The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1874-10-17

together at her side. One OF ner un-
gers, she saw, was gone; it was the
finger which had held Dicks little
engagement ring. The red beam lay
across her forehead, and drops dripped
from it upon her eyes. Her feet, still
tangled in the gearing which had
tripped her, were buried beneath pile
of bricks. A broad piece of floor
ing, that had fallen slantwise, rooted
her in, and saved her from the mass
of iron work overhead, which would
have crushed the breath out Of Hercules.
Fragments Of looms, shafts, and pillars
were in heaps about. Some one whom
she could not see was dying just behind
her. A little girl who worked in her
room-a mere child-was crying, be-
tween her e, oans, for her mother. Del
Ivory sat in little open space, cushion.
ed about with reels Of cotton; she hada
shallow cash upon her cheek; she was
wringing her hands. They were at
work from the outside, saving en-.
frances through the labyrinth Of RANKS.
A dead woman lay close by, and Sene
saw them draw her out. One of the
pretty Irish girls was crushed quite out
Of sight; only one hand was free, she
moved it feebly. They could hear her
calling for Jimmy Mahoney, Jimmy
Mahoney; and would they be sure and
give him back the handkerchief! Poor
Jimmy Mahoney! By and by she
called no more, and in little while the
hand was still. The other side Of the
slanting flooring some one prayed
aloud. She had little baby at home.
She was asking God to take care of it
Tor her. "For Christ's sake,' she said.
Sene waited long for the amen, but it
was never spoken. Beyond they dug
man out from under dead body I'M
hurt. He crawled to his feet and broke
into furious blasphemies. !"
| Del cried presently that they were cut
ting them out. The glare Of the bon
| fire struck through an opening; saws
and axes flashed; voices grew distinct.
The opening broadened, frightened;
the sweet night wind blew in; the safe
night sky shonc through. Scne's
heart leaped within her. Out in the
wind and under the sky she should
stand again after all. She worked her
head from under the beam and raised
herself upon her elbow. At that mo-
ment she heard cry
"Fire! fire! God Almighty help
them! The ruins are on fire -
A man working over the debris from
the outside had taken the notion, it be.
ing rather dark just then, to carry q
lantern with him. "For Gods sake, -
4 voice cried from the crowd, don't
! stay there with that light But while
his voice yet sounded it was the dread.
full fate Ct the man with the lantern to
let it fall-and it broke on the ruined
mass. That was 8 o'clock. What
there was to be seen from then till
morning could never be told or forgot
ten.
A network, twenty feet high, of rods
and Orders, Of beams, pillars, STAIR
ways, roofing, ceiling, walling, wrecks
Of looms, shafts. twisters, pulleys, bob
bins, mules. locked and intertwined
wrecks of human creatures wedged in
face that you knew turned up at you
from some pit,which twenty -four hours
hewing could not open; a voice that
you knew crying after You from Goo
knows where; mass of long hair visi
bic here, foot there, three fingers o.
a hand over there; the snow-bright
red under foot; charred limbs
and helpless trunks tossed
about; strong men carrying covered
things by you, at sight of which other
strong men have tainted; the little
yellow jet that fared up and died in
smoke, and flared again, leapcd out,
licked the cotton bales, tasted the oiled
machinery, crunched the netted wood,
danced on the heaped-up stone, threw
its cruel arms hi h into the night,
roared for joy at helpless firemen, and
swallowed wreck, death and life to.
gether out Of your sight-the lurid
thing stands alone in the gallery Of
tragedy. The
child who had called for her mother be-
gan to sob out that she was afraid ia
die alone. ''Come here, Molly" said
Sene, ''can you crawl around :" Molly
crawled around. ''Put your head in
my lap and your arms about my waist
and will put my hands in yours--so,
there! I guess that's better, isn't it g.
But they had not given them up yet.
In the still unburned rubbish, at the
right, some one had wrenched an open.
ing within foot of Sene's face. They
clawed at the solid iron pintles like
savage things, A fireman tainted in
the smoke. <'Give' it up!" cricd the
crowd from behind. ut can't be done.
Back !'-then hushed awestruck. An
old man was crawling along on his
hands and knees over the heated bricks,
He was very old man. His grey hair
blew about in the wind.
! II want my little gal," he said
Cant anybody tell me where to find
| = rough fellow pointed in perfect 81
lence through the smoke.
It'll have her out yet. l am an ole
man, but I can help. She's my littl,
gal, ye see. Hand me that there dip
per Of water; it'll keep her from chok
ing maybe. Now, keep CHEEKY, Sene
Your old father'll get We out. Kee,
up good heart child. That's it!''
tits no use, father. Don't feel bat
father. l don't mind it very much
He hacked at the timber; he tried t,
laugh; he bewildcred himself with hi
cheerful words.
mo more ye needn't, :Senath; 70,
it'll be over in a minute. Don't b.
downcast yet. Well have ye safe a
home before ye know it. Drink littl,
more water; do now. They'll get a
ye now, sure -
But out above the crackle and tn,
roar woman's voice rang like a bell
Were going home to die no more"
q ch'lds notes quavered in the chorus