Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-14
and the loaded revolver ready to INV band

| est nau Deen 1ulI OF WHO beasts. But / was
tired and must have slept, although was not
awake. i was awake, but with some decisions
of sleep. Ihad an idea that was being tried
for making away with Gown, and that the
verdict was "Gnilty, to be beaten with rod
of fire." And there was the fiery rod, sure
enough-foatlng in the air, as it seemed to me.
Aroused the full consciousness, gaZed at it
in panic of nervous horror. The fiery rod
resolved itselfinto glare of light, shining
through q longitudinal crack in the wooden
shutter. That window looked over toward
my house.. That was the cause of the light?
4 There was no moon. Could it be fire?
threw open the shutter. There was a bright
fire of light from just below and luminous
smoke rising through the trees. At the mo
ment the terrible thought shot through my
brain: "My house has been fired. Perhaps
| here is GOWNS revengem
In my mad rush toward home1 remember
ed that ladder was the most Indispensable
| thing, and that there was one under the caves
Of the stable. I'd save precious moments If ]
| caught this up on my way. There was now
no doubt of the fire: the sky all of glow, and
| a vivid tongue of flame darting heavenward.
| The ladder h i'd been removed; the fiend who
had planned this had carried out his wicked
| work completely. hurried on. The village
was already alive and heard the great
| church bell Changing out the alarm vigorous
| ly. My home was in a blaze; what had be-
come of wife and child?
Happily my wife was safe; she stood by the
garden-gate wrapped in a cloak-half DIS
| acted, wringing her hands and crying.
| Where was Oracle? No one answered my
| frantic demand, and the next moment was
| trying to Chamber up to the upper windows
by the trelliswork that, rotten with age, gave
| way beneath me-. But Hetty seized me. "She
is not there; she is safe from the fire, but she
is gone, snatched away from me-"
| by whomy'
| "By GOWN"
| (which WayW
| 'Over the hedge there"
ran in the direction pointed out, wher e
was weak place IN the hedge, through
| which the high road might be reached. Some
| thing had aught in the brambles-a mOrsel
Of Gracie's little night-dress. There were
footsteps dowu to the road, and there they
ceased to be traceable in the slut. l could
| not tell which way he had turned. | must go
back to the house and ask my nelghbors to
help me in the pursuit, t. run in various di-
rections, For my own part, would make for
the river, for in that direction judged he had
| gone.
When reached the house again the fire
| was out. The neighbors had smothered it
| with blankets and carpets. It had been a pc
troleum fire, 'soon kindled and soon burned"
The MARIE was on the scene at this time, and
the cure. I told them what had happened,
besought them to aid me at once the search
for the man who had fired nv house and
stolen nv child They couldn't hardly be-
lieve such an outrage to be possible in this
law abiding country, but there was the patent
fact Oracle was gone, and Gown had taken
her.
HE will not harm her, I guarantee that"
said the cure.
"Ah! you always had better opinion of
him than he deserved" remarked the naire
driIy. But compose youaself, monsieur; the
police will find her quickly. To o poor man
like Gown child is not valuable treasure.
But to set lire to your house, ali, that was
malice.
Here Hetty drew me aside.
ut was not GOWN" she whispered in a
faltering tone, "who set fire to the house; it
was |, accidently."
Not GOWN, but you?" repeated, quite be-
wildered.
"Yes; wanted plenty of light, as you had
let me all alone and before I went to bed
it; the flames were between me and the door.
| I ran to the window and screamed
"Well and what them"
"Why, man came with ladder, and we
escaped and Frace."
"And the man was"
"Covin."
This cast a new and startling light upon the
| affair. Gown the rescuer, and not the crimi-
| nal! But why should he have taken Oracle ?
| Probably, although some instinct of courage
and humanity had brought him to the help
of my wife, yet finding his enemy's daughter
in his hands, the impulse to revenge himself
| had become to strong.
| I'm the meantime" said the MARIE, "before
doing anything we must dress proces-verbal.
And, first for the person who gave the earliest
alarm of the fire-of course, monsieur will
recompense him handsomely. Let him come
| forward"
but no one came forward to claim the re-
| Card0 the thanks Of the This
| was a curious circumstance among people not
| giving to hiding their good deeds, especially
| when a reward is in question.
land who set the bell going?" asked the
cure, "and reused US all from our sleep? The
same brave fellow, oubtless."
| perhaps he is still in the church." said the
marie.
NJ It us 90 and see," suggested the cure.
| The church is only just across the road, and
the cure admits us through the sacristy door.
A rude ancient church, grotesque with age,
thick SQUAT columns, with quaint curved
volutes, looking in the dim lighU like so many
huge horned monsters. There is a light shin
ing in the Space behind the Altar, where there
is highly -tinseled shrine of the Virgin. A
taper is burning before the shrine, and by the
light we can make out bundle of something
lying in front. The cure stoopS down and lifts
the corner of Il shawl; there is child fast
aSleep-it is Oracle.
The cure takes her up tenderly in his arms
She wakes and begins to cry, till. seeing her
fathers face among those about her, she glad
Iy nestles in his arms. hurry away, too full
Of joy and gratitude to say word. Was this,
| thin, G wins revenge?
For long time after that tried in vain to
find Gown. l let it be known in the village
that he might come back to his cottage when
ever he liked and not word be said about
arrears. Enough money to furnish it well, or
to buy new boat But although fancy that
/ no hon do f ha off hn ton cd NH cro
of it. One day, however, heard that he had
been seen in the village, and that his boat was
moorcd in the river close by | managed to
intercept him with Oracle, and offer him my
hand. Gown put his behind his back
Come, let us be friends" l said.
"Can be friends with man who has treat.
ed my best clothes like this!" said Gown. un-
doing his bundle and holding up the suit that
had thrown out of the window. | had
thought nothing more about it, and certainly
the clothes had suffered not little from ex-
posture.
81 am very sorry, but you shall have new
suit"
"Pardon, monster, the old ones suited me
very WELL"
"Come! for the child's sake" said let me
thank YOU"
Monsieur" began Gown, with dignity 81
desire no thanks, for had it in my heart tc
do you great injury. thought to come upor
dou as you slept in my cottage, and hung
yhese clothes up as warning toyou, and sale
to myself, if he respects my clothes l will not
harm him. But you did not res pect m,
clothes, and then determined to attack vol
as you slept. Then saw CLEAN of fire, anC
heard the scream of woman. am Wrench
man-you know the rest But do love YOU
Monsieur, any better fer that? You Iav,
! turned me away from my hearth; it was but ,
poor hearth, cold and neglected. but once
had little daughter like yours, a wife too
/ ind rinnS and aQrQful and than
happiness around it, of which 1 have now on
" the memory. And from this hearth vol