Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-06-22
THE STORK'S BENSON.


little village of Schondorf was in the
widest commotion; a fire-that horror
SO b1essedly rare in the tile-roofed, stone
walled dwellings, of Germany-had
broken out at the outskirts of the village,
and the church bell was splitting it's
brazen throat, and Earring the old belfry
from top to bottom, In its frantic appeals
for help.
''Frau Siebels barn is burning; her
house must go, too, and our whole vii
lage is threateDed!" was the cry that
went from mouth to mouth, and the toll
worn people, though needing their rest
sorely for the work of the following day,
turned out one and all to aid in staying
The destruction.
Foremost among the workers, Paul
jaeger, a stalwart young man of dark,
Gypsy-like features, and figure which
lowered above all the other rustic lads
about him, was finging, with a giants
strength, great buckets of water upon
the flames, as fast as the others could fill
them at the village pump, and reach
them up to him where he had climbed on
the roof of an adjoining house. It was a
slow, hopeless way of quelling a fierce
fire, but the simple peasants had no other
means at their command.
'sPaul, Paul! for heavens sake try to
save Nina!" cried Frau Siebel's agonizea
voice below him. "She-" but Nina's
mother could say no more for the
stormy food of tears that overwhelmed
her.
''She has rushed again into the burn
ing barn to try to save Resell, her be-
loved cow" the bystanders said, excited
". "But it is OF no use; the poor
beast has already sufocated in the
smoke, and the girl only exposes her
life In vain"
The last bucket of water was un-
needed, for the young Hercules had
sprung down to the ground, and few
like an arrow apparently into the heart
of the fire.
''Saints above u.s. but they will both
perish, miserably, and all for the sake of
a trumpery oow!'' the people cried, too
frightened to notice that the flames, fed
by the dry hay and straw, was fast taking
the cottage in their hot embrace.
CHINA, Nina where are you?" a
hoarse voice cried in the burning build
ing, while dark figure was see for an
instant against the brilliant background
of fire.
Only the cracking of the flames broke
the death-ike silence of suspense, until,
as young jaeger reappeared bearing the
object of his quest in his arms, a great
shout of Joy arose.
''She is unhurt, only terribly fright
ened,'' he called, in answer to their eager
inquiries; "but now we must work with
all our energies; do you not see how the
fire has gained on MS ''
Pauls hands were bruised and bleed
ing and his face cruelty burned, but in
his struggle to save Nina's home he bore
the heat and danger unhinchingly, and
was unconscious of his wounds-for Nina
was his betrothed bride, and he loved
her better than his life.
But it was already too late. Paul's
best efforts, united with the willing La.
Dor of his friends, availed nothing, fol
the cottage with all its contents was
doomed to destruction.
"But you must let me save the chest
upstairs p Nina cried, trying to shake
off the restraining hands that held her.
"The poor child is crazy over the loss
of her wedding clothes, " the women said,
sympathetically; and with her blue eyes
widely dilated, her long fair hair scat
tered over her shoulders and sullied with
smoke, and her white dress torn and dis
ordered, she looked not unlike some
hapless Ophelia.
The sturdy peasants saved the town
from the destruction that threatened it,
but the hero of the fire fight, Paul, left
the smoldering, subdued fire with only q
bitter disappointment in his heart, that
he had not been able to save for his be-
hO,. I,
x
ened beams and fragment of stone wall
childhood's home when, In the early
morning she came to see the ruins.
She fell on her knees In despair at the
last night all her prospects of happy
future had been swept away. Her mar
rage with Paul was to have taken place
three weeks from that day; their com
bined frugality-Paul at his rope-mak-
ing, and Nina with the sale of milk and
eggs-had saved money enough to begin
life together
A few days before Paul had proudly
given into Nina's hands a pocketbook
full OF paper notes and silver thalers,
enough to buy little cottage and patch
of ground for their own, outside of the
village.
Nina was to guard this money with
her own store, In strong oaken box at
her bedside, until the next market day;
but, alas box, money, her wedding
clothes, furniture-all had been con-
sumed.
At the alarm of fire in the barn, her
first thought had been for poor Roseli,
not imagining that their house was in
danger.
The paltry insurance on Frau Siebel's