Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-10-03

tie first landing in safety. Tho room which
We used rs our bed.chalnber led off 4
small parlor, which was situated on this
fat. Cropping my way through the smoke
l found the door, but, to my horror it was
locked ! dashed myself against it again
and again, but it resisted ali my efforts.
To return as l had come was impossible,
and l knew that the only hope Of saving
even my own life was e 70 forward:
Despair gave ms strength, and, lifting my
foot, ! struck il violently against ono OF
tho lower panels Of the door. 1t yielded q
little. Anothar blow and itwas driven
in: i crept through the opening, but 90
thick was the smoke 10 tho parlor that /
could distinguish nothing. Maggie,
M>ggiew l'shrieked, "where srre you, p"
but. no answer was returned Crossing
the room gained the bedroom door, TO
my great Joy It was open, and, stretched
on the floor, / found the apparently lifeless
form Of my wife. L bent over her, aud ON
placing my hand on her heart, found that
1t was still beating. I lifted her ver,
gently, and carried her in my arms to tho
window, which broke open. Of what
followed l am only d;mly conscious; |
have confused remembrance of mon
bringing ladder, and strong arms help.
ing us down, and the people cheering;
put It ls all very vague and indistinct
My next recollection was that of fiudiue
myself in my fathers house, all bruised
and VI eak, but with my own wife bendiug
over ME, and tend,ng mo with loving
hands. We"have been burned out of
house and home Fortunately everything
was insured but even had it not been 20,
l had been content 60 long ~ she was
spared to me. w
On tha evening Of the next day, when
the short winter twilight was fast closing
around, and the first snow-aakes were,
filling, Maggie drew little stool close to
couch on which I lay, thinking over the
strange events which I have related. /
had said nothing to anybody regarding
the warning which had 90 mysteriously
received and, when questioned a. 70
what caused me to return 50 opportunely,
had always made some evasive answer,
tor feared that .he reality would have
obtained belief. -. .....
Willie" said the soft, low voice of my
wife, = if you had not como home"
"Hush, my darling. Don't talk like
that, for I can't bear to think of it,"
"But it might have been. And do you
that awful night?"
was" I" 49,. .,o~'-'
"You romember," said sho drawing
closer to m ., the evening you took hary
and me into tho telegraph Office, and told
us al about the batteries, and magnets,
and electricity, and q great many things
which we couldn't understand at all.
though we pretended to do 20, lest you
should think us stupid? .
"Perfectly.D -. -.
"And you remember too, how when l
said that I would like 20 send a message
to your brother Robert who was in tie
Office at Lowestof. then? And the end Of
it was Come home me-come homew And
1 repeated it over and over again, until /
could doit quite. we'll without your nelp 90
l turned quickly round, but she vas
gazing intently ut the FIRE, and did NIT
perceive toe startled look + gatve .heir, y
WE'LL" she continued, 'the night be-
fore last, when you were away, l could
not sleep for q long time after I went to
bed; and whom I did sleep, / dreamed
such horrid3 dream! i thought that
was in your cf6ce again and I had fed
there because l was chased by some terri
b]e thing. did not know what it was,
but it was close behind me aud, I thought
nobody could save me hut you. But you
were not there, and 20 l siezed the
handle, and signed the words, 'Come
home-come home = as you taught me,
thinking it might bring you. Then whom
IT. did come, l fels its hot breath on my
neck, and ! screamed 20 loud that 1
awoke. The room was all dark, and
filed with smoke so think that when |
jumped up I tainted for want Of air. And
oh, Willie, # You had not come just when
you did, might"
There, Maggie don't lot ;us think Of
what mighthave tosn, but rather lst us
be thankful that We are spared to each
osher e sdll =. ! 4 ( J. -