The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-09-05
and more terrible became the horrid

and more terrible became the horrid
mystery. .4F
But the worst was not yet.
Suddenly--swift as the hghtn ng's
fash--burst upon us deafening crash,
like the uprooting and downfalling of
ten thousand forest giants, and with it
sheet of fame-one wide lurid sheet
of soorching, merciless, devouring fire,
enveloping the village and everything
therein--a sickening holocaust. Pesh-
| tigo soas doomed!
- Only when the tornado of wind and
fame struck the village, did 1 realize
my danger. Fortunately, was close
| by the waters edge, else I never should
have told the story. With few others
as fortunate as myself, rushed into the
cooling element, waist-deep.
"Jocl Joe save mel For Gods sake,
don't leave me here "
| Those were the words that smote my
ear, shrill above the roar of the devasta-
ting fire. 1 turned in my flight. 1t
was as light as noon-day--a hot, sick
ening light, if I may 80 term it; and
| lying on the bank, but step from the
water, saw John Richards, begging of
me to come to him.
"Oh, Joe just try once to save me
only once, Joe I'll ask no more !"
Could you have refused, even though
it seemed like certain death to venture
back into that burning heat? !? No more
could L.
One noble man--God prosper him
and his in this life and hereafter re-
turned with me, and together we drag
ged poor John through the water into
comparative safety.
"God bless you," murmured John, as
he felt the cool water enveloping him.
"You have saved me from horrible
death, and 1 will repay you. Bend
your head down, Joe. The money is all
right, Joe"
"What tell me that again!" I de-
manded, forgetting everything but the
hope of saving my honor unstained.
al took it, Joe. I knew Belle loved
you, and couldn't bear it. That letter
1 sent was to get you where could car
ry out my plan. I might have left you
in the hut, but Belle would always re-
member you then, while shadow Of
suspicion upon you would have ended it
all. But 1 give her up to you, Joe. I'm
not good enough for her, even if she
wanted me but if live, I'll do better
You'll not tell Belle, OF father"
"No, John," said.
By this time the heat was 30 intense
that we were forced to wade deeper into
the water, and keep our heads wet to
save our skin from blistering. All, sir,
it was terrible! Many a poor being
fed down into the water that night,
and never returned-fed from one death
to find another, and perhaps, an easier
one.
Well, hardly know how we lived
through that awful night; but here I
am, as you see, considerably scorched,
and somewhat stiff and sore, but quite
a man, after all. There is John, too
John Richards, in that bed in the cor
ner. He will get over it, guess.
shouldn't be telling you this now, only,
he said might. He has turned over q
new leaf, and does not want any secrets
weighing him down.
There is Belle, too, just coming uI
the walk. They put my bed here, sc
that should be the first to see her when
she came, and the last when she went
away. Isn't she beautiful All! but
that is nothing to her goodness. She
has saved John and me, they say; and
she is-ny promised soite. Do you blame
me now for saying there never was an
evil that good did not spring out of it