Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-03-29
ONE EEwYEKR,yEVE.

nart Of New York city. A table, desk, with
tow books, and drawers for vials, cheap clock.
,bree chairs, and few pictures furnished the
sp,rtment. There was no FIRE in the CRATE, for
,he Al-sufficent reason that DR.. Matthew had
not A cent to buy coal with. For the same good
rooson he had not eaten mouthful all day and
Is ravenotisy hungry, freezing colo, and ut
terly desperate. AZ he sAt, with his thin, shah
nv coat hold tightly around him, he recalled his
o;vn history for the hve years that had passed
Al twenty-five John Matthew graduated ct one
~ the leading medical colleges nearly ct the
bend Of his GLASS. His uncle and only living
rslatiye had educated him After the gradua-
ZION OF the young student the uncle had died,
leaving no property. Then the war broke ont,
and John Joined regiment ~ an assistant sur
geon serving four years. At the end Of HE
service, with the sAyings OF his salary, he came
TO New York TO establish himself in his profess
sion il possible. Hiring email office and fur
nishng it moderately, he patiently waited for
thenAtronage that never came. Without friends
or influence, he saw his small stock Of money
slowly depicting, until not only failure but alb
solnfe staryation stared him In the face. Then
he pawned his clothing, his watch, and his
set Of surgical instruments. At last every avail
allie thing was sold, and the last cent gone
and so this New Years eve he found himself
starving. Maddened and desperate, he was
ready TO adopt any reckless course.
II can't and won't starve," he muttered |:
''aud I've tried hard enough, God knows, to
earn an honest living. I've failed in that, and
now I'll try dishonesty"
What he saw was the rear Of large private res
iiencs, the front of which was q more aristo-
cratic thoroughfare.
,The Claytons live there" he said to himself !;
erich, I've been told. They must furnish me
with a New Years eve repsst whether they will
or no. There's only an old man and his dAugh-
ter. believe, and two or three servants In the
house. To enter seize. some articles Of value,
and retreat might be done without much risk.
II4k or not, I've got to do 1t or beg or stsrye-
and I'll do neither Of the latter" " ,,-i-
As the clock struck eleven. he cautiously
climbed the fence into the OlAytons' garden, and
walked very cautiously down the narrow path to
the house. He appeared to be eying the win
dows with great care, and TO be watching the
one solitary light which fingered at one OF the
upper windows. But at last this disapps ared,
and all was dark and still. He then waited qui-
etly in the porch for about quarter Of an hour.
when he drew dark lantern, and from his pock-
et a chisel and small wooden mkllet. he went
to work quietly and steadily, chip. chip, At the
iron fastening Of shutter for full half an hour.
At last the fastening gave way, and he slowly
and cautiously pulled open the shutter.
DR.. Mathew now pushed aside the slide Of his
lantern and threw its rays Into the room. 1t
seemed to be q kitchen, and In one corner stood
a cupboard. The amateur burglar cautiously
climbed In and stole toward IL, opened the door,
and saw on the shelves as tempting quantity
Of silver As ever rewarded the efforts Of . thief
He set his lantern on q chair and reached for
some Of the articles. In doing SO his coat came
in contact with the lantern, knocking it to the
Frightened by the untoward accident, and
fearing that some of the household might be
aroused, he hastily retreated. He had made his
exit from the window, when . fash Of light
caused him TO look back into the room. The
lantern had been shattered by the fall, the
kerosene had been spilled over the floor, and
sheet of fame was communicating with the
light work Of the cupboard. Terrified with the
result Of his work, Dr. Matthew gained his own
Office passed into the street, and around to the
front Of the burning house. He had barely
reached II before the smoke was pouring out
in front, and the alarm had been given. The
inmates Of the house wore aroused-Mr. Clay
ton and three d0mestics-Rnd with some little
difficulty made their way to the sidewalk.
"Is there NOBODY left ?" the doctor eagerly
No" replied Mr.. Clayton fortunately my
daughter is spending the evening elsewhere"
mo, Sir" interrupted a shiyering servant,
''she came back before 10 O'Clock, and went TO
bed"
The effect of this announcement we'll nigh
crazed the old man. and DR.. Matthew was scarce
ly less affected, knowing that her life had been
put in deadly peril by his crime.
A ladder truck, the first fire aparatus to re-
Bpond TO the alarm, now arrived but the flames
spreading with frightful rapidity, were already
bursting from 1.-The upper windows. ladder
was raised, but nothing could be done to check
the flames before the arrival of the engines.
Which is your daughters room p demanded
DIR. Matthew.
Mr.. CLAYTON described it's situation, and in
etantly the doctor sprang up the ladder, smash
ing in a window and gaining an entrance to the
room The fire in the room had found vent
in the ceiling, aud it roared up through hole
there like the flare Of furnace, and needed
scarcely at all the open door. It was an awful
spectacle. OF the couch on which the girl had
evidently been sleeping not vestige remained;
in place of it smoking heap Of oharred finder
and glowing wood: II seemed impossible that
any creature could live in such aplace, but 1t
was 80. Barely was the door forced when the
cry of ''help" was heard; bnt 1t did not come
from the room. It came from . sort OF closet
at the side Of the room.
Help help save me !"
Covering his eyes with his hands, and dropp-
Ing down on his hands and knees, the conscience
stricken man essayed the rescue. II was large
Toom and the closet was ct the furthest end OF
it. The floor was still tolerAby sound, but burn
ing laths had fallen and were still falling from
the ceiling above, and every slow step was an
agony to him. His hands were blisterod and
swollen. He was blinded and I choked with
smoke. II was only by the exercise OF his ut
most courage that he kept on at all. The closet
was reached at last. But here at first sight all
seemed hopeless. The fire had entered the
place but the draught had beaten It back. The
articles Of furniture that the closet had contained
were charred and burnt ont Of all shape As he
could make out as he Ventured to raise his head
and look around. A heavy bookcase had fallen
upon q chair. a-
" Is there any one here"
The doctor was leaning over the fallen book
case when he asked the queation-hAd his hands
on 1t, in fact.
"Help mel oh, help mel" He started, the
voice seemed unearthly. In an instant he re-
covered his presence Of mind. To whomsoeYer
the voice belonged, he or she must be under the
bookcase. Selling the woodwork with despe-
rate effort he lifted it up. He had not been de-
ceived. There lay the object OF bis search. A
womAnl He could not see her face, for II was
close pressed to the floor, and she was alive. As
he raised the crushing weight from her, she cried
out in feeble voice. All that remained 70 be
done was to carry her out of danger. This he
speedily accomplished, aud when he had lifted
her out OF the burning room, and climbed down
the ladder to the ground, both the rescuer and
the rescued fell senseless into the arms OF the
hremen.
When Dr. Matthew recovered consciousness
he was in bed, and the smart OF his burns speed
lily recalled the sense through which he had
passed. woman, who proved to be nurse,
was the only occupant of the room.
'Is Miss Clayton safe 2" he asked.
Yes" was the reply, land scarcely injured,
excepting few trifing burns and bruises"
AS the woman seized speaking the door opened
softly, and there entered slight, lAdy-hke girl,
in handsome black velvet hat enlivehed BY a
few moss rosebuds, cuffs, collar, gloves, all COM
plete, and under the hat fresh yong face, with
a sparkle Of hope in the blue eyes, that would
have been too light but for the plentiful shad-