Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-01-07


| man. "Wiu you trust yourself to me,
Signorina, for will save you or perish
| in the attempt,-are you afraid?"
"NotnowI" the Venetian saidlooking
up in his face; Il fear that seething
crowlthe horror of death by crush
ing, @she shuddered, far more than
those roaring flames; but you mustnot,
shall not peril your life for me, a stran-
ger. who indeed has nothing to make
| her life worth one risk to one who has
doubtless dear ones to mourn him.
Escape, Signor Inglese, leave mel"
"When~you are in safety, not before"
he said, almost amused at her entreaty;
ito go out on to the corridors now is
little less than death-listen to the cries
of those who have rushed out!"
Leonora shuddered, then shrank back
as a volume Of smoke and vivid flames
burst with roar through the curtains
and seized the ceiling just beyond the
stage.
"'Iy unclel' said the girl under her
breath; she must have escaped, for he
must have been near the door,"
"We will hope so, and my friend had
left the house. Have you courage still
to trust me and stay here?"
II have courage to do anything you
think best!" was the reply, as if she had
known him for years, SO strangely and
completely does common terrible dan
ger level alike distinction and cOnyen-
tiOnality, crossing all those lines which
al nj
sex, lifting human nature for the time
back to the primeval innocence before
| evil had raised these barriers.
Still with those little hands clinging
to his, thrilling his very heart with their
touch; St. Maur for minute steadily
watched the advance of the fire, Now
through all the roar and flames and cries
of those damned in the passages they
| could hear the sh-sh of water from the
engines outside and the shouts Of the
crowd.
"The auditorium" he said, "is, you
| see, almost empty; but those who sur
vive are crushing in all the outlets. All
the walls and passages and stairs are
stone, and if only those flames will al
| low us to remain here till some of those
hapless creatures now struggling in the
corridors are rescued, [ can get you out
in safety. This smoke and heatis fear
full; but look, the roof above the stage
will crash in directly"
Almost as he spoke there was deaf
ening roar like thunder, and that part
of the roof came crashing doWn-amas
of burning beams and heated iron grid
| ers.
20 Gram Dio, this is too awful" cried
the girl, covering her eyes, half dizzy
and stifed; must we stay here still?"
She was trembling now, and Guy pass
ed one arm round the slender girlish
form, wrapping her mantle as much
about her head and face as he could
without impeding sight or respiration.
NO." he said, 'the flames will soon
reach this. We will try our chance out
side, cara Signorina mia"
| The heat was now, indeed, Unendur-
| able, and ST. Maur opened the door Of
| the box into the corridor.
Great Heaven!" he said between his
teeth, ''the fire has burst through at the
stage and seized the roofing here"
| And now sweeping onward, slowly
but surely-there was not a moment to
| lose-he caught the Venetian up in his
arms and fled along the passage, with
the strength God gives to the desperate.
She clinging abOu, ais neck, but never
utteEing one word, he reached the stair
case at the end, the flames roaring on
| behind, he paused a second to tighten
his hold of his precious burden, and de-
scended rapidly, grimly lighted by the
glare from behind as well as the gas-jets
in the walls.
On, on, to q wider corridor, where the
breath Of fresher air and louder sounds
from the crowd outside, gave blessed
warning of nearing some outlet, by
which haply hundreds had emerged be-
fore them. On, on, still; another wind
ing stair and a gallery, and a wide entry
giving on the courtyard and street.
There is a wild cheer from the crowd
as he energies and puts Leonora on her
feet again, still evidently toomuff1ed up
to be recognized by anyone who might
have known her.
At that moment an English voice ex-
claimed, as a firm hand grasped his
arm
"Good Lordl it's his honor himself,
bless him! We've got the boat close by,
my lord!"
Jack! what has sent you, good fell
Iows!" exclaimed Guy; lead on, then,
my man."
1t was boat and several of his own
seamen from the SEA Queen" who,
having leave ashore, had, Jack said,
pulled close up the canal nearest to lend
a hand at the burning theatre. They
had seen Mr.. Trevanian when they came
from the yacht.
st. Maur lifted his charge into the
boat, and stepping in, asked her
| gently
"Where shall I take you now, Signo-
rina?"-at the same time wrapping her
in boat cloak which lay in the stern
sheets.
'To my uncle, the Palazzo Casamina,"
| she almost whispered, beginning now to
feel the reaction after this terrible ex-
element and danger, "on the Grand
Canal"