Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-12-02
GRACE LORD.
An Incident OF the Great Chicago
Fire.

~ ~
"My God! how can live and the city
burning upP" grooned Mr.. Lord, turn
ing impatiently on his pillow.
"But you ale insured" said his wife.
with pale face, you will not lose every
thing"
ut isn't the office that / care for"
answered Mr.. Lord, "but package of
papers, very valuable, entrusted to my
care" and he groaned again.
"But won't the safe protect them3"
cried Mrs. Lord, eagerly.
That's the worst of it," said Mr..
Lord. in voice husky with emotion.
"They should be in the safe, but in my
hplf.dazcd state on the day was taken
i'll, | neglected to put them there; they
are in my desk, and the only comfort
have had since | could think was that
it was a good lock, and have the key
but now!'
care they so very valuable thenp"
$50 precious that il they are burned
slp'l he disgraccd; it will be dishonor
il am unable to produce them. 1t is
objectionable that should not have Sc
cured them; it will kill me. Ifcel that
il will! Ga! if 1 could only move! or
Herbert were herer
''Can't l do something's" eagerly
asked his wife.
mo indeed! From what Mr.. Brown
tells me the streets are filled with mob;
no l;ly would be safe in them for an in
staut. She would be robbed, if not
worse. Herbert might perhaps find a
way "a Get them, and to save his fathers
honor. if not also his life. I'm sure he
would o, how can live and let them
brrn!'
listening breathlessly with white face
to ibis talk, stood Grace Lord. who was
jus entering the room when her father
spoke. A thought had crossed her mind,
and II plan had grown in these few Sec
onds.
why can't l save those papersp"
was the thought, and II WILL" was the
conclusion, as her father ended.
ScfIly turning away from the open
door, she stole back up stairs to her
room.
- can GO as we'll MS Bert" she whis-
pcrcd to herself. al know where papa
keeps his KEYS, and | know Just where
his desk is in the office. can run down
there before mamma misses me, and
how happy papa will be. He said the
streets were not SAFE was the next
thcuga;, but he said boy could go.
III put on Bert's Clothes" flashed into
hcT mind.
Without stopping to think more about
It, >''e ran into her brothers room,
foGaG aD outgrown suit in his closet,
Slipped off her outer garments and put
OF these, snatched last years hat from
a shelf, and waiting only to get her
fathers keys out of pocket in his
clothes which hung in n hall closet, she
opened the street door and was gone.
II was n noble and generous impulse,
but it was fearful thing to do.
This happened in Chicago, during the
terrible fire that burned that city thir
teen years ago. 1t was early on Mon
day morning; the South Side was al
ready aroaring furnace, and the North
Side, in which my story lies, was even
then on fire.
When Grace turned the corner into .
much used street she was appalled,, and
for IN instant turned back. It wa.
filled with crowd of people hurryine
by with fear, horror and other strange
passions in their faces. Some were
loaded with household goods or treas
ures they hoped to save, others carrying
screaming babies or dragging cbildrer
too frightened to run, and now ant
then two or three holding between then
one too i'll to stand. It was a terrible
sight, whole city flying for life, and ,
girl alone, however brave, might wei
be alarmed.
1t was only for moment, however
Grace thought of her father, anC
plunged into the street. The Office wa
not more than half mile, and her fee
fairly flew, although everybody else wa
going the other way, and she had t
,iodgc between people and horses ant
loads of all sorts.
II was well she had not far to go, fo
the roof was just bursting into fame Al
she opened the door with her father
keys. His desk easily yielded to tn,
peculiar key she knew so well, ant
among letters and papers laid package
she instinctively knew was the precious
one, so carefully tied and sealed, so on
of place it looked there.
Grace seized it and started out, care
fully locking the desk and putting tn,
keys in her pocket, when the though
arose, where could she hide the pack
agep"
You boys would say in the inne
breast pocket of the vest. But Their
was no vest, at any rate Grace had none
and inner pockets were an unknown
mystery to her. She thought an instant
then quietly slipped it down the back o
her neck inside the clothes. The waist
band was tight for her, and she felt sur
it was safe, and hastily ran into tn
street.
Things had changed greatly even il
these few minutes. The tall blocks OF
both sides of the street were on fire,
big building at the corner had fallen an,
cut of her return that way, while tn,
air was full of smoke and cinders ant
heat that nearly sufrocated her. Instea,
of the crowd she had seen, it was de
serted, every one had fled for his life
Smothered, blinded, frightened, Grac
turned to run-alasl away from home
1t was the only way she could go. A
the first corner, she found herself NJ
longer alone, but one small atom Of
moving mass of people. To turn TIN
other way would have been like tryinJ
to stem furious rushing river, and be
sides, that way was thick smoke an,
fire. She was carried with the crowd
bewildered, lost, but even in that awfu
moment filed with Joy that she bad he
fathers papers.
The fire marched on with rapi'
strides, driving before it the multitud,
of homeless wanderers, among them on
poor Grace. To the lake shore the.
went, and as the hot breath of the flame
followed them even into the water ia
out as they could stand, till the waite