The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-03-01
main behind the family having consent
ed to receive him as sort of half-pay,
bo oIf xvnrk' horder

4
The coming fitting. ~
Andy crept in at nine to say good
night. decorated like a Pawnee Indian
with tear stains and smut, since he had
indulged his grief while assisting as
stoker e.5a .c..ft 5..ati
on !''' sobbed the boy "there'll be so many
things to look at in beautiful city,
you'll never think how the green tubs
looks with the sentry plant i'll it, and me
sitting on the edge, thinking all the time
Of f4you."
afYou'il be very uncomfortable on the
edge Of the tub, and I beg of you, Andy,
to keep away from tie century plant
I 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 flowers
from Nit" asYf
Thus comforting her protegee, Marisn
continued her preparatlvns; 80 1t was
long after every soul in the farmhouse
slnmbered, that, tired with her protracted
labors, the little school mistress went
herself to bed.
Again she was in her olden home, and
with happy heart realized some festive
scene of. fgirlhood. How plainly she
heard of the dear familiar voice of, her
father. calling her name. In mo dream
doesishe hear1the crying of her name,
but .afar off dimly heard, through a
clinging, suffocating blanket Of smoke,
her name is shouted in tones of alright
4 Marion jumps to her fact. She strng-
giles, 7gasping and, staggering to reach a
window, but the sitting cloud rolls in
around her, it rushes in from the loose
fitting door, it lies in pail close against
the srafterss aud closes down upon her and
beatsyher senseless to the floor. ..
Outside, the horror.strickent neigh
bors !. .flit here and there the light OF
the flames that, bursting from the
windows and doors of the first floor,
present q cleaning barrier against their
repeated attempts to save the little school
mistress. ..f,. .;,..t ,..5a-..i.. "a.
aaIf ]. could only reach the L window .
shouted the farmer wildly, Il could break
through the shed-room."
f"That's easily done," cried a neighbor
I ,'can reach the L from cherry;tree in
The kitchen garden aa q. !.
"But the shutter is barred on the in
ner side," groaned the farmer: There
is no. ;hope;:no one could find his way
through the, flames and live
Even as the despairing words fel! from
his lips, little terrific figure, shuddering
in the, chilly air starts madly forward
darts !, through the surrounding group,
gains the threshold through which the
smoke rolls out in torrents, tipped with
snake like tongues of fame, that shoot
in and out of their sullen depths. A cry OF
horror, and warning pursues the flying
figures, ,.but into the furnace-like door It
plunges, and Andy the poor wait, has
rone- to his death. "A silence falls on the
paralyzed group. The cracking flames
mount higher, and the, old farmhouse
bepips to roar, as if it relished its awful
feast. aii,; T. .,...s. -
But above the noise of the FIRE comes q
childish scream of joy. as,Andy black
ened, burnt, but, triumphant, bangs
opened the shutter of the L window, and
shrieks for the aid he had heard might
reach Marion through that source.
| INSPIRED by the success of the boy,
ready hands and willinghearts assail the
windows height, and, in few minutes,
through, the shattered wall the senseless
girl.snd her preserver were borne to q
place ofsafety.
When morning broke on the party,
the Door old farmer and his family looked
onsa pile of smoking lumber, where, the
night before stood their comfortable
home ;qwhile in q chamber of o aneigbbor.
ing house, Marion watched beside the
hero Andy, who had suffered dreadful
burns in his transit through the flames
However. Andy had Q miraculous con.
stitution, as we'll as the best nurse in the
world; and, in month, Marion made
her proposed journey, taking with her
the scarred-faced Andy whom, whatever
befell llher, she determined never to part
from:J, ~ - 5s&r 1a't .,ta -.
During the next FIVE years of her life
Marion held to this discrimination. But
when the boy was seventeen a friend of.
fered him so good an opportunity to 60
abroad and see tho world as companion
for al, invalid sou, that Mother Marion
did not say him nay, and, full OF youth.
full expectation aud delight, her adopted
son went of to far away lands:
1t was very lonely in the little apart
ments they had shared together so long
and sadly Marion missed the beautiful
silver voice Of her protegee, that was one
Of her cheerest delights.
And when months rolled on, and in his
letters Andy gave no sign of return
Marion's heart sank. Then one wretcheo
day came the news that Andy had left
the invalid young man-had found new
associations, and finally gone off with
foreign old professor ofmusic to Florence
Never. since the day when her young
heart was struck by her early lovers
faithlessness had Marion wept such bittel
tears as she shed ever, Andy's ingratitude
4 and desertion. :,
We know that troubles, as the provert
| saws, very seldom come alone. The city
/ bank in which, Marion's little competence
| was boarded went the way of ali bubbles
| and most banks, and once more, poor
friendless and alone, she began life.
This time her health and strength die
not admit the confinement of school
SO she secured the position Of a governes
and left the dear place where Andy ant
she had lived SO happily together, taking
| up her home in a large and not unfriend
| " family. For months the little govern
ess went daily to the old place for letters
nothing came.
The invalid with whom the recrean
Andy went abroad returned, but he coult
give no further intelligence. The ole
man with whom the boy had gone was
mysterious person, who, from the hou
when he heard him singing around th'
court of their lodging in Paris, had shad
owed his every step, and finally spirited
| him away. Gradually Marion gave he
boy up as lost. Time deadened the grea
pain in her empty heart, but some ole
song sung N the twilight by one of ne
charge would awake the remembrance 0
Audy.s silver voice and send her to be'