Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-02-05


possible in the court; and desired them to
wait for her there. THE done, she turned
toward the burning house with determiu-
ed countenance, as il considering what
must be done next, The whole Of the up
per portion Of the house was on fire, and
wild tongues of fame flashed from the win
dows of the second story. r4af
My fatherl exclaimed Hertha, where
is my fatherP i loa.a
There! whispered Rudolph in her ear.
with a wild sort Of insane joy flashing iu
his eyes and pointed up to the second story
of the house, there! where the FIRE has
just now caught! He cannot escopep
'Wretched being! what have you doneY'
whispered Hertha in reply as q horrible
idea presented itself like lightning to her
soul
Free yourself, and--me with youl' re-
! turned Rudolph. Come! will save youl
| / will carry you through thousand 6resl
/ And, throwing his arms around her, he
/ hcld h.r fast as he cndeavored to force her
away. But Hertha thrust him from her
with all her strength, as, with a flashing
glance, she exclaimed, Hencel Begone
from mel Save him, orr will never see
you morel-' ea.f 37.I .'r.
AT that moment horrible crash was
heard A portion of the roof had fallen
in, and volumes of thick smoke and whirl-
ing fame burst forth from the abyss which
was thus made A moments silence and
astonishment succeeded. Then was heard
a wailing and an asonized cry for help, like
that of weak old man or of a child. 1t
seemed to proceed from that part Of the
house over which the roof had fallen.
Another cry answered it from the court
below; strong cry, sounding like Yes!
full of resolution aud strength, and a young
girl rushed into the burning house. 1t was
Hertha. Rudolph was about 10 follow her
steps, but rafter which fell from the burn
ing roof struck him on the head. lie
stumbled backward, fell, and remained for
some time without consciousness.
Old Falk had been sound asleep over hi;
treasures, beneath his pillow, when he was
awakened By the cry Of fire and the tumnlt
in the street below. The chamber in which
he lay was full of sitting smoke, which
made his brain dizzy, and almost took away
his breath. His first movement was to
seize his cash-box, and with this in his hand
he raised himself in bed, and tried to col
lect his senses. He called his faithful ot
servant hy her name, but received no ans
wer. With difficulty he raised himself tt
his feet, and endeavored to reach the doc
which opened into the dining-room. Bu
his brain reeled aud his feet could not sup
port him. lie fell, and crept from wher
he fell, on hands and knees. to the dining
, room door, showing before him bis precion
easket lie had now reached the door
but both head and hands refused their OF
fee, when he attempted to stand upright
He called the old servant; he called Ru
dolph, and terror made his voice loud ant
strong but no voice replied to his, and n
hand unfaStened the boted door. He fan
lied he could hear wild shrieks Of JOY an
deriSivc laughter in the room beyond, ming
led with the roar and the cracking of fire
Every moment the heat became fercer il
the chamber, andsthe smoke thicker TIL,
anguish, as Of death, seized on the oil
mars hcart--and the sweat of agony bGrs
forth from his forehead, as in the depths o
{ bis soul he seemed to hear the words:
Thou fool, this night shall thy soul b
, required from theep
And out of the darkness which thicken
ed around him, he seemed to see pale coun
tenances looking forCh, g loomy and threat
cniug; gazing upon his torments. He kuev
them all again. They were souls which
3 had been ntrustcd TO him to protect auC
to make happy. They seemed now to asl
, him how he had fulfilled his duty towar
them. Smoke and fame encircled hin
| nearer and nearer every moment. He fel
himSclf approaching the limits of life an
i beyond that he saw nothing, eXcepta somC
thing, shapeess, indefinite, threatening
: horrible, more horrible for its inde6nitenes
: that the most horrible form which realit
/ could present; something unknown an
. inevitable (which approached every 1nomen
7 nearer and nearer, beyond the most terri
+ ble death.
g Terror again gave him strength and con
I sciouSness sufficient to raise himself up
seize the handle of the door, and also t
open it. But in the selfsame moment tina
the door was opened the heat Smote him a
; cross the face, and horrible crackIing nois
S together with surge of smoke and fam
which filled the whole apartment, cause
the wretched old man to fall across tn
0 threshold, and for the first time forced
cry of lamentation and prayer out of tha
hard shut-up breast
;, Lord my God! wilt thou thus suffer m
r to die? Lord, my God, have mercy upo
, me! Help, helpP v ..aaa 5..l tf
2 And his hands for one moment release
i. their hold of the cash-box, that they migt
h be casped together in an agonizcd, deatl
It agonized prayer
b. Again a frightful cracking noise of bur
ing was heard in the room The opposi
door was flung open, and there, enveIOpe
e in smoke and fame, stood, not the ang
c Of judgment; bnt, hke an angel of deliye
n ahce, the old mans daughter, Hertha.
# He stretched toward her his tremblin
I, hands She rushed forward to him an
! raised him in her arms She never had %
e lieEed herself SO strong as now, nor eve
/ had she been so She carried her fathe
h through the burning dipihg-room. Ill
a trembling hands grasped conyulsiyely th
l, precious money-bOx. ........i u... b, B..
y There is yet tmer said Hertha, encou
- aging and comforting him. BE not afrai