Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-04-07

just when l was about to mount alone.
the ragged stranger -fellow, whom l had
be. ore observed working so vigorously,
came running up. He had been too busy
In another place TO know what was going
forward sooner. That was scarcely a
peoples looks, yet l had an impression
that he was not altogether a stranger to
me.
He looked up to the roof. The delay Of
those few minutes had given a fearful ad-
vantage to the fire. "There is death up
ueru important TO your"
ut IL is burned l am a beggar. Every
k0peck l am worth Is In it. A hundred
roubles IL YOU will help me save It'll"
"We can talk of the reward afterward,"
he said, as he sprapg past me and up the
ladder like a cat.
Twas following, too eagerly, perhaps, to
be careful, and l am heavy man. A
round broke, and down came, with q knee
so much twisted that / could scarcely
stand. 1t was no longer Ia my power TO
climb to the roof.
a wall, could see that ragged fellow, who
was up and doing enough for three or four
ordinary men. You should have seen how
he sent the shingles rattling down. Seen
from below, he seemed at times to be work.
ing with fire all around him, but he went
Oh WiohOuo hiihuihB I've noNoI saw I'LL
Englishman-let alone Russian-go to II
with better will. I heard the people
round me say that he worked more like q
ilend than mortal man-and so he did.
He handled the burning wood as though
his fingers had beep iron instead Of flesh
from the flames that blazed up round his
face. He never appeared to rest or stay
for breath until he had succeeded in cut
ting OIL the communication between the
fire and the mill.
made the men below set the ladder as
handily as they could for him to get down,
and he did his best to reach IL. But he
must have been quite used up, besides
being pretty much blinded and suffocated
with the smoke. Anyway, he lost his
footing, and down he went through the
rafters, and crashed among the burning
| rubbish below. 1t was an ugly fall.
We got him out as well as we could; and
snch scorched, smoke blackened
smashed-up copy of Gods image should
never wish to see again. But he was still
alive, and to the proposal to carry him
straight to the hospital, said, "No; take
him into my house." So they took him in
After we had got the fire quite under
and made all safe about the mill, limped
| to the side OF the bed where they had laid
| the poor fellow. He had come round BIZ
| by that time. He tried to open his eyes,
but 1t seemed to me that the fire and smoke
had not left him much power of seeing
| with them. He spoke, however, more
distinctly than might have been expected
and his first question was whether the mil
was safe.
l told him that owing to his pluck It was
l was surprised to find that he recognized
| my voice, and still more when he named
my name. "You do not know me,n hi
said-and, indeed, it was not likely thai
any one should know such a crushed and
shapeless mass of cinder as he was-"You
do not know me-Feodor Stepanovitch
They caught me and took me back.
knew you when you spoke to me in the
street, but dared not answer, lest they
should suspect you of having befriended
me. have escaped from them again, and
am going home to Ivahova. must see
my wife and that villain Makaroff."
He lay little, and then added: 81 am
glad was here to help you tonight. an
glad they did not take me again before
got here. do not think the politzia will
take me again" ecsGs
And they did not; for he was dead within
an hour of that time.
That, sir, is the end of my story of ST.
bertak Do you happen to have a light
handy; for, somehow, have let my pipe
out? And, bless me, my pipe bowl is quite
wet. believe Pm crying. What an Ole
ass l am London Society.