The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-02-09
OUT OF TIE FIRE.

OUT OF Tue FIRE.
Lady Marjorie treated Mark Austin
very badly. every one allowed. whom
she deliberately Tilted him fo- Sir
Philip Hamilton. True. Mark was
only private tutor, but il he had
been born to the purple he could not
have loved her any more than he did.
After she was married he moved
away from Lakewood, where he first
met her, and obtained position in
the family OF Col. Leigh, q distinguish
ed officer who owned q magnificent
estate.
A year after marriage Lady Marjor-
les husband died. leavineher possessed
of an ample fortune and still young
enough to be a shining mark for all
the gallants in the country. 1t hap
pened that one summer Col. Leigh's
mansion was filled with visitors, aud
among the number was Lady Hamil-
ton, in the pride of her youth and
beauty.
On the very night of her arrival tho
household was alarmed at midnight
by the cry Of fire, and before help could
be called the house was q mass of
flames.
Col. Leigh. counting the members of
the mansion who had been saved,
found with horror that Lady Hamil-
tol was missing. A cry from the spec
n Inv IN I'd
there he saw her standing in an upper
window, framed in with fire.
He was about to give some order to
his men, when some one rushed out of
the crowd and by the trellis began
climbing up the burning building. It
was Mark Austin!
He had q ropein his hand. and surely
and swiftly he climbed up the side of the
burning house, while the crowd below
held their breath to await the issue of
this heroic deed. Atlast he reached the
window where Lady Marjorie was
awaiting her doom, and in a second
had tied the rope securely round her
slim waist and began to let her down.
Carefully and steadily he let out the
rope with its precious burden bit by
bit, and in few moments a wild cry
of Joy burst from the crowd, for her
'adyship had reached the ground in
safety.
Then Mark began his perilous de-
scent. but, alas! by this time the
wooden trellis had begun to burn, and
before he was half way down it gave
way and he fell to the ground, drag.
ging his face against the burning wall
in his fall. Scarcely had the specta-
tors lifted up his senseless form and
borne it out of danger when the old
house fell to the ground, q heap of
ruins.
Carefully and tenderly they carried
the poor SCARED form to the village
inn. fearing that Mark was even then
beyond the reach of earthly help and
earthly pain.
Mark Austin did not die; but for
three months he lay between life and
death IN the little village at Wood
thrope. Lady Marjorie helped to
nurse MIN, but he did not even know
her ladyship. In his delirium he told
the story of his love over and over
again, as he had never dared to tell 1T
before, until the Earl's daughter was
astonished beyond measure. for such
love as this was a thing not dreamed
of in her ladyship's philosophy.
When at last Mark recovered con-
seriousness Lady Marjorie's visits to
him became less frequent, and he, not
knowing that the lady had learned
from his own lips how much he loved
her, was hurt at the reserve which had
sprung up in her manner toward him.
Lady Marjorie was now living at
ner own place. Earlscourt. ten miles
from Woodthorpe. She was alone;
Col. Leigh. with his family and friends.
having gone up to London after the
| Gre.
When Mark was strong enough to
leave Woodthorpe he thought at first
that he would 60 away without let.
ting his proud lady know of
his departure; but his love
was stronger than his pride, and he
was hungering for another look at
the sunny face whose brightness had
~ithered up all the joys OF his life. So
he wrote q short note to her ladyshlp,
telling her tn 1t he was leaving Wood
thrope in day or two, and thanking
her for all her kindness to him during
his illness. And my lady wrote to as!
him if he would call at Earlscourt the
following evening, when she would be
alone and glad to see him. So on a
glorious evening in early autumn. Mark
Austin set out in the little trap belong
ing to the village inn, to say good.by
even unto death.
When he arrived at the hall lie was
ushered into the drawing room, where
Lady Marjorie was sitting after dim
ner. Her ladyship was maeniicently
dressed in pale blue satin, and had
superb Jewels on her fair arms and
neck. and never before had she look
ed half so handsome as she did on
that autumn evening when she receiv-
| ed Mark Austin in her stately draw
ing room.
"Have you anything to say to me,
Lady Marjorie, that you have sent
for me thus!"
Then my lady drew herself up to
her full belght, and with a smile as
bright as summer sunshine. made
| answer in the words of the sweetest
woman that ever lived in poets
| brain:
This house. these servants, and this
same myself
Are yours. my lord"
AMI then my lady's sweet voice fal.
tered, and with great sob of almost
painful joy Mark Austin opened his
arms and took Marjorie Hamilton
into the shelter of his love forever
more. And she came to him in the
glory OF her fair young womanhood,
as queen in the splendor of her ap.
parel. and as bride adorned in her
jewels.
CarfieId'S Obscure Brother.