The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1873-01-31

ter her now"
"There's some of jones' young
sters asleep in there, / do believe" !"
said another; they're always hang
I ing about the place. Shouldn't
wonder ifthey had q hand III the
mischief"
David was used to peril he had
been upin the pine woods when the
flames girdled them with q fiery
belt. What was there in this small
village confagration TO make q
man turn sick and pale? He press.
ed his way through the crowd to
the doorway.
"Ware" cried a voice; and at
that moment the great beam over
the shop window fell with a crash.
There was cry that the wall was
falling, and Job Winters in his fire.
mans cap, appeared amidst the
shower of falling timber, and was
let down by rope
In the confusion David was drag.
ged, stunned and dizzy, from the
center of danger and flung ont Of
the way on the other side Of the
great tree. A dead faint seemed
fallen upon him. Presently q sound
aroused him--a stir, a strange ex-
citement among the crowd, . hum
rising to a buzza.
Beside him under the great tree
stood a little woman, her face black
ened with smoke, her raimena burn
ed to shreds; by either hand she
held q barefoot lad, scarcely yet
awake from stupefying sleep.
''By the Lord, but you're q brave
little woman!" cried Job Winters,
singed and smiling. 81 thought
You buried under the timbers for
sure. How ever did you do it?"
"Oh, Job, trust a woman's wit
for that climbed out through
the backyard, and was scrambling
over the fence with the boys when
the wall tell. Arc YOU hurt Dave?o
she asked, taking up . tin cup and
sprinkling his face with water. How
calm and quiet she was, as if it were
the most natural thing in the world
that they should be together IL
trouble!
What had brought Mr.. David
Dunham down there ? He had done
nothing to help anybody; instead
Of that he was being helped him
sell. He felt lame, and bruised,
and Inundated. "Hannah," he said,
90, Hannah, ! thought you were
dead p
"Not l." said Hannah blithely.
"I am too full Of business to think Of
it And the fire is getting under,
thank God, and the boys are safe.
Poor little Jimmy! your shavings
and matches for boiling aunt Han
nah's kettle tomorrow like to have
cost you dear.
''But, Hannah, you have lost
everything"
"Hush! :! don't speak oft now. |
have not lost faith in myself"
'But you havein me-"
David looked wistfally at the
SCARED face ofthe little woman, her
shredded garments, her quiet, lu-
minous eyes She stood in the fad.
ing blaze that had consumed all her
possessions, shining like an angel.
"Only one thing will say, Han.
nah we are old frlends, ana OLD
friends may speak their minds to
each other, may they nots'
81 suppose SO, David; but the
boys are dreDched through, and if
YOU are able to walk
".fust one word, Hannah. Where
is the fellow that you were waiting
for all this time in the little shop"
"A great change passed over Han.
nah's face. She stood utterly still,
as one who has seen a vision. Then
she laughed outright.
"David," said she, che is here
under this great tree, halt drowned
and smudged and smutted. ! think
he has q scorch on his forehead,
where the falling timber grazed it"
~ - So
"You must make my little wife
excuse me to you for leaving 50 alb
ruptly on the night Of the fire."
said David one day, coming upon