The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-04-07

close; the spring, nowhere in the world
so charming as in Paris, was showering
its ecstacies upon us, and the exsmina-
tions were at hand-were past, indeed,
and M. Paul had justified his own pre-
dictions and failed. How his wife
would have borne the shock but for her
wig it is impossible to surmise. There
it was, however, an ever-prescnt re-
hinder of Paurs greatness and q tri-
umphant evidence of the incompetency
of his Judges. The equanimity with
which the young man bore his disaster
was but another proof. of his superior
desert. His wife lavished all sorts of
attentions upon him to alleviate his
supposed secret suffering, planning ev-
ery kind of agreeable diversion for the
summer after they should have paid
their duty-visit to Madame Mere at
Metz. For this latter journey they
were only awaiting the arrival of some
relatives, who were to take me in
charge, and who were now daily ex-
pected.
We were returning home from the
Buttes Chaumont on a lovely summer
evening through the squalid quarter
which envirOns that beautiful park,
Mile. Picard being also of the party,
when we came upon that most rare
sight in Paris, burning house. It was
wretched little tenement on the out
skirts of an open common. The police
and firemen were already upon the
spot; q Gordon had been formed to
keep away intruders and to pass buck
cts of water, after the clumsy fashion
which still prevails-or did at that
time prevail-in that city. Much of the
furniture had been removed, and the
tenants stood by watching with many
of their home.
At the moment when our carriage
had drawn as near as the police would
permit. little old woman came rum
ming up the street and rushed, painting.
at the Gordon, fiercely endeavoring to
break through to the burning building.
my darling. my little pet!' she
shrieked; ''she is there--there in the
mansard! Let me save her!'' A thrill
of horror shook us all as the building
was seen to rock and threatened to fall.
''My Finette!' she screamed again,
wringing her hands. "Save her, save
her, messieurs, for the love OF Heaven"
A groan burst from the bystanders.
Impossibler' they cried; "no one can
save her now"
Paul sprang from the carriage. ''Let
me gor' he shouted wildly. "Are you
men, to stand there and let an innocent
creature burn to death?' He tore
through the crowd and dashed into the
burning house, regardless 'of our
screams and of the oaths of the police,
who vainly sought to detain him.
There was crash, echoed by heavy
groan from all around; the roof had
fallen in. A part of the attic was re-
vealed. "There! therer' cried the
woman, Sin the cradle! laid her there
to sleep before went out"
"My God! the poor innocent! It is
rocking itself in the CRADLE" said one
of the men, and all the women burst into
tears; for we could indeed see the era
die rocking violently and little white
head raising itself from time to time.
Then volume of smoke rolled before
us. Paul! oh, Paul! where was he?
We hid our faces in agony.
A loud shout burst from the men:
Behold him! He has caught up a
blanket! He envelops the little one!
He springs to the balcony of the next
house! All, bravo. bravor' and hum
dred arms are outstretched, a hundred
plaudits rend the air, as Paul, all smoke
begrimed and blinded, safeguarding the
precious treasure most carefully, let's
himself down from crevice to crevice
and reaches the ground in safety. He
hastens to the sobbing little woman, he
extends to her the blanket which en-
velops her darling. Amid re-echoed
benedictions splitting and spluttering
is heard, streak of white darts from
tho blanket, and Mimi, with glaring
eyes and crashing teeth and tail erect,
alights in our carriage.
"My Finette, my darling, my little
one! Saved, saved!' cries the little old
woman, springing after her upon the
carriage-step.
"You ridiculous old creature!' ex-
claims the police sergeant; is it for
this you have periled mans life?"
"But, monsieur, have no one else,
since she came. one night last winter,
to my door. Would you have let her
burn to death?''
But she belongs to me, !" interrupted
Mile. Picard; and indeed Minis de-
lighted purrings and rubbings against
her face confirmed her words.
The matter was, of course, referred
to .jslge de pair, and terminated in
Mile. Picard's regaining delighted pos
session of her pet. The oldwoman was
amply rewarded for her goodness to the
truant, and we were at last at liberty to
drive home.
ITO think that it should have been
that beast, of all othersr' whispered M.
Paul to me, while his wife and Mile.
Picard recounted and recapitulated his
wondrous deeds all the way home.
"And now, at last, the whole world
will know of Paul 8 heroism." concluded
Nine. Blanchard as we descended at
our door, "for tomorrow morning it
will appear in all the newspapers. p
Louise Seymour Houghton, in Ltppincott s
Mn0nzi1ae