The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-04-06

10 eat since supper last night! lfIm u
sleep anywhere I'd like to know where.
All! what's this?"
Fire engines and hose carts were thun.
dering by,sand not far away there was a
Pickering of light against the murky
sky. Instantly he forgot his desperate
condition. His ambition to be hero re-
TUNED, and he ran as fast as he could
towards the broadening illumination.
at may be the turning point of new
furrow in my life," he thought as he
hurried along. Besides, one may get
food any time; fire is an acoident;I may
have chance to do something brave at
fire, but at meal never. If, clothed in
rags, | do great thing, SO much the
greater my fame" That thought in
spired and strengthened him.
The interior of the upper story of one
of a handsome row OF brick dwellings was
yellow with the swirling flames. They
dashed through windows, beat against
the cornice, and Tapped the unyielding
walls. As they lifted now and then, or
shrunk back into the dense mass of out
pouring smoke, he caught glimpses of
rooms rich in decoration. Across the
street was group of women, all weep
ing. Around them was pandemonium
men shouting, engines coughing, horses
snorting, the crowd in tumult; and
above the groans and cracking of the
flames. Being pressed forward, tremb-
ling with excitement, he came near the
group of women. They were lamenting.
suddenly one of them, a beautiful girl
with her hair loose ,and her face pale
with fright cried out:
"Oh, my Dolly! my Dollyl What will
become of my Dolly? Can't somebody
save her? She must not burnn
''Hush my child" said an elderly lady.
Remember of where you are! Think of
your-our-nerves, Hetty"
"Think of nerves, mother! don't care
for them. It's Dolly Pm thinking of ,and
she is burning to death. Can't she be
savedw
James Madison Bipg overheard this.
lie felt that now Was his good time, and
came forward.
81 will save her." he said. "Tell me
where she is"
One glance at Hetty's eyes swept him
from head to foot. She half turned away,
as if in disgust of the vision of rags, then
faced him.
'She is in that room, there where the
end of that ladder is at the window. Go!
save her!" and she pushed his arm.
'Don't be foolish p said the mother.
"Hetty is"
"She will burn while you are waiting" !"
cried the girl, wringing her hands.
Bing was off instantly. lie dove
through the crowd, which parted, as he
shouted, "There's some one left in the
house" and which, closed behind him,
declared it was a-woman!'-"No, a
man!'-'1t's childw "Bosh, nothing
at-all!" Bing did not hesitate. At the
foot of the ladder :he fremen shouted at
him; half way up, climbing like sailor,
the mob cheered him. Then great bill
low of smoke dashed down upon and
buried him. When it lifted he was not
to be seen.
Reaching the top of the ladder, he
smashed in the window and swung him
self into the chamber. It'was a bedroom,
luxuriou sly furnished, as he could see
by the gas still burning in the chandelier.
The fire was eating at the door. Little
spirits of flame crossed the sill, came
through the kev-hole, and ran along the
top like beading of tremulous gold.
The heat was sutfocating, the smoke
thick and at times almost binding. Get
ting down upon his hands and knees,
travelling on all fours, like an animal, he
made his way to the bed. No Dolly was
in or under it. The sofa and the chairs
were empty. He looked around in des-
pair. Was his desperate effort to be in
vain? he asked himself. He peered
under the heavy smoke. He called aloud.
But he saw or heard nothing save dull
yellow glare as the fire began to blaze
from the woodwork ,and noise like the
roar of a great wind. Still creeping
around thereon, he came to door Just
little ajar. 1t belonged to closet. He
flung it open. A glance showed him
that something like a human form was
prone upon the floor. Another look and
wild grasp told him that that form was
clothed in dress of Iich material. 1t
lay, face down, as if it had fallen in hid
ing.
Bing tried to speak, but his throat and
lips refused to utter sound. He
dragged the figure. 1t gave no signs of
life. 1t was rigid, lifeless. Without he
heard the cry of the crowd. 1t sounded
above the rush and roar OF the pillows of
fire. 1t said:
"He will burn to DEATH"
He caught the creature in his arms
and rose to his feet. The room was bril-
liant with light. The heat shriveled his
hair, scorched his hair, stifed him.
There was not second to spare if he
wished to live. Staggering, plunging,
falling and rising again, bewildered,
breathless, the floor quivering under his
feet, the flames darting at him, the
smoke engulfng him, the poor fellow at
last reached the window through which
he had entered, firmly clasping in his
arms the being for which he had put his
life in peril.
,Lz,.4 x,,o,4 So 4 -