The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-12-04
HarKlsa,voice from the far away,

| L lie 'SO1lS Is SctO dI1u Nld11dT1&e VheTlVIl
| says with scorn, it is abssnrd that he
| sheurld treat them to such aydoIleful air.
| Only Miss Kirby understands why he
has ,dhossn it tonight and at herre-
! quest Her eyes say mutely to hmm:
"-Y0u are going out of my life forever,
| amd this is good bye"
When darkness gathers over Elm
| Lodge the little household separate for
| Madge' only fingers behind the others,
her, :as-she stands outside in the night
air, that she must care for her health
| and ,herroses. 1t is the last might she
| w1ll,ever stand here thus with him,
she tells her heart, and so, putting
| cut her hands, she says soft
| ly, '"Dear friend, 1 want to say to
| you.how grateful am for wour kind
| ness to me, how much 1 esteem you;
and-a1id- God bless you, Professor. !"
| She does not hear his reply, but goes
swiftly up the stairs and once in her
room she falls on her kneesand bursts
into passion Of weeping, the bitter
estsheihas ever known. To-n1CrrOw
sheis going away, and in one week she
| is going to be married to young man
| who has held her trotk iforyears.
Down under the stars the grave, king
| ly, middle-aged man walks up and
down On the terrace, striving with q
strong mans fierce will to overcome
his sorrow and gain peace aRdcontent
| for dhe future.
Itas: after midnight. Madse Kirby,
in her white night robes, sits at
the open window of her sleeping
room, where after a long, sad
vigil she has fallen asleep. A brilliant
red light is playing about her face, and
it shines into her room and reddens
the well. There is a fire, heat COM
ing from somewhere. Suddenly wild
shout rises on the air. 1t Is the erynof
1ifre, from some one who stanGston
the laMp. 1t reaches the ears of all
but those two who have slept SO little
during the night land who, at last have
closed their eyes in deep perhaps ia
tai slumber Madge sleeps on, and
down an his own room the master of
the burning house lies dreaming ofber.
The lady teacher, with the other pn-
pills, flock down the stairs and out rs-
to the grounds. The roof is on fire,
and NO hannah power can save the old
wooden mansion from swift destrue-
ton. Now some one asks for the pro-
fessor. Another says he is at work
trying to check the flames. The men
servants are busily employed thus,
and after little parley there is no fur
ther questfani for anybody. Suddenly
the master feels a light touch on his
brow. 1t thrills and awakens him. He
looks up to Gnd sleder figure bend
ing above him.
4.Max!ts MaNl a awaken, for God sake
savey yourself, ahe house is buirnng over
u.s." Madge Kirby says In a hoarse
strained voice.
In an instaat he is upon his feet,
and wrapped she is in his dressing
gown, he clasps her in his strong arms
and turns to the door. A furious
cracking and roaring greets their ears.
The roof is falling in, and as they
endeavor to pass into the hall
a black cloud of smoke and fall
ing cinders blinds and suffocates
them. She lies against his breast, she
teels his breath heavily on her cheek,
she cannot see, can scarcely breathe.
"Oh, my God!' he gasps, ''can not
save you, Madge, my darling? My lit
tie one must we die In this accursed
hole away from the pure air. of heay-
en?" 1t is only the moan ofhis burst
ing heart as he struggles to find some
means of exit. She has ceased to
realize their peril. Insensibility has
wrapped her like the robe of death.
The chamber is filling with debris from
above and he, clasping his burden to
his breast, is striving to reach the
x,,1a 1o ha
may make flying passage way from
their perilous position to terra tirma.
He is there, the window is all a mass
of flames, and boldly, bravely, he
steps with his bare feet upon the burn
ing sill, and out into the. night.
With a feeling of great Joy he
roof of the porch. He had for
cotton his sleeping room was directly
over it. The cool vines to his blister
ed and bleeding feet feel soft and CRATE
full. He pauses here not moment,
but clumsily lowers himself with his
inanimate burden to the ground.
Madge, my darling, my own sweet |
love are you dead?" he means, as he
bathes her face and hands with water,
after he had lain her on bench in the
garden.
They are quite alone for the others |
have long departed forgetful of all
save themselves.
After long time she revives and
finds him kneeling thus calling fondly
on her name.
'sThank God that we are safe, " is all |
she says, wearily closing her eyes once
more, and in o child-like way
drawing him down to her until |
her head can rest on his bo-
som. For a moment they. re-
main thus, both filled with a
new sweet peace, which in spite of the
unpleasantness of the moment, makes |
the night like heaven to them. Then |
he says gently, 'Iittle one, | must get |
you to a place of safety. Your gar
ments areburned, and tattered as are
mine. The morning will soon dawn
and, Madge-"
He is growing embarrassed, and she |
laughs nervously.
ssAnd this is not exactly proper for |
w., loor Won will oot i'll on1 |