The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1874-09-24

DOaruS, anu uupa18icISus TUG "ou'cS
made rapid progress, SO that Jim
Slipson, the proprietor. had barely
time to save two or three armsfull OF
bottles. With these he retired to
the opposite side of the street, where
the spectators stood; and he was
mournfully contemplating the effect
of caloric upon alcohol, when he sud-
denly started, and exclaimed:
ssGood God! Injin Mary's in the
loft over the saloon."
s.Who's thatg' asked the deacon,
who had now joined the crowd.
"She's-well. not exactly one of
your kind, deac'n,' replied Jim.
'.She came las night with her young
'un an wanted TO sleep thar till
mornin'."
"Some poor depraved creature, l
'spose," sighed the deacon.
"Well,' said Jim. prudently mass
ing on his front most of his outlying
bottles. 81 reckon lnjins in general
were off huntin' when religion was
give out. deac'n, an Mary amt no
better than the rest. But anybody's
too good to be roasted-leastways,
in this world" continued Jim Slip
son, remembering the deacon's
ground works Of belief, and treating
it with polite Difference.
"She don't intend to risk it now,
at any rate" exclaimed the major, as
a dark figure dashed out Of the
flames, and rolling on the ground to
extinguish lis flaming clothing, dis
closed the coppery. dull, heavy i'm
passive features Of Indian Mary.
sHooray!' shouted the crowd,
Mary had been seen very often at
Spurtip: but never before had Spur
tip felt itself called upon to exhibit
any respect for her.
II was very evident that Mary had
been asleep or drunk, or both, for
she stood stupidity rubbing her eyes
for several moments.
"Didn't you say she brought a
child with herr asked the professor
of Jim Slipson.
"Good God, yesw exclaimed Jim,
Selling Mary by the shoulders and
shaking her violently.
"Mary, Mary. where's the young
'un:"
Mary stopped rubbing her eyes,
and stared vacantly at Jim for mo-
ment; then she uttered piercing
scream, and attempted to enter the
burning building again. The intense
heat, however, drove her back: and
she stood in front of the crowd with
fierce, hopeless glare in her eyes,
while every few seconds she uttered
a horrible cry, half eroan, half yell,
which made even the most whisky
hardened man shiver and turn pale.
"A hundred dollars for wh"ever'll
get that baby" shouted the major.
Nobody stirred. There were plen-
ty of impecunious men at Spur ip,
but seemed inclined to earn money
in exactly this manner.
"Two hundred" cried the profess
sor.
"Three."' roared the deacon. Its
little heather, an it runs double
risk"
saint no use tryin'," remarked
Seventeener, an ex-memder of an
eastern fire department. No Teller
cud live in that here fire more'n half
a mint. He'd hev to breathe. and
then 'twould be all up with him"
"That you yeilin' over yer loss,
JIM" pleasantly asked Joe Backey,
edging into the crowd and patting
the unfortunate bar-keeper Oh the
back
ats Injin Mary; her baby's in the
loft. Q, Lord, just listen to the poor
devil.' said Jim, MS Mary uttered an
other cry.
Joe picked up a bucket of water
and poured it over himself, and in an
instant later dashed into the flames
and up the blazing ladder which led
to the loft. Not man spoke; it
seemed that no one breathed for a
moment. The deacon closed his eyes,
and his lips were seen to move rapid
"; and many men, though unused to
such exercise, followed the deacon's
example. Suddenly a mighty roar
broke from the crowd as Joe Backey,
hatless, hairless. beardless, and almost
black, emerged from the blazing build
with a dirty bundle in his arms He
had nearly crossed the street, when
suddenly he stopped, screamed
'catch it, threw the child, and drop
ed face downwards on the ground.
The deacon was by his side in an
instant, shouting for water and oil, AS
he tenderly turned the insensble
form over.
"No, CO. said Seveuteener. giving
Joe's face critical glance. He's
breathed the fire; knew it by his
lips an nose; he won't never breathe
nothin' else"
"Joe, joe" cried the deacon. while
big tears fell from his rugged face,
"God hev mercy on yer soul"
From beneath The cruelty singed
eyebrows and lashes Joe's good ma
tured eyes opened; his cracked lips
opened and smiled; he tried 10 speak,
but suddenly he gasped, shivered, and
then the deacon knew by the way
Joe's head hung over the kind old
arm that supported it that his part
ner had drawn his last dividend.
For some minutes the crowd stood
in respectful silence; then Jim Slip
son invited the crowd to open his few
remaining bottles, and drink deep to
Joe's luck in the next world. A
stretcher was then improvised, and
Joe was carried to the office of the
Quickledge Company There was no
formal laying in state; there was not
. single flower placed on the catafal,
que; but men of all degrees crowded
to see what remained Of the hero;
and many Of them when they went
away showed the first indications of
soul that had ever been seen in their
faces.
The three partners sat down to
supper and gazed sadly at the empty
chair. The Major finally broke the
silence.
ga Christian couldn't have died