Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-11-04


end sits down IL front OF it. Soon she
wonders what makes the place so tori
bly, hot Then she fancies that every
one who pAsses is locking ht her, and IS
even certain that people at the end OF
the room are pointing at her. Then she
saw some one point her out 10 an at
tendent. who forthwith hccosted her {:
" Bee pardon, Miss, but you're sitting
on the stove. It's made just like % bench
but it's a stove, and my borders is posi-
tive shat no one sits on the stove"
Nina thought that this was really too
bad and fairly lost her temper "Its
not night, che said, Ito make the
stoves 90 like the seats il you don't want
people 20 at on them but ! knew what
il was, and came here because / WAS
cold" ooh !" "And I'm going to
stay here as long rs / choose. And,
disdaining further argument, she took
out her catalogue and pretended TO be
cngrossed in its perusaL
Very soon she could feel The heat I'M
der her beyond doubt, snd most unplea-
sanity. But 50 obstinate are young
ladies in Dreamlan1 an practical life
they arc firm that she determined to
ftay whore sho was for full five minutes
by the clock. Three minutes ; the ac-
tual heat was not SO great, but the ire
underneath her Was beginning 10 smoke.
Then she thought that all tho by
ISLANDERS, and among them al the people
she disiiked, we're saying that she would
never stay thero another two minutes.
-Four minutes; it was worse. -Four min
utrs and q bsli four minutes fifty Sc
conds; It was sti3ing-at last and she
woke up with 2 start
What q terrible smell OF smoke her
dream mad been founded on fact. Tho
house raust be on fire. Lighting can
die. she ran 10 the door and looked
dowu The winding stairs. when suddenly
some one threw open the door ~ the
bottom o. il aud great curling cloud OF
terrible bl1s smoke, but showing flames
bohind. rushed up through IT, causing
Nina 10 drop her candle and run cough
ing and trembling hack 10 Der room.
Tie Coi0nels loeorschaum Was big
pipo. and bee Lad forgotten TO knock ont
ihe ashes. 30 that though it had been
IN his pockct for nearly five minutes. Il
was sti Just alisht when be dropped H.
When it lt the stove II snapped in
tso. The stcm fell into the CRATE,
but the bowl, after rolling along
the oh-clotu, Intimately fetched
NM behind tho umbrella stnud.
Here, am sorry TO say, Mary,
the under houscmaid. was in the
habit Of keeping little bundle Of
wco,.on md chamois cloths. greatly be-
smcsred with beeswax and turpeniiuc,
together with a lump OF the FORMER and
n bottle of the latter-msteus3 winch
ete used for cleaning tho front staircaae
and Tic p0hshed woodwork in the hall.
Some lighted ash loll on these cloths
aud soon begat n slow and smoldering
.rc. However, rs there VAS very lltt.o
amuolt Ia tine hall and Che umbrella
ssud stood on q slab Of polished granite,
all might yet have been gel f; but It was
latcd otherwise.
Whom the rags lad been smoldering
quietly for about half en- hOur and
seemed IN a fair way 70 bum themselves
outs bigrat taking 3 coustitutionalin the
vicinity. attracted by the smell Of burning
Iecs3ay. came To zee what was the INIT
ter Naturally burning his nose, Le
whisked avcy IN great wrath, and so
upset tho turpeutino bottle, TO which
there Was uo cork. Ia an instant tho
floor for "a yard around WAS covered with
burning spiut There was nothing to
et0p tire flames, which caught first the
umbrellas. then the hall table aud the
wood work OF the staIs, and then the
wainscoting, and anything snd every
thing there was 10 catch.
Harry Melville MAS the first to give
the alarm, but too late for the slightest
hone ol cxuDpuislug the flame IN
fact. when once large louse, dry aud
airy and largely fitted with woodwork,
has fairly caught fire q dozen engines
cannot pot 10 ont before It 10 thoroughly
1ittei nom basement to attic. Tho
front staircase would soon be impossible,
so that when the quests were reused the
only thing 20 90 WAS TO lose 10 time IN
saving tao women and themselves.
When Harry mw TINS his first thought
wss for Nina, snd he toro upstairs
with the flames literally at bis heela.
10 was he who opened the door AZ
the bottom OF tho cOrkscrew stair, al
uniting the v1luuos OF not smoke as
thoy rolled fcrcely upward. Ee saw her,
candle ia hand, when she fell back,
blinded and coughing the next moment
be had her IA his arms. He thought
that there wac still time to mako . dash
for IT down the Fiery stairs 1t
Was tho only chance TO save her
Ile. one moment to wrap a blanket
D,
AGAINST the hungry flames, and then
lor tho rush. Whether lie lived or
died sltcrwGrd dll not matter II he
could only struggle on to the bottom,
where other hands would be ready
90 take charge OF bis precious burden.
limit moments delay saved both
lLeir lives, FIR just Us he snatched the
I&nk,t from the bed, when, If they had
I'D at first, they would have been
- - r'0Ay down the FIRST flight, came q
m, "a ~ ~ h IS with deaiening noise
' p"rs - W., ~ tAe outer wall OF the room and
Yoi ~ If nc. corkscrew staircase fell,
villa vg1 The whole G%ildiug shook. In the
~,,lT 'rs on the > cond foor were kept
, Su" .toyes for reflIkng empty cartridge.
mo NO. s''a .b,cb ;nrmdeA two large tasks Of
r
meal powder which ~ "a come lot rom Ion ON
don only the day boio.N III. iAo'' IA - We" wen
"a several hundred FUN cases. i' IL. eA,
plodsd and caused the dSSnaBe. I,eIIya'
iy the staircase was now lnip S,.
Under the window was sHsesI ulol' '.' al
tho wav to the ground a mornSey 'o''''
NOT have saved himself there. -
The explosion hsd had one good eDcH5
for in blowing out all the windows, anS,
even part OF the outer wall on that sloe'
II allowed the wind, which was blowing
frrsb. TO take most OF the smoke
and heat over to the other part OF the
house otherwise they must soon have
been sufocated. They were standing
together in the corner by the door.
Though her feet were on the ground
Nna WAS still in his arms, with the
blanket round her. as when they were
roing to start for the dash down STAIRS;
"God help us, my darling sara
Harry. This WAS tho first time that
either of them had spoken.
1for ali rs1,lv she pressed his hand anu