The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-05-03
~ did not say anything to Mrs IL

e ycl. 1 must now pass over many 'nlnE~ w"
G occurred. But Will tell you OF
II THE FIRE.
Roman and Clotild were romantic and head
:. strong. One day Roman put q stout package
INTO Il satchcl that Clotild had carried up town
y with US, and she did not explain To me until
we were safe within our own room that il
5 was IA rope ladder
D "'Now Clotild, what in hi, world are you
: going to do with that"
: ~ will not tell you now, but win before
y long she sad.
! "And true enough, one very dark evening,
t about half past eight out came the satchcl and
=, the rope ladder,
| "'What are you going 10 do, Ciotildt And
then she told me that the boys would come he.
meath our window, and we would let down thc
rope ladder that they might ascend and wc
would have Il good talk, and Mrs. Il nor
the teacher, nor any one else, would be the
i wiser.
/ at was foolish, hazardous, unmaidcny
trick, and opposed it stoutly. Oh, said
she, such things have been done before and no
harm come of it, only this once ! said
mo- But said Clould, 4 have promised the
boys, this oace, and they will be here and be
greatly offended if We do not let them Unjust
this ol.ce,' pleaded Clotld, and not wishing 10
offend George Halifax although had made
no promiscs--I at length reluctantly yielded
/ Sure enough IN a few minutes both the boys
came in our room and with the door securely
locked we carried on a whispered conversation.
At the end of half an hour | said, Now, boys,
90, and don't name this, on your honor, and do
not think to repeat it again But they did,
and one evening think Roman tired to take
some libcrsies with Clotld he had been drink
ing, and she resented it with dignity. She al
ways carried an exquisite little highly temper
ed dagger; she asked Roman for his hand and
lighting a match she pricked him sharply on
the back of the hand and holding the match
close to the scratch she said Mr. Roman, +!
what is that" Blood SAID he Well then
beware!
ale apoogizcd prolusely, but they never
came to us again in that way. However, as
illluck would have it, the match that ClO.lld |
threw away caught in some light stuff on the
floor and thence communicated to the counter
pane of our bed and soon the room was in a
flame. Cotild flew to the door and gave the
alarm. But seized the pitcher Of water and
dashed It's contents upon the flaming curtains
But it was not sufficient, and the flames flew on
THE boys had only reached the front of the
building when some one threw up front win
dow and cried out wildly, fire fren
The boys rushed into the from; yard and to
the front hall door. Without ceremony Ro
main rushed up to the second floor and meet
ing ClOtild he took her IN his strong arms and i
bore her rapidly down stairs and to the front
piazza But George, more thoughtful, gave
command to all he met to come below and
get buckets Of water IA few otthe servants fol
lowing him and Mrs IL and some of the
teachers. called to the girls IN the adjoin.
ing dormitorics to fetch me their pitchers of
water and kept dashing the water on the
bed and curtains But the draft gave new i'm.
petus to the flames However, George soon
arrived with his bucket brigade and he took {
my place-only rcmarking: Bravo. my good ;
rl!--give way now to me- / was entirely |
willing for that and stepped aside But
could not be idle So brought other pitchers {
of water and soon we had the flames subducd |
But now came the inquiry as soon us WE wen,
below-how came it about? = fire in the room {
how did it get started?
"But Clotild spoke up, Il lighted match a
few moments before and was careless where |
threw 1t and it caught something light and
thence to the counterpart of our bed, and in a
moment everything was in "A blaze Mrs,
Il did not question us very closely and We
lid not choose TO tell more.
THE COMMENCEMENT.
Two years flew away ON golden wings. Ro.
main and Halifax were true 10 us md we TO
hem. Al length told Mrs Il of our
chance meeting with the young men and
how we met them occasionally at kane's-but
never told her how they came to be so han
dy' the night OF the fire and Clotild and both
looked back To our indiscretion with some
considerable regret. :
wcrc-'Is well AZ thcy-progressing handsome
y with our studies-and the world to us was
without care No-that is not quite correct
We thought sometimes- how will our love
affair emo? will 1t pass away with our happy,
houghtless school days; and poor Roman,
with all his brilliancy-and he was brilliant i
hey could hear sometimes of his getting on
IN occasional spree But George was al t
ways with him and kept him out of scrapes.
ieorgc would drink, but in moderation, and {
soon lost his head He was remarkably heal {
by and strong, and Of cool, calm, deliberate {
disposition. And formed great hopes of him II
indeed had grand hopes Of him, He would, |
was sure make great man-belovcd by all
and by nee H,oS' IF 0N | was also sure that 4