The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-01-10
ed to receive him as sort of half-pay,

6u TO receive MIN aB u bOEL VI udll-pay1
half-work, boarder.
Late into the evening Marion was at
work in her little room under the caves,
gathering her clothes ami trinkets for
the coming fitting.
Andy crept in at to say goodnight,
decorated like Pawnee Indian With
tear stains and smut, since he had IN
dulged his grief while assisting as
| stoker.
"You'Il be forgetting me, Miss Mari
onw sobbed the by; there'll be so many
things to look at in a beautiful city, that
yeHn never think how tue green tub
| looks with the sentry plant in 1t, and me
sitting on the edge, thinking all the time
oil y0up
iYou,lI be very uncomfortable on the
edge of the tub, and L beg of you, Andy,
to keep away from the century plant.
shall always remember you, my dear
boy, and never see one of those sentry
plants, as you call them, but my little
Andy's dirty face will spring like afioWer
from it.
| Thus comforting her protege, Marion
continued her preparations; 30 IL was
Hong after every soul in the farmhouse
lslumbered that, tired with her protract-
ed labors, the little sehoolmlstress went
herself to bed.
Again she was in her olden home, and
with happy heart realized some festive
scene of her girlhood. How plainly she
heard the dear familiar voice Oh her
father, calling her name. Again sne
startsl In no dream does She near tue
crying of her name, but altar on almly
heard, through u clingng, sufocatlng
blanket of smoke, her name ls snoutea
in tones of alright.
| Marion Jumps to her feet. She strug-
giles, gasping and staggering 10 reach a
window, but the Sitting cloud rolls In
around her, it rushes III from the loose
fitting door, it lies in pail close against
the rafters and closes down upon her
and beats her senseless to the floor.
| Outside, the horror rrIcken neighbors
fit here and there IN the light OF the
flames that, bursting from the windows
and doors Of the nrst tloor, present a
cleaning barrier against their repeated
attempts to save Lne little schoolmls-
treSs. =,
"If could only reach the l. window"
shouted the farmer wildly, u could
break through from the seed-room."
IThat's easily done," cried neighbor,
HI can reach the l. from Il cnerry-tree in
the kitchen garden"
"But the shutter is barred ON the inner
side" groaned the farmer. "Ihere's no
Ihope; no Que could find his way through
that flame and hve."
Even as the despairiDg words fell
from his lips, little terrified figure,
shuddering iu the chilly air, starts
madly forward, darts through the sur.
rounding group, gains the threshold
through which the smoke rolls out III
torrents, tipped with snakellke tongues
of flame, that shoot in and out OF thell
sui,en depths. A cry Of horror and
warning pursues the flying figure, bu;
and Andy, the poor waif, has gone to his
! death, A silence falls on the paralyzed
group. The cracking flames mount
higher, and the old farmhouse begins to
roar. as if it relished its awful feast.
But high above the noise of the fire
comes childish scream OF joy, as Andy
bIackened, burnt, but triumph ant, bangs
omen the shutter Of the L-window, ant
shrieks for the aid he had heard nigh
reach through that source.
Inspired by the success Of the boy
ready hands and willing hearts assal
the little windows height, and, in few
minutes, through the shattered wall the
J senseless girl and her preserver were
borne to place of safety.
When morning broke on the sad party
the poor old farmer and his family
} looked on pile of smoking lumber
where, the night before, stood their com
, Portable home; while, in chamber OF !
5 neighboring house, Marion watched be
side the hero, Andy, who had suffered
dreadful burns in his transit through tn
: flames.
3 however, Andy had miraculous con
: stituLion, as we'll as the best nurse l
the world; and, in amonth, Marion mad
1 "A tn sErif In
a the scarred-taced Andy, whom, wha
y ever befeil her, she determined never t
part from.
During the next five years OF thei
j life. Marion held TO this determination
J But, when the boy was seventeen,
S friend offered him SO good an opporLun
lty to 90 abroad and see the world, a
companion for an Invalid son, tina
VI "Mother Marion" did not say him nay
e and, full OF youthful expectation and d
= light, her adopted son went Oft to ts
I. away lands.
+ II was very lonely in the little aparl
d ments they had shared together so Ion
e and sadly Marion missed the beaut
u lul silver voice of her protege, that Wa
e one of her cheerest delights.
|. And when month after month role
d on, and in his letters Andy gave no sig
l. OF return, Marion's heart sank. The
g one Wretched day came the news th
r Andy had left the invalid young man.
had found new associations, and hnall
'r gone off with foreign old professor
k music to Florence. Never since I'll
h day when her young heart was struC
by her early lovers faithlessness hs
|, Marion wepJ such bitter tears as 81
& shed over Andy's ingratitude and d.
lr sertlOn.
q, We know that troubles, as the prove
a SAYS, very seldom come alone. The ci
l. bank in which Marion's little comp
i'd tence was boarded, went the way Of Il
I'd bubbles and most banks, and once NOR
a triendless, poor and alone, she beg
life.
This time her health and strength d
le not admit the confinement of a schoU
ID SO she secured the position of "a COVER
Is ess, and lett the dear place where Ant
and she had lived 20 happily togethe
le taking up her homo in large and n
e. unIrIendly family. For montns the Il
e tie goyerness went daily to the old pla
IF Tor letters-nothing came.
le The invalid with whom the recrea
- Andy went abroad returned, but
le could give no further intelligence. Il
le old man with whom the boy had gol
T. was mysterious person, who, from t
,e hour when lie heard him singing aroul
ID the court OF their lodging in Paris, hi
m shadowed his every step, and final
is spirited him away. Gradually Mari,