Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1877-05-04

tranping OF quick footsteps on tne pave
ment, and the din of excited voices. -
My wife stood in the doorway, and |
heard her ask where the fire was. In a
moment she entered the ROOM her face
white, and her hands clasped
John, John, it's the Alton House
that's on fire Our children--0 God y
The shock completely paralyzed me
for a moment; but strength quickly re-
turned giant strength. | sprang from
the bed and into my clothes in twink
ling, and grasping my wife by the arm,
drew her out of the open door, down on
the pavement, and down the street al
most on run. Under the tremendous
excitement felt no weakness. thought
only of the safety of our two darling
ones. One, two, three squares, and we
could see the fire Yes, the Alton House
was burning. Long tongues of fire
leaped far out of the first and second
story windows, and dense volumes of
smoke poured out in huge volumes
| from the windows above.
But alas almost the first one we saw,
on mingling with the crowd, was our son
Harry; but the joy of seeing him in
safety was instantly lost in the idea that
his sister might be in danger Was
she 7 Had she reached the pavement
with him ? He could not tell, and burst
into a flood of tears. AT that moment a
cry of horror went up from the crowd. -
We looked up, and there, leaning over
the sill of third story window, her
haxen curls singed with the heat, and
her little arms held out beseechingly,
was Lotta--our own darling Lolita
Imagine, dear reader, the sensations
of myself, wife and child. My wife,
indeed, tainted dead away and had TO be
conveyed from out the crowd. But the
firemen-noblc men-wera hard at work
Already ladder had been placed in
position and bold fellow sprang lightly
up the rounds. But a column of fire
and smoke rolled out and drove him
back. A groan of agony went up from
the crowd. then sprang forward, in
tending to make trial myself, bnt was
held back by far stronger arms. At this
moment voice cried out at my elbow
"Whoopl She isn't no goner yet
There was bread throwd on the water by
the old boss, aud now it's comm back ?
knew the voice in moment. knew
those clothes 1t was Ben! noble Ben
And as he stood, a bandage soaked il
water over his mouth, with one foot OF
the first round of the ladder, and his
chest drawing in long inspiration fol
the start, certainly thought had never
seen nobler spectacle. A hush fcl
upon the crowd, and prayer went up
Suddenly Ben, with the quicknesi
of cat, flew up the ladder, reaching tn,
top in safety. A tremendous cheer brok,
from the crowd. But listen A dull
heavy thud The walls are falling in
Horrors it crumbles beneath the ladder
itself. The smoke clears away for The
instant o joy! be has the child in hi
arms and is wrapping his coat about he
neck and shoulders He can never CONF
down the ladder as he went up. Ill
knows it-see he motions to the crowC
below. They understood him, and stanc
ready to catch what he is about to drop
One, two, three swings, and she leaves
his hands, vanishes for a moment in tn
cloud of smoke, and alights safely on th
hands upstretched to catch her. | kney
she was safe now, and thought only O
him. Would he jump? No? He clasp
his hands above, and knees below, on tn
side Of the ladder. slides unframed /
the ground, amid the shouts Of th
multitude.
Ben went homo with me that night. =
He is with me to-day as head clerk i
my establishment; and if the reader wi
keep it quiet, | will say that in yea
from this date he will be my first an
only partner
ExpREssTvE SILENCE All, that s
lence DO not listen to hear whom
woman praises, to know where her heal
isl Do not ask for whom she expressC
the most earnest enthusiasm! But
there be one she once knew well, who's
name she never speaks, if she seem {
have an instinct to avoid every occaso
Of its mention, if when you speak, sh
drops into silence and changes the sub
ject. why look there for something, jus
as WHOM going through deep meadow
grass, a bird flies osfentatiously up befor
you, you may know her nest is not there
but far off, under distant tufts Of fer
and butter-cup, through which she ha
crept with silent futter in her spottc
breast, to act her pretty little falsehoo'
before you.
How TO DEAL WITH SCANDAL
What's the use of minding what "the,
anu 81 Whafa lhn- nae of lrinn nwnk,