Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-01-31

o.
over her countenance, and she turned
toward the lecturer, but again and again
I could feel, without looking at her, that
her eyes burned upon my face. IT.
The lecture came to close, and ! lost
sight of her in the crowd; but as road
homeward / knew that somewhere, some
time, l should meet her again-that her
future life would be blended with mine.
Occasionally restless longing for her
tangible presence took possession Of my
soul, but my time was SO en- .irely occu-
pied that / had very little leisure for
idle, day-dreams. I
was boarding at the A-- House
that year, and one evening, several
months later, ! met a lady in the hall,
who, although closely veiled, reminded
me of my beautiful dream-wife. That
night l dreamed that the hotel was on
fire; that my ideal was being burned
alive in certain room-No. 4S--on the
f''f
second floor.
Suddenly l was awakened by the cry
of Fire 7 sounding through the house.
| sprang out; of bed and dressed myself,
then hastened toward the left wing Of
the second story, instead of following
the terrified crowd down stairs. The
impression of my dream was still so
strong upon me that all thought Of self
preservation or personal fear were merg,
ed into solicitude for the safety of the
unknown lady. / found the fire had
broken out in that quarter, for the hall
was filled with dense, suffocating smoke
1 finally reached No. AS, and found, to
my horror, that it was locked! As the
house was heated by furnace, | knew
that the smoke must have crept through
the fues, and filled the room. / threw
myself against the door with almost the
strength of giant, but it would moi
yield to my half frantic efforts.
This is terriblel She will be burned
alive 1 will creep through the tran
! somp cried, and suited the action tc
the word. / found the lady of my dream
lying upon the floor, half way across thu
room, unconscious from the poisonous
gases. The flames were already creep
4 ing into the apartment. With a hasty
prayer, thanked God for having sen
his angel to warn me of her danger, ant
then lifted my precious burden and car
ried it out into the hall but remem
ber nothing further, except that we wer
borne in the arms of strong men, through
) the cracking flames, into the open air
d just as the second floor fell in, sending
a crimson shower of sparks around
Then blank followed, and for som,
time / lay near deaths door. Recovery
came at last, with only few deep, hide
Gus scars on my breast ard arms to re
mind me of that thrilling adventure.
, was told that / had received my in
! juries while rescuing trancient boarde
name unknown-for the books wer
, burned. Some months after this tn
Franco-P -Prussian war broke out, and
f was sent to Germany as special CORES
pondent for our paper. As I was still
somewhat weak in health, 1 was glad Q
f the ocean voyage and change of air an
: scene. | remained abroad until afte
: the close of hostilities; then conclude
3 to take a little run through Switzerland
!, At times, however, felt that my futur
' wife was not far of:-as if were wall
ing in her very footsteps, and breathin
q the air she breathed, qa9o ha@sif,7
\ d One glorious afternoon in autumn
!. while | was sitting in charming vale,
taking sketch of Mount Blanc, an Ill
, controllable longing to behold my ides
/ once more took possession Of my thought
1t seemed as if she must be near-as
e she we're somewhere in sight, thinking {
I me-looking at me. My love for he
q had grown stronger with each passin
, day. Il had never. ceased, since 1 FIR,
saw her, to pray for her safet.. / fel
that 1 was working for her, improvin
myself for her sake / believed that sh
was pure, unselfsh, loving, refined w
man; that she was beautiful in heal
and soul as well IS in mind and persoI
r Well, as | was sketching, my thought
r took form, and almost before was awar
: of the fact, Mont Blanc melted into mi
J. ty clouds, and in Its place the face of m
Y unknown smiled up at me from my ten
d porary easel. 1 was SO wholly absorbe
e in my occupation that l did not motto
y the approach of party of America
|, tourists, until one of them, an old CO
u lege chum, Jim Dalton, slapped me q
e the shoulder, and exclaimed:
i John Warren, as / live, paintir
It your likeness, Cousin Belief But what
fibber you are; you told me only 8
n hour ago that you had not seen him g
d cept in your dreams and once in
4, crowd 7 Then, turning to me, he said,
/. | L. <.-oa..o5 49,, b.,I