The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-07-18
The Hotel Fire.

The Hotel Fire.
The Major kept David and Polly two
weeks in Philadelphia. The boy had
been in danger of becoming a mere
book-worm, keeping his eyes and ears
shut to all the actual living knowledge
to be learned on every side.
There was little danger now that his
uncle would cram too much of this
knowledge upon him. Philadelphia is
great manufacturing center, and he
took the boy to all kinds of mills, minis
and shops. Polly declared that David
would not eat for asking how this ar
ticle was made, or where that other
grew.
Her own head ached, she asserted,
with its sudden weight of information.
One warm, sunny morning the Major
announced that he had business in the
suburbs of the city and must leave
David to take care OF his sister.
$50 out and walk" he said. "But
don't 60 along dreaming of Achilles
and Ajax. These old fellows were very
well in their way, but there are people
close at hand as well worth your atten-
ton. All the world is at work for you.
This man cuts your meat, that one in
Cuba makes cigars for you-which you
must not smoke, young man-another
puts bismuth on his face and plays mon
key tricks for your amusement. You
ought to look into the work of these
people, and their lives. There is poetry
in the history of the man who blacks
your boots, as well as that of the siege
of Troy"
He buttoned up his overcoat and de-
parted, coming back co put his head in
at the door with, take care of your
sister, David"
The young people went out, and
sauntered up Chestnut street, visiting
one or two libraries and picture galleries,
and stopping so often to look In at the
glttering shop windows that they were
very tired when they returned to the
hotel at o'clock.
After they had eaten dinner, they
went up to their own little parlor,
which was in the fifth story.
II wonder when uncle will come
back" said Polly, leaning back in her
arm chair sleepily.
"Not until g."
David also stretched himself at ease
on sofa. They both had books in
their hands, and the gas-lamp was be.
tween them, but in little while the
books were dropped, and they were
both sound asleep.
When Polly woke, it was with sti-
fling weight upon her breast, and hot
stencil of burning paint in the room.
She rose slowly; her first thought
was that the gas was escaping; the next
was-a foolish one enough-that pro-
cession was passing, and the smoke of
the torches had reached her room. A
blazing light shone in the window.
She ran towards it. The next instant
she was dragging David upright.
"The hotel is on fre Wake up, Da-
vid. Oh, what shall do?" she cried,
as he turned drowsily over, muttering.
The smoke had stupefied him.
A pitcher of water was on the table.
She wet his face, and, as she did it, the
touch of the cold water seemed, oddly
enough, to restore her own self-pos-
session.
She even stood between him and the
window that he might not see the dread
full light when he opened his eyes. Her
CHASTITY face, therefore, was the first
sight which met his gaze.
what is it?" starting up. my uncle
Polly OH Fire! Firep
He rushed to the window. The street
below was filled with the steam fire-en-
gines and the hook and ladder compa-
MES, while Gordon of police and
chain held back yelling, excited multi
tude.
The fire in its long lashes of flame
leaped from story to story i'll the great
building,
Polly stood very white, but quiet, be-
side him. She had always been taken
care of, and she expected David to take
care of her now.
But he was running from window to
window, shrieking "Fire!" as though
the clatter of the engines and the roar.
ing of the flames were not enough.
Then he rushed to his trunk, dragged
out the clothes, left them on the floor,
and, gong to the window again, screamed
hoarsely:
Helpl Fire!"
But nobody below needed him.
Many of the windows were filed with
haltcrazed men and women imploring
help.
The hotel had an iron frame; the in
side Was dry, and had burned like tin
der; the flames had spread SO rapidly
that the principal staircases were gone
before the inmates of the upper stories
had heard the alarm. There came a
terrible cry from the street.
The wall is fallingp
1--WE are lost" said David. His face
was very red. All the blood in his
body seemed to have gone to his brain.
There was nothing else there-not the
vestige of common-sense idea or plan
of escape.
The truth was, David had lived only
in his books. He could have given you
in an emergency tolerably correct
idea of the different literatures of
Greece and Rome, but he had never
considered the ordinary emergency of q
fire in dwelling, and what was best to
be done.
Poor little Polly thought of her
mother and began to cry. She was