The Panola weekly star., 1885-10-24
GRACE LORD
An Incident Of thu Great Chics 20
Fro.

INV
my God' how can I'VE ana The city
burning upF' groaned Mr Lord, turn.
lBg impatiently on his pillow
but you aie Insured. said bIs wife.
with pale face, you will not lose every.
thing
1T isn't the ofiic. that care for
answered Mr. Lord, "but package u
papers, very valuable entrusted 10 my
care, md he groaued again.
But won't the safe protect thcm'"
cried Mrs. Lord, eagerly.
That's the worst Of Il, ~ said Mr..
Lord, in voice husky with emotion.
They should be in the safe, but In my
halidaEed state on the day was taken
Ill. neglected 10 put them there, they
are 10 my desk, and the only comfort |
have had since | could think was that
Il was good lock, aud have the key
but Dowl"
Are they so very valuable thenP'
80 precious that II they are burned |
shall be disgracedi II will be- dishouor
II am unable TO produce them II Is
unpardonAbls that should not have se-
cured them II will Kill me. lfeel tha,
Il wilt Obi II could only moyel or
Horber, we're herem
Cant ! do somethlng'" eagerly
asked his wife.
mo indeed From what Mr.. Brown
tells ms ihs streets are tilled with mob:
no lady would be safe In them for an In.
stant. She would be robbed. II not
worse. Herbert might perhaps find a
way TO get them. and 10 save his father 5
honor. Il not also bis lie. I'm sure h.
would. o. how can live aud le, them
burnt
Listening breaihlessly with whit. face
10 this talk. stood Grace Lord, who wa.
just entering the room when her father
spoke. A thought had crossed her mind.
and plan had grown In these few sec.
onds.
why can't I save those psperP'
was the thought, and II will. was the
conclusion. ~ her father ended.
Softly turning away from the open
door. she stole back up stairs 10 her
room.
ii can 20 ~ well ~ Bert, she whis.
pered to herself II know where papa
keeps bis keys. and know Just where
his desk "a In the Office. lean run down
there before mamma misses me. and
how happy papa wlll be. He said the
streets were not safe. was the next
ihoughi. but he said a boy could 20.
III put on Bcrt's clothes" flashed iuto
her mind.
Without stopping TO think more about
u, she ran into her brothers room
found an ouigrown suit In hi. closet.
slipped OF her outer garments and pul
on these, snatcbed q last year hat from
shelf. and waiting only to get hel
fathers keys out of q pocket in hi.
clothes which hung In hail closet. She
opened the street door and WAS gone
II was noble and generous impulse,
but !, was fearful thing 10 de-.
This happened In Chicago. during the
terrible lire that burned that city ihir
teen year ago. II was early on Mon
day morning; the South side was Al
ready aroaring furnace. and the Nortl
slds. in which my story lies. was even
then on hrs.
when Grace turned the corner into
much used street she was appalled,, Ant
for an instant turned back. II wa
hlled with crowd Of people hurryinI
BY with fear. horror and other strang,
passions In their faces Some wsr
loaded with household goods or treas
urrs they hoped 10 save. others carryiul
screaming babies or dragging chIldreI
too frightened 10 run, and now anl
then two or three holding between then
one too III TO stand. Ii was a terribl
sight. whole city flying for life. and
girl alone. however brave. might wei
be alarmed.
IL was only for = moment, however
Grace thought Of her father. an,
plunged Into the street The Office wa
not more than half a mile. aud her fec
fairly new, although everybody else wa
going the other way, and she had :
.lodgs between people and horses an
loads of all sorts.
II was we'll she bad not far TO go. q
the roof was just bursting into flame I
she opened the door with her father
keys, His desk easily yielded to III
peculiar key she knew 80 well. an
among letters aud papers laid packag
she instinctiyely knew was the prcciou
one. so carefully tied and sealed. so OF
OF place Il looked there.
Grsce seized Il aud started out. car,
fully locking the desk and putting N
keys In her pocket. when the though
arose, Where could she hide the pacl
sgeP"
You boys would say in the inn,
breast pocket Of the vest But thei
was no vest. at any rate Grace had nom
and inner pockets were an unknow
mystery 10 her. She thought an instan
then quietly slipped II down the back
her neck inside the clothes The wal.
band was tight for her. and she felt sul
II was safe, and hastily rsn into u
street.
Things had changed greatly even
these few minutes. The tall blocks q
both sides of the street were on fire.
big building at the corner had fallen At
cut oh ber return that way. while n
sir was full OF smoke and cinders az
beat that nearly suifccsted her. Ins,es
OF the crowd she had seen, Il was d
serted. every one bad fed for his IN
Smotbered. blinded. frightened. Ora
turned 10 rup-alasl Away from hon
II was the only war she could 20.
ths first corner. she found herself I
longer alone. but one small atom Of
moving mas Of people. " turn Il
other way would have been like tryir
70 stem . furious rushing river. and b
eldes, that way was thick smoke On
nrs. She was carried With The erows
hsvildsred, lost. hut sven In that awfl
moment hllsd win Joy that shs bad b
IstheF's pepsu.
II Ars uarsked e v,tk raj
orso. esiving bs1ors h tks multisud
ns1elen vnnderers, aueer them os
oos us.ee. To ths LAKE skors the
80 = l. llul breath q The ti.m.
1.9ved uen eyuo IN ~ usser h
VI Nd ssast. iIll ~ vat,