The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-11-29

sat on, musing and musing, till
suddenly there was a buzz outside the
house, then the rush of feet. l fancied
/ heard the word "hre !" repeated ag..a
and again, and, turning to the win
dow, there was a glow which lighted
up the whole place.
l dashed downstairs and out of the
door, to find the road thronged, for a
! house a little lower down was in
flames, and, to my horror, 1 had not
taken a dozen steps before found that
it was at our friends the Wilson's.
There was no engine, but crowd of
excited people, talking eagerly; and
| just then the fire escape came trund-
ling along the road.
1t was quite time, for the house as
reached it was blazing furiously, the
flames darting out in long fiery tongues
from the upper windows, while at
several there were people crying pite-
ously for help.
/ fought my way through the crowd
and tried to run up to the house, but
half dozen oficious people held me
back while the men with the fire
escape tried to rear it against the
house but it would not reach, because
Of the garden in front, so that they
had to get the wheels of the escape
over the iron railings, and this caused
great delay.
"Let me gop I painted to those
who held me. "Let me go! Some
one-some one in the house."
"You can't do any good, sir" said a
policeman, roughly. "The escape men
will do all they can"
But l struggled frantically and got
loose, feeling all the while a horrible,
deSpairing sensation, as l knew that
my poor darling was one of the Shrek
ingsuppliants for help at the upper
windows, and that but for my folly l
might have saved her.
AS l freed myself from those who
held me and ran to the escape, it was
to find that the man who had ascended
it had just been beaten back by the
flames.
"It's no good" he said eve must
try the back"
He was about to drag the machine
away, when heard my name called
"Dlck Dick p in piteous tones and
as l was once more seized, l shook
myself free, rushed up the ladder, with
the flames scOrching and burning my
face, and, painting and breathless, |
reached window where Matte stood
stretching out her hands.
got astride of the sill, the flames
being waited away from me,
and threw my arm around her;
but as I did so the ladder
gave way, burned through by
the flames that gushed furiously
from the lower window, and felt that
l must either jump or try and descend
by the staircase.
There was no time for thinking; so
L climbed in, lifted Matte in my arms,
feeling her dress crumble in my hands
as touched her, and the horrible odor
of burnt hair rose in my nostrils as l
saw her wild and blackened face turned
to mine.
"Dicl, Dick p she gasped, "save
me p and then she tainted.
Fortunately, was as much at home
in the house as in my own, and making
for the staircase through the flame and
smoke, reached it in safety; but be-
low me was what seemed to me to be
a fiercely blazing furnace.
recOiled for a moment, but it was
my only hope, and l recalled that the
lower floor was as yet untouched by the
fire; it was the one beneath me that
was blazing Sofuriously.
~ n iC,l,f ,f,
treasure, l rushed down the burning
stairs, feeling them crackle and give
way as l bounded from one to the
other.
1t was fiery ordeal; but in a few
seconds l was below the flames and
, reached the hall, where, painting and
suffocating, l struggled to the door,
reached it, and fell.
If could but open it 1 knew we
were saved but was exhausted, and
, the hot air caught me by the throat
and seemed to strangle me. 1 raised
my hand to the lock, but it fell back.
l beat feebly at the door, but there
, was only the roar of flames TO answer
me and as l made one more supreme
effort, painting and struggling to reach
the fastening, Twas, as it were, dragged
back by the burden l still clasped to
my breast.
1t was more than human endurance
could bear, and felt that the end was
} near; and to make my sufferings more
poignant Matte seemed to revive,
, struggling with me for her life, as she
} kept repeating my name, and chung to
me, till
"Dick-dear Dick wake; pray
wake Are you ill?"
l started up to find Matte clinging
to me; and clasping her tightly to my
heart a great sob burst from my breast
as l kissed her passionately again and
again, hardly able to believemy senses.
"Oh, Dick" she painted, ''you did