The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1871-04-09

replied, shrinking back from her piercing look;
don't want to offend you, Pm snre."
Then shake hands with Betsy" replied Co
celia. land let MS drink once more to every
body's good health"
Peace being thus restored, they all applied
themselves once more to the punch until the
last drop was gone, when after many good
wishes Betsy and Jake retired to their room,
and the others pretty well overcome with their
potations sought their rude beds in the cor
ners.
As tho night advanced, the wind grew more
furious, and the clouds that whrled through
the sky gave promise of q speedy storm, which
the severity of the weather told must be snow.
About one o'clock in the morning, the wind
lulled little, although still very high and the
air seemed to grow more intensely cold, every
thing was freezing hard and fast. The police
men drew their great coats close about them
and hugged close to the corners and friendly
door-ways. Such citizens were yet on the
streets hurried on their way, bending over as
they went, thus to catch less of the wind, and
drawing their bodies close together, it
seemed, to avoid the piercing cold, while their
breath turned to ice, covering their comfor-
ters, mutflers and collars as they went quickly
on. Save by these few passers, the streets
were quiet. and for once the great city seemed
to be asleep.
Suddenly there came gleam of light against
the sky, scarcely perceptible at first, and then
glare shown over the district near the Tombs,
while from all around the loud voices of the
watchmen raised and reiterated the cry of
"F'ire Firef Firei I"
Then came the ding, dong, clatter, bang, of
the bells, and in less time than it would take
to tell it, half-a-dozen engines, followed by the
brave and devoted men who were to man them,
were rushing through the streets, with the
speed of race horses, Indifferent to the pier
cling cold. Now down Center street they come,
then around the corner, and in o moment more
the first stream of water is playing against
the walls of Sanderbund's tenement house.
Another and another company came quickly
upon the scene, until the whole available
force of the department was on the ground
and hard at work.
"Now boys, hurry up, for Gods sake don't
let US be last" cried man, fire hat in hand,
running along the line of men of o Hook and
onward, faster and faster until they arrived at
the scene of the fire.
"Now loosen them ladders quick" said the
foreman, the same man who had encouraged
them on the road down.
"Where do you want them, SellwellW
"Get em off and we'll see," answered the
foreman-our old dry goods friend. Sam Sell
we'll.
Bring one of yer ladders over here, SAM"
said the foreman of one of the engine com-
panies, "here's a woman in the third story"
The fire had commenced, it seemed, in the
lower story, and must have worked with Won
derful rapidity, for all the lower doors were
closed, and excepting the woman at the third
story window, no sign of life had yet come
shooting out of the windows of the second
story and tapping the lower part of the house
in great sheet Of fire.
"The devil himself couldn't stand that
heat" said one of the men as he attempted to
raise the ladder against the burning house.
" For Gods sake hurry" cried the woman,
appearing again, and now with child in her
arms.
Cup with the ladder, up with it, hurrah
now" cried Sam.
"Then there came a wild shrek of horror,
pain and agony and the woman disappeared,
and in o moment more the flames were seen
shooting wildly up against the ceiling and
around the woodwork of the room she had oc-
cupied.
Those who had composed the little party in
Cecelia's room, had retired to bed more than
an hour before and slept heartily after the in
dulgencies of the night. Jake was first to hear
the noise and hardly knew for some moments,
what to make of it. When fully aroused he
sprang from bed and in doing SO aroused Bet
Where are you going, Jake I" she asked.
Pm going to get out Of this he % answered
"On fire, oh! my God w exclaimed the wo-
man man 81 sprdiDggjng rim up, "what will we d0' what
"Do! get out of this" he said starting for
the door.
"Take me, jake" she cried, catching hold of
him, take me along jake"
LET me go," he said, trying to shake her off.
Oh don't leave me, Jakew she pleaded,
"what will do--don't leave me, oh! for Gods
sake, don't leave me-"
Let me go, you 1ooi, ne crleu, pusnlnS
her rudely from him and hurrying down the
hall. When he reached the stairs, he ran down
them, in his hurry passing two or three steps
at time. When he reached the curve of the
stairs his foot slipped, and stumbling forward
he came head foremost on to the floor, which,
rotten by years of use and weakened by the
flames that had been burning against it, now
gave way beneath him, and as he uttered a
foul imprecation on his soul, he was hurled
below, striking a burning rafter here and a
projecting plank there, until at last, senseless
and almost lifeless, he was stretched out on
the heap of burning timbers on the ground
floor Betsy had followed him to the stairs
witnessed his fall and as the flames shot an
grily up through the hole made by his passing
body, she could go no further, but stood call
ing in D wild SreuZv, Fire, fire, fire."