the liOAvlhig of the storm more Aveird and frightful . Soon came the

answering cry of " Avbere ? " and by a continuous shouting , the answering party , Avliicb consisted of the young men AVIIO , with their lad y friends , bad found shelter in the school house , Avere led to the top of a steep bank that arose on that side of the

road at the spot Avbere the two companions bad found their dying Brother . One of the young men carried a lighted candle in a Avater bucket over Avliicb he carried bis hat to protect the candle from the wind and

tlie rain . A pathway up the bank Avas found near by , and by the aid of three or four of the IIBAV comers , the two friends managed to carry the apparently lifeless body up the bank , Avhen the candle hi the bucket Avas suddenly extinguished . But

guided by the lights from the school bouse now plabily to be seen , tlie little company soon reached its gracious shelter , A \ 'kere the body Avas laid upon a dry shaAA'l spread upon tlie floor by one of the young ladies . After their fright had a little passed away ,

the young ladies united Avitb the gentlemen in endeavouring to bring back to life Mm , Avho to all appearances bad already fled the regions of time , and found shelter in the realms of eternity . Beautiful cambric handkerchiefs Avere readily supplied to

remove tlie mud and dirt from the face . The bands and feet ivere chafed by the anxious Avatcbers , but all in vain . The lips of the dying man opened but once , and borne on on that parting breath the attentive listeners beard the Avbisperod Avoids" Darling

, Belle , " and all that mournful company in the little Avayside school bouse kneAV that Laivrence Clark bad gone out forever , leaving Ms darling Belle , not to the cold

charities of the Avorld , but to the tender fostering care of Ms Masonic Brethren . At about midnight the storm bad spent its fury , tlie Avinds died aivay , the rain ceased to fall , tlie clouds rolled . aAvay , and the late moon arose to shed a little light on tho scene . Some of tho young men from

the school house hastened to the hotel and soon returned Avitb an open wagon , in Avhich the ladies and their companions found conveyance to their homes at the hotel . Colby and Newton remained Avitb their Brother ' s lifeless bodyAVMCII they

, watched until the coming of the Coroner in the morning . News of the Miding of the dead man in the road bad spread like Avildfire in that peaceful neighbourhood , and before the sun had completed the first hour of its daily journey , a crowd bad

gathered at Gage ' s school bouse to see for themselves the proof of tlie truth of the flying reports . The Coroner came early , a jury Avas readily empanelled , and an investigation of the cause of death Avas held . A learned doctor from the tOAvn Avas called

to make the examination . His pockets Avere searched , but they Avere empty ; be had neither pocket-book nor money . Some remembered to have soon Mm Aveai a fine