The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-10-23
niteous tones: and as I was once more

| DlUoOuS ZONES, dIlu DIS was OliCo ulOTo
Seized, l shook myself free, rushed up
the ladder, with the flames scorching
| and burning my face and painting and
| breathless, reached q window where
| Matte stood stretching out her hands.
got astride OF the sill, the flames
being waited away from me, and threw
| nv arms around her; but as | did so
| the ladder gave away, burned through
| r., the flames that gushed furlously
| from the lower window, and felt that
| I must either jump or try to descend
| by the staircase.
There was no time for thinking, so l
| climbed in, lifted Matte in my arms,
! feeling her dress crumble in my hands
as touched her, and the horrible odor
of burnt hair rose to my nostrils as l
saw her wild, blackened face turned to
| mine. ....
''Dick, Dick!" she gasped, "save me"
/ and then she tainted.
Fortunately, was as much at home
in the house as my own, and making
| for the staircase through the flame
and smoke, reached it in safety, but
| below me was what seemed to be
| fiercely blazing furnace. l Irecoiled for
q moment, but it was my only hope,
and [ recalled that the lower floor was
as yet untouched by the fire; it was
the one beneath me that was blazing
so furiously. So, getting q good tight
grip of my treasure, l rushed down
| the burning stairs, feeling them crackle
and give way as bounded from onet to
| the other.
| It was q fiery ordeal, but in a few
seconds I was below the flames, and
reached the hall, where | struggled to
| the door, reached it and fell. H1could
| but open it knew we were saved; but
I was exhausted, and the hot air
caught me by the throat and seemed
| to strangle me. I raised my hand to
| the lock, but it fell back. beat feebly
| at the door but there was only the
roar of the flames to answer me; and
as | made one more supreme effort
painting and struggling to reach the
| fastening I was dragged back by the
weight of the burden still clasped to
| my breast.
1t was more than human endurance
| could bear, and l felt that the end was
near; and to make my sufferings more
poigant, Matte seemed to revive,
struggling with me for her life, as she
kept repeating my name, and clung to
me, till
s'Dick-dear Dick! Wake-pray
wake! Are you ill?"
Istarted up to find Matte clinging to
me; and, clasping her to my heart 8
great sob burst from me as kissed
her passionately again and again,
hardly able to believe my senses.
''Oh, Dick' she painted, ''you did
frighten me SO! couldn't stay to
supper at the Wilson's dear, for I
could do nothing but think about your
being here alone, and cross with me.
Sol was so miserable, Dick, that I
slipped away and came home, to find
you lying back here, painting and strug-
Cling; you wouldn't wake when shook
you. Wereyou ill?'
"Oh, no, not at ALL" l said. as kiss
ed her again and again, feeling now for
the first time sensible of a smarting pain
in one foot.
"You have burnt yourself too, Dick.
Look at your foot.
It was quite true; the toe of one
slipper must have come in contact
with the fire; and it was burned COM
pletely off.
"But, dear Dick" she whispered,
Nesting closer to me, care you very
angry with your little wife for being
such a girl?''
could net answer, only thank God
that my weak fit Of folly was past, as
I clasped her closer and closer yet.
"Mattie," I said at last in q very
husky voice, 'fcan you forgive me for
being SO weak?''
could say no more, for the hind
rance of two soft lips placed on mine;
and while they rested there made a
vow I hope l shall have strength to
keep; for real troubles are so plenty it
is folly to invent the false.
At last, when 1 was free, I took the
rose out of her hair and placed 1t in
my pocketbook; while, in answer to
the inquiring eyes that were bent on
mine, merely said,-
"For q momento of a dreadful
dream"
By the way, I never finished that
pamphlet. .+ ....... ..s.