The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-07-31

He turned to the crowd of men who
stood inactive. gazing upon the scene:
"Come on and help us save the luna
berrn
A couple of dozen men came prompt
ly forward. The lumberman saw, to
his surprise, that the volunteers were
almost exclusively composed Of the So
called professional men of the town.
The local officials of the railroad, a
dapper, well-dressed set of fellows,
commonly viewed with contemptuous
eyes by the Woodworking portion of the
population, presented themselves al
most to a man. The tall form of Judge
Cheeseman, a stiff and somewhat arfs-
tocratic legal luminary, doomed up in
their midst. A quiet-looking little real
estate agent leaped upon a pile of shin
down to a German chemist below. The
two rival editors, (for the least of New
Mexican villages usually boasts its min
iature newspaperdom9 who had ex-
changed shots on Gold Avenue the
previous day, glared cordially at each
other along the lengths of the timbers
they undertook to transport to a place
of safety. The laboring population
offered scarcely a representative, save
in the persons of a few contractors and
mechanics, who had learned to know
and like the pleasant young lumber
man.
The men worked like heroes. Their
energy never waned until a faint light
in the east began to rival the red glare
of the flames. through the medium of
the high, rare atmosphere, cast over
the desert plains for miles around, and
every piece of lumber was removed to
Q safe distance.
Worn and wearied. John Proctor sat
down forrest upon the wheel of his own
copying press. A gradual change had
taken place in the ranks of the loungers.
Many of the spectators of the night had
gone home to refresh themselves with
a nap, and the remainder were rein
forced by a struggling corps of men
who had slept through all the turmoil
and excitement. One of these, q stout
fellow with a big diamond blazing in
his shirt bosom and a mimic beer bot
tie suspended from his massive watch
chain, was recounting his experience,
as all people revel in detailing their in
diyidual impressions IN the occasion of
q fire.
"You see L was. sleeping like a log
when Lizzie caught hold of my shoul-
der and she says: Bob, Bob, wake up,
l tell you. The sky is all aire and
there must be an eclipser I reached
up to see if my pocket-book was safe
The words brought back to John
Proctor a sense of the loss he had sus-
tanned. At that moment Maxon strolled
up, flushed with exertion. He had
just administered a sound kicking to a
couple of young Mexicans, whom he
had detected making off with a keg Of
building hardware.
"Maxon," he said, abruptly, ..did
that fellow who got me out last night
come out safely HIMSELF"
.Now / think of il" returned Maxon,
she went back a minute; but he got out
all right-just as the roof fell in. !
thought at the moment a piece of fall
ing timber hit him, but he scrambled
off fast enough"
Proctor's honest heart; but he repealed
it sturdily. Yet all day long as he
wandered dreamily about, answering
a thousand idle questions or fishing
from the ruins various mementoes o.
the wreck there would constantly in,
trude upon him the memory of two
greedy, devouring eyes, peering through
a window. a strange retreat into
burning building, and disappearance
into the shadows. When night came il
was necessary for some one to stay ant
guard the ruins, for, if the wind should
rise, some smouldering piles of lumber
might be famed into a blaze, and the
remainder of the stock be swept away
Maxon, weary and hollow-eyed, Offered
his services.
sNot a bit of it, Maxon. Go hom,
to your wife and babies, 1 have engaged
q man."
Proctor did not add that the watch
man he had engaged was no other thar
himself, but when the rest had gon,
home he remained there alone. Sep
arated as it was from the rest of tn,
town, by night the place vas a drear,
solitude. Once the call of a mockins
bird thrilled in the distance. A fer
eye, miles away over the level plain
developed into the headlight of the 10
connective of the evening train. which
Numbered past on its way to the depo
below. The moon came up and threw
into weird relief the blackened ruins.
John Proctor, who had been slowl,
pacing to and fro, sat down upon
bunch of shingles and buried his fac,
in his hands. He knew, what not Eve
Maxon had guessed, that this disaste
had wrought his irreparable ruin. /
would require every cen of the insur
ance money to settle his outstandin!
liabilities, for he had done business OF
the rushing Western plan, and had car
ried a stock out of all proportion to hi
capital. If he could only have save,
that five thousand, or if he had not bee
so ambitious. Annie had been ready
poor little girl! She had even proposes
bringing her piano to this raw Southern
town, and eking out their income wit
the result of her W labors. On on
point he was resolved. Whenever b
got square with the world again h
would put his pride in his pocket, an,
humbly present himself before the littl
woman, ask her to share his fortunes
for better or worse. o, God! how Ion,
would it bep A stifled groan escapes
his lips.
Suddenly he rose and stood erect
His quick ear had caught the sound G
some heavy body slowly moving owe
the ground.
"Who is there?"
A wavering voice replied:
"Only me. Is that you, bossP"
John Proctor bent forward and pei
ceived a man slowly crawling along i
the shadow of a pile of joist. As tn
figure emerged into the moonlight, h
saw that the fellow dragged n lie
helplessly after him. His suspicion
melted away beneath his natura
warmth of heart.
"Are you hurt?"
"Only a falling timber, boss, but tn
fire got into my eyes and I can't Sc
very we'll"
He had drawn himself to Proctor