Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-05-19

0 "Will no one save my daught Ell N
t little Jane 20 walled the old man.
cit would be certain death to try the hal
: Here, policeman, let no one so this way.
Two policemen placed themselves il
front Of the door. Then, crying ''the roof
the roof!" the fireman burst in the door 0
! an adjoining house and disappeared, fol
> lowed by a dozen volunteers.
ut Is nc use. There is nc trap door
My daughter. My darling little Jane
good-bye!''
The old nau waved his hand, bent hi
head, and broke into sobs
Groom !" shouted voice from the hear
of the crowd. "Rooni! Way there - The
people receded from a point, as if there hac
been an upheayal Of the earth, and Il tall
powerfully built man pushed to the front
He ran past where the old man stood, say
: ing
''I'll save your daughter-or perish"
The police at the door drew close to
gether to bar the entrance.
'Stand back!'' cried the man s.Backp
he shouted, in an excited voice. 'tBack!''
and without giving time for further COM
bination against him, he sprung forward.
and, clasping his hands Before him so as to
form his arms into wedge, rushed with
all his weight between the two policemen,
drove them heavily aside, and disappeared
in the flames.
A faint wall passed through the crowd,
followed by a deep silence, and for a mo-
ment the vast gathering seemed not to
breathe. Then, as though a tempest of
wind prayed, a great cry went up and shook
the pail of smoke and made the flying en-
bars tremble. Behind the girl at the win
dow stood the man.
But up to this she had shown bright
against dark background. Now her fig
ure and that of the man showed dark
against red ! For the glare of the fire had
reached the landing and Was flooding the
space behind.
Tie nan did not remain a second mac
tive. He commenced lznotting long strips
Of shaetng and counterpane together
Again u shout went UP from the muti-
tue, and then ten thousand voice, were
still, as though speech had never been
known. All eyes were watching him and
him and the flames.
At Shat time the white figure of Il wo-
man came hastily along Il distant edge Of
the crowd ana approached the burning
house. Fhe woman WAS young, scarcely
more than twenty. Her long light hair
followed her mistily, half borne by the air
and quickened into vivid gold by the rud-
dy rays.
Ere she reached the burning house the
rope was complete. The man had tied it
under the arms OF th5 girl and was leaning
out of the window counting the risk. AL
ready the fury of the flaming fluid was ex-
hausted. There c,tine but titfll flickers,
still enough to destroy his rope. Now and
teen his eyes explored the room. Flames
had by this time crossed tx thresh bold.
I People below could see them Shoot rouIIu
the ceiling. For a moment the man left
| hi post, and Was seen drawing some heavy
iece of furniture { wards the window.
| With the sublime patience Of capable he
roism, lie waited and waited, counting the
! chances. Volumes OF smoke burst through
the sash, and the glass fell with a sharp
metallic clatter to the groa I'd beneath.
, "My daughter My Jane!' cried the
old man, III an agony o. hope and fear.
The man above bent over the sill and,
making trumpet out of his hands, cried
out:
I I'm a'moment you shall have her safe.
| Courage ~
The woman in white looked up. ''Luke!'
she screamed.
He passed his hands across his eyes, and
then gazed into the street. Once more he
spoke
Jane, staad back. The floor is hot.
Stand back: Ii the floor falls the walls
may, too"
Then, casting one more glance into the
room, and one more at the windows,
through which the flames shot now but
seldom, he lowered the form Of the girl
from the sill and paid out slowly.
When all the rope was gone she still
hung several feet from the ground. Re
firing into the room he undid the rope.
He advanced gradually to the window.
Still the rope was some feet short. Strong
men stood below with outstretched arms
to receive the girl Without warming, she
fell INTO their arms.
The rope fell with her!
All looked up. LII his hands were a few
feet of the rope. Despair had taken pos
session of his face. A blade of fame had
| 81 ,Jf,x, ,oln
his only means Of reaching the ground.
Another rope! Make another rope
Quck!" shouted a man of the brigade.
The man above paused a moment irres-
olute. Then he moved back into the room,
and those who stood far off in the crowd
saw him tearing up something All at
once he shot downward from their view.
A mighty crash followed Il flight of gilt
tering splinters swept into the air and
hung in a pail of dusky red over the four
bare walls.
With cry that was half groan, half
yell. the people swayed hither and thith-
Ell; and then, as if by some universal i'm
pulse, they bowed their heads and stood
still.
The glen is famous for its blackberries,
and often in the holidays children go up
there with baskets On their arms. They
all know Jane, who wanders up and down
by herself She does not speak unless she
is addressed, but then she answers very
civilly and in sweet low voice that makes
|, the eyes of the children open wide. Once
a saucy boy asked her il she did not feel
lonely all by herself in the glen. But she
said: