The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-02-16

He hooked at nae in sort Of bewildered
way as though he gscarcsiy gundentood me,
Nd 4 took him By tAesarkn and hid him back
to the shop. There / filled basket with
bread and butter, and coffee. and put the
ham on okof all. s1hEe Il home to your
wife" said, you'll pay me when you get
yeur sahry, and if .yoa are in need before
That time, come to me- Tn a poor man my
self, and / oan feel for other poor men,,
q shall never forget that mans face in ell
my life, SO wondering, so thankful, and SO
faH'esstrickeai.a 3An he said xass 1 God bless
sou, but there was a whole. sermon in. those
three words, and Slept better for them.
On Christmas night he paid me every cent, .
and from that day until left the neighhor-
hood, dealt With me regularly. But times
grew sotmuch better that ! took a store IN q
good street al tie other end Of the town, and.
one way and another saw no more of my
policeman for three good yeafs!.g5 III A@4@
i Lone night, Just such a cold night that
on which. / FIRST saw, him staring at the hams,
l was awakened long after midnight by
=. ery of fire. startea up TO see the flames
through the floor and to know the store down
below was all ablane.. The stairs were on
fire also, and when / opened the entry door,
the hot air and smoke rushed in and almost
lsmothered me. gave up all hope of get
/ ting my wife and helpless little ones ont of
| that burning building alive and safe. Help
came to us, however, and though, in clam
bering down the ladder, / slipped and broke
my arm, was thankful when | saw that all
| were safe, but was so faint and i'll from the
accident, YOU see, that hadn't all my wits
about me, and believed there was no one
missing. Ny blood ran cold, when my wife,
| clasping her hands, with an awful look upon
her face, screamed.
Our little Lucy is left behindl'
I She had slept.with eur hired girl since her
| baby brother was born, and the woman IN
her fright had forgotten her little one. There
| she was at the top of that burning building,
out of the reach of any human help; and it
seemed 20 me, as looked up at the walls,
great sheet of red and yellow flame. with
blue CLEANS here and there, as though the
devilish heads were peeping out and grinning
] at US. Still, hopeless as it, was, l should
have gone back into the burning house and
saved my baby or died with her if I had
been able to stand. No one else would VEN
ture it would be foolish sacrifice OF hte,
4 they said, for no doubt the child was already
smothered by the smoke, and though | raved
and pleaded and made wild promises, they
only shook their heads, and only babe me
have patience.
Patience / thought that was going mad
as the face of my little girl-my sweet pretty
pet-rose up before me. But inst then a
tall man rushed through the crowd and came
] toward me. 80 z\|AA az
''Quick!'' he shouted, switch room is the
child in-speak t,uickly-which room p
j The back room ON the upper floor" ]
said, and he dashed away from me, parting
a. ~. Il L
other moment he was mounting the ladder
heard them calling him to come back, bid
ding him beware, and speaking of him as
though he were dead already. But he never
headed them. and as he became hidden by
the black smoke which poured from the win
dow, covered my face, and prayed that the
angels who walkedin the fiery furnace might
go with him.
4 Perhaps they did. Something stronger
than an earthly thing must have been there,
for In a few moments-they seemed years 10
me then-we saw him coming down the lad
der with something i'm his arms. The burnt
body of my child, perhaps, | thought, but as
he came closer saw that it was my own
laughing, living darling, with her blue ewes
open, and little arms about his neck.
The root, fell IN the next moment, but nv
treasure was safe, and that was all that /
: cared for
'What shall say or do to thank you." !
said, as grasped his hand. I'm a ruined
man, and can only give you my blessing
but let me know your name, at least
Have you forgotten me? don't you re-
| member me?H he said, as he bent over me.
| Look again.
| ] did, and saw pair Of bright gray eyes,
face I knew, and something glitfer ing upon
| his breast. And the scene at the corner OF
I night, came back 10 me, and l saw mv ro-
hceman once more.
+ ''itis Won, ! / said, %and you have saved
my ch;l.i frsa.ss ~~rsh .iesssaas'is
| "And what did yOu save me and mine
from?" he said, with tears in his eyes,
| starvation, ruin, utter degradation. L
| should have>been felon and my dear ones
paupers this night, but for you. have not
paid the debt, and never can; but when l
heard that it was your child that lay at the
Itep of that burning building, l prayed that /
might save it, and | know God heard me-.
/ And then he told me what had brought
him to the neighborhood on that night of all
others in the year.
l had lost all, for l was net insured, but
he was prosperous and stood by me like a
/ brother; nursed me through my illness, and
loaned me money for new start in life. So
that, in little while, things grew bright
again, and here | am as comfortable as most
people.
land the policeman ?a asked
.His hair is as white as my own now,
said the old man. aAnd my daughter, the
l =