The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-11-15

me, Sle went SLOWLY 10 che uoOr, SlluC'
out and was gone.
That broke the spell and l started
from my seat. but more angry thai
ever. l was wroth with her now TO
obcying Int 50 mcckly, and | gentl
opened the door to hear her call tn,
maid and tell her to accompany her a
far as the Wilson's.
Then l heard them go--hcard tn
girl return, the door close. and | Wa
alone.
Alone? Well, not exactly: for. 81
to speak, l was having in interview
with my angry self, as l felt that
was, asking how l could let a fcrlin!
of annoyance act upon my bette
nature and make me behave as l hat
to the sweet little girlisll being who
during the six months we had beer
married. had never looked at he bu'
with the eyes Of love.
"Change your things and 60 aftc'
her." something seemed to say but
repealed it, threw my writing aside
kicked off my boots, snatched my slip
pers out of the Sidchoard, thrust thu
easy-chair in front of the cozy fire
threw myself into it, and then with my
feet in the fender and my hands in my
pockets, [ sat, morose, bitter and I'm
comfortable, gazing ut the glowing
emDerS.
"She had no business to go" l ex
claimed. "She knew l was up i'll
last night, writing that abominablt
book, and was out of sorts, and ought
to have stayed"
Then I reviewed the past half-hour
and grew calmer as l leaned back
knowing as l did, and well, that / had
forced her to go, poor child, and how
miserable she would be.
"She'n forget it among all those
people, I said, bitterly but l did not
believe it, and at last sat there calling
myself ass, idiot, blind, mailman, t.
plant, as l had, the first seeds of what
might grow into a very uraS tree of
dissension and blight the whole of our
married life.
Poor little darling I said at last
"Tll wait up till she comes home, and
then tell her how sorry 1 msfor my
folly and ask her forgiveness
But, as a man, a | do that" l
said. "Will it not be weak"
"Never mind" l exclaimed, "Ill do
it! Surely there can be 10 Drawer
thing to do than own ones self in the
wrong. Life's too short to blur it with
petty quarrels. And suppose she were
taken i'll to-night-my darling, whom 1
love with all my heart? Or, suppose
she went too near the fire, and her
dress caught alight? There, how alb
surd! Thank goodness she is in silk,
and not in n of those tly-away mus
Inns !"
1 sat on, musing and musing, till
suddenly there was a buzz outside the
house, then the rush of feet. l fancied
| heard the word "tire !" repeated again
and again, and, turning to the win
dow, there was Il glow which lighted
upthe 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, l had not
taken a dozen steps beforeI found that
it was ut our friends the Wilson's.
There was no engine, but a 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 l
reached it vas blazing furiously, the
flames darling out in long fiery tongues
from the upper windows, while at
several there were people crying pite-
ously for help.
1 fought my way through the crowd
and tried to run up to the house, but
half 4 dozen olficious people held me
back while the men with the fire
escape tried to real 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 ratings, and this caused
great delay.
"Let me go" 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 q
policeman, roughly. 1.-The escape men
will do all they can"
But l struggled frantically and got
loose, feeling all the while a horrible,
despairing sensation, as | knew that
my poor darling was n of the Shrek
ing suppliants for help at the upper
windows, and that but for my folly l
might have saved her.
AS 1 freed myself from those who
held me and ran to the escape, it was
to find that the mar who had assembled
it had just been beaten back by the
flames.
cts no good" he said eve must
try the back"
He was about to drag the machine
away, when l heard my name called,
"Dlck! Dick !" in piteous tones; and
as l was once more seized, I shook
myself free, rushed up the ladder, with
the flames searching and burning my
face, and, painting and %breathlcss, l
reached a window where Matte stood
stretching out her hands.
l got astride of the sill, the flames
being waited away from me,
and threw my arm around her;
but as l did 50 the ladder
gave way, burned through by
the flames that gushed f~uriously
from the lower window, and l felt that
I must either jump or try and descend
by the staircase.
There was no time for thinking; so
1 climbed in, lifted Matte in my arms,
feeling her dress crumble in my hands
as l touched her, and the horrible odor
of burnt hair rose in my nostrils as |
saw her wild and blackened face turned
to mine.
"Dick, Dick !" she gasped, "save
me !" and then she tainted.
Fortunately, l was us much at home
in the house as in my own, and making
for the staircase through the flame and
smoke, l reached it in safety; but be-
low Inc was what seemed to me to be
a ~tiercely blazing furnace.
| recoiled for moment, but it was
my. only hope, and | recalled that tie
lower floor was as yet untouched hy the
fire; it was the INT beneath me that
was blazing SO furiouSly.
So, getting a good tight grip of my
treasure, / rushed down the burning
stairs, feeling them cracklc and give
way rs l bounded from II to the
other.
1t was a fiery ordeal; but in Il few
seconds l was below the flames and
reached the hall, where, painting and
sutTocating, l struggled to the door,
reached it,and fell.
If l could but open it I knew we
were saved Int WAS exhausted. and