American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-03-05

close; the spring. nowhere in the worlo
so charming rs in Paris, was showerins
I its ecStacieS upon us, and the examine
/ tons were at hand-were past, indeed
and Nj. Paul had justified his own pre-
dictions and failed. How his wife
would have borne the shock but for hel
wig it is impossible to surmise. There
it was, however, an ever-present re-
minder of Paurs greatness and a 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-
cry kind of agreeable diversion for the
summer after they should have paid
their duty-yisit 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, aud who were now daily ex-
pected.
We were returning home from the
Buttes Chaumont on 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. 1t was
a wretched little tenement on the out
skirts of an open common. The police
and firemen were already upon the
spot; a 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
calculations of sorrow the destruction
of their home.
At the moment when our carriage
had drawn as near as the police would
permit. a 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 petr' she
shrieked; ''she is there--there in the
mansardl ,Let;me save herr A thrill
of horror shook us all as the building
was seen to rock and threatened to fall.
'My Finetterl she screamed again,
wringing her hands. "Save her, save
her. messieurs, for the love OF Heavenr'
A groan burst from the bystanders.
"a Impossible!" they cried; "no one can
save her now.'
Paul sprang from the carriage. LET
me gor' he shouted wildly. s.Are you
men, to stand there and let an innocent
creature burn to deathp" He tore
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 a-crash. echoed by heavy
groan from all around; the roof had
fallen in. A part of the attic was re-
vealed. There! thereI" cried the
woman. ''in the cradle! L laid her there
to sleep before went OUT
My God! the poor innocent! 1t is
rocking itself in the cradle,' said one
of the men, and all the women burst in5o
tears; for we could indeed see the crz-
die rocking violently and a little white
head raising itself from time to time.
Then a'volume of smoke rolled before
US. Paul! oh, Paul! where was hep
We hid our faces in agony. -
A loud shout burst from the men:
% Behold him! He has caught up a
He envelops the little one!
He springs to the balcony of the next
house! All, bravo. brayo!' and hum
bred arms are outstretched, a hundred
plaudits rend the air. as Paul. all smoke
1egrimed and blinded, but guarding the
precious treasure most carefully, lets
himself down from crevice to crevice
and reaches the ground in safety. He
nastens to the sobbing little woman, he
extends to her the blanket which en-
velops her darling. Amid re-echoed
splitting and spluttering
s heard, streak of white darts from
he blanket, and Mimi, with glaring
ayes and crashing teeth and tail erect,
flights in our carriage.
my Finette, my darling, my little
,ne! Saved, saved!' cries the little old |
springing after her upon the
,arriage-step.
You ridiculous old creaturer' ex-
claims the police sergeant; lis it for |
his you have periled a mans life?"
"But, monsieur, l have no one else, |
md she has been such a comfort to me |
ince she came. one night last winter, |
. my door. Would you have let her
,urn to death?"
g But she belongs to me-" interrupted
dlle. Picard; and indeed Minis de-
lighted purrings and rubbings against
Ter face confirmed her words.
The matter was, of course, referred
o q .inge de pair, and terminated in
lille. Picard's regaining delighted pos
ession of her pet. The old woman was
IMPLY rewarded for her goodness to the
ruant, and we were at last at liberty to
rive home.
ITO think that it should have been
bat beast. of all others!" whispered M.
'aul to me, while his wife and Mile.
'icard recounted and recapitulated his
7ondrous deeds all the way home.
land now, at last, the whole world
7ill know of Paul heroism." concluded
Ime. Blanchard as we descended at
ur door, "for tomorrow morning it
Till appear in ali the newspapers."-
,ouise Seymour Hoatghtoa,, in Lippincotrs
fagazine.
Houses Warm and Cheap.