The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-05

two men passed her in fall swing. al know where the sleeping-roosns ere and the best flight of stairs to take' It was impossible tc keep up with them. ! In another minute they had disappeared in the darkness cf the wood. and lane could only hear the sour d of their quick ly-falling foct-ueads.
 In three minutes more. however. she had gained a side of the farm yard 1 leading to the cow sheds, and climbing the gate in ;he shower Of soos and sparks, she gained the back window of the house as the coast guardsmen with their united efforts crashed in a small side | door.
 Follow me" cried the girl. l" This door leads into a side passage to the kitchen. think, and we can then get into the other wing of the house. cried lane Merryweather. breaih.essly, as she darted on in front of the men and groped her way along the dark passage. l One man growled and told her not 10 I go on, bu; 10 leave # 10 them: but by this time jane, feeling her way along by the walls, had trAversed the kitchen and had gained the passage which led to ,he 1 ..v,ng-yooms, where she was net by a dense cloud of smoke. For a momen, she fe!i s,.f,ed and dizzy bu, as she heard the two men gfoping behind her she gained courage and pressed on 10 the 1 right. where a ,urn n the passage breagh, them 10 the foo, of the stairs leading to the upper floor.
 This way. she cried. and darting up ] ihe s;aits. with her hand firmly clasping the bannis,er, she again encountered a s,ill thicker wall ot smoke
 She noticed tha; |, seemed to DC com- i ing from the right wing, so that the room which lay 10 ,he jeff, which Mrs. Brock occupied. nigh; still be untouched by the devouring flames. A, the same time 1t became hotter every moment. ane managed sto creep to :his upper i landing, where she could distinctly hear screams, which seemed 10 proceed from this latter s,ce.
 i 4, tha, moment she stumbled agains, something, and heard Ned Broek's voice exelaiming to an apparently tesrihed servan,
 There is the staircase now you are not hurt; you can get ou, by the front door Kun as hard as you can to Golden Hill For for the engine. As hard as you can-do you hear"
 Ned Ned.' cried lane Merry weather. Is tha, you Are you hurt v she exclaimed, as she clung 10 him as If she could never let him go again.
 Good heavens, lane '" he answered, how are you here =
 Where is your mother" she went on, as he quickly guided her down stairs out of danger of the ire.
 Thank heaven, she IS outside in the garden I've just carried her down. but she'll De killed oa, there in the cold. | l mus, run back for a mattress and shaw.s."
 They had reached the ground floor by this time, and ass he indicated the way out, and turned ,o go back, a tremendous crash echoed through the house, and a great flame lii up the down-pouIing smoke al the head of the passage. The floor had fallen m. sne nearly tumbled to the ground with the force of ihe shock, but managed 10 stagger towards her lover, who elasped her tight in his arms. They were nearly choked with the sui locating and binding smoke. The heat was fnghtful, as the flames now tapped along the ceiling. Blind!y and desper- ately he struggled along the passage while she whispered
 "You must not go back-you shall not. My-my darling, love you-i have loved you all the time :"
 The next instance she had lost con. sciousness, and it was the weight of a lifeless figure tha, he had dragged ou, into the open air.
 Some days after, Jane MeTEyweathel was sitting ln Miss MoLaehlan's prim lit tie drawing room. She was hali- -lounging half-reciining in a large armchair, and had a book on her lap and a bunch O primroses in a vase on a table at her side She wore a knitted blue shawl over heI shoulders. and had the languid air of q person who is being petted and made much of.
 IL is possible that Miss Merryweathel had succumbed to her aunt's enireatie, and had allowed herself the dissipation of being i'll. At any rate Miss MoLach. Ian had been in her glory for whols week, making mysterious brews, and running about with bottle of por wins under her arm, glass of which fluid sh ( was continually offering her niece There was nothing which reused Mis- McLaehlans enthusiasm like having some one to nurse.
 "Ah, my love '" she exclaimed, com ing into the dining-room, how are yor now. Surely the light will hur, youl eyes ; let me lower the blind just lit tle!'
 Aunt Maria fused about the room witt twenty suggestions for her nieces com fort. which, of course, had the effect o making her uncomfortable
 My dear aunt, am perfectly well only feel fightfully lazy,s returned the girl Wont you get your work and siI down P
 My dear. I've not had the altar piece out for a whole week. You frightened me to death, my dear, when you were 1 hrouOht home that niehf woodeY vou