The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-03-24

anc s,udv. he would rise and shut the win
dow and shut Il out. He had done ms lh'
, very !ay when, waking suddenly IN the hilu
die of the might, he was aware oi u strange
Pickering yrrmiillon glow across his ceiling
and iumpinr out OF his he'd saw from ms win
dow that the Romcr mansion on he hill be
yond was one great sheet ct flame, anu only
| he seemed to be aware of the fact
! All the village s;umbered, and about th'
| house itsf 10 figures moved. lhey were DC
| ing burnt in their beds or smothered' ihey
Nav! She, his Ada, AS he caileu ner AZ .ha
momest, u,tcring her name for the hrst 'im'
| in two years.
Hastily clothing himself, he rushed out o.
the house, over the hill, crying flre! rs NJ
ran. Windows opened AT the cry. lie hcaro
voices utterInr screams of amazemen!. The
alarm was given. Was il now OF any avail
He stood before the house, and saw every
window fast shut but one upon the second
floor This the flames had not yet reached
Under great pear stood a ladder. 1t was a
very heavy one AT ordinary times his hands
unused to anything heavier than the pen, could
no, have stirred it, Now he found no difficulty
IN carving Il TO the window, and placing II
so that he could ascend by it. This done, up
he went and in at the easement. Great CLOUDS
of binding smoke greeted him as he entered
bur he CROPPED his way on, shouting as he
went. The flames we're bursting through the
partitions, the paper shriveling into scrolls
There was an old picture in the passage
with a wreath of fire for a frame, ana as he
turned glance upon 1t red tongue ilcKed
out the. face and powdered hair and white ruf'
fles, and there was nothing left.
This room with red door-posts was hers
He knew il. He stood on the threshold, and
saw at first only leaien smoke anc scarlet
blaze. Then low down on the floor some
thing the flames mad not touched yet-a fig
urc in white
"Adav' he cried, and seized it IN his arms.
Then he sped back again, not knowing
whether what he held was living woman or
a llfeess form. His way was through smoke,
but he reached the window at last, and the
crowd below welcomed him with cries and
shouts ~ NC appeared upon the ladder his
hair burnt, rs lashes scorched, his clothing
burning upon him.
The next instant he stood upon the grass,
and laid his burden down and uncovered its
face. The fire had not touched It, and 1t was
the face of living woman. But as the eyes
opened he saw that 1t was not Ada. lie had
saved the life Of young servant girl, who
had recently come to take service with the
Romers.
She-Ada-was still in the burning house.
With wild cry he dashed towards the
door, which had. at last, been battered down.
A sheet of flame rushed out to meet him, and
he fell scnseless upon the ground.
The next morning the Romer mansion lay
in ashes.
The poor girl who had been saved lay raw.
ing in d,lirium, and unable to give any &C
count Of the origin of the fire.
And in the darkened rooms of the parson-
age the young minister lay suffering and dis
figured upon what the doctors had little doubt
would be n bed Of death
Three weeks had passed since the fire.
There had been search among the debris, but
he bodies of the old man and his grandaugh
er had not been found.
There lay an unsightly heap, which Rcuben
Eden was glad that he could not see, as he sat
in his invalid chair by the window.
The young clergyman was getting better,
and one day he would be quite well, but at
present he was simply wreck of his former
,ei. He was unable to take step alone, and
ls eyes had been SO injured that it would be
months before he could read or write. Even
he faces Of those about him were dim and
ndistinct to his vision. rs for his heart, II
would never know peace again, 1t seemed TO
hin, MS he kept saying over and over to HIM
self:
off | had not quarreled with Ada, she would
rot have been in the old house when the
lanes destroyed il, for she would have been
nv wife"
He was dreadfully miserable, and with the
rritabiity of cOnyalescent came detesta-
ion of those kind, COSBY matrons, who had
lursed HIM SO tcnderly and faithfully. lie
Wished them away with all their inquiries
md sick room talk, their camphor and Co
Oene, aud jelles and good looks. And one
lay he coniided to HIS friend and fellowcler
lyman, old Mr. Ormsby, that man to wait
Ipon him would be great relief.
"The ladies are so oppresslvcly Kind, you
inow," he said
The other understood.
4 few DAYS after little note was brought
o him by Mr.. ArlinSton's wife who was then
Presiding over the sick room, and who, since
le could not read il himself read it to him:
"DEhR EDEN Il think you will find the
,earcr of this letter a very good nurse aud at
endani. The - Mission brought him over
lie understands English perfectly, and is rs
,entlc as n woman and not as laxative. Try
lin. Yours, OHMspY.'
Let the young man come up" said Mr.
ldeu.
And fnrwith entered little creature with
, long blue cotton blouse--a costume scarce
V masculine in effect with his long hair
braided in pig tail, and his eyes cast hum
bly, IN the ground.
Mr.. Eden engaged him at once and the la
~ members of his little flock were secretly
Even young Clergyman, when he becomes
~ cross a. Mr.. Ellen was in his uncomtort
able convalCsccncc, grows wearisome.
Ching Fo-a young Japanese-was install
I'd At the parsonage, and in the little slippers
which he wore in the LOusc went noise)essly
about his work, and petied and nurscd his
master with strange tenderness.
He never spoke unless spoken to.
But when he was not busy, he liked TO sit
on low stool close TO Mr. Eden's invalid
char. and Mr.. Eden liked the little man well.
Once a. he crouchcd there, the masters
thin hand was ouistrcchcd, and rested. ;or q
on Chin" Fo's smooth head While
1t fingered there the Japanese sat quite still;
but when it was about 10 be removed he caught
1t and pressed ii To his lips and showcred
kisses on IL.