Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-02-16
CHAPTER VIII.
...


HIS MISTAKE.
It was quite dark when the carriage turned
the last bend in the winding road homeward
and the lights Of Bretonville came into view
The lights in the windows Of the poor danced
out to meet the tired horses as gayly as any.
There might have been a sobbing woman
behind the cheeriest of them all; nature
shows no sympathy for human suffering. If
her poor children have no rest and Joys their
hearts must break; that is one Of natures
laws. Neither can light lose its gladness and
cheer because gladneSs and cheer are so alb
surdiy out Of place in poverty stricken homes.
Homes indeed As if the circles that were
gathered within most of those windows de-
served the name Of home, with never a smile
of contentment to light up a face, or a word
of hope to make music for a dulled ear.
Home to such as they is the place where the
cravings of hunger are quieted and the tired
cords and muscles are relaxed for a new
strain; where they can complain and where
they can sleep and die. But save the word
to them at least, for time when it shall be q
reality.
Suddenly the sound of fire bells fell upon
Philips ear and startled him out of his mel
ancholy revery The same instant he saw q
little cloud of smoke above the brick mills,
aal then bright tongue of flame leap up
toward it. The bells pealed out in short nerv-
Gus strokes as if in tremulous fear, and at
their impulse the young mans blood coursed
through his veins in uncomfortable excite
ment. 1t was but two minutes more when
Philip drew up short at the mill yard gates,
to escape the engine which swept by with
rush, dragged by crowd of shouting men.
The people hatless, coatless, and some even
barefooted in their haste. poured out of every
street and alley way, and into the wide open
gates, everybody talking and robody listen
ing.
But Bertha had hardly spoken during the
drive home, and now seemed very little in
tereste1 in the disturbance.
1.-THE mills are on fire." cried Philip,
dropping his reins and turning his excited
face toward her.
80 see," she said coolly, "and hadn't
you better drive ons"
why, ought to be here" He looked
nervously at the hurrying crowd and back
into Bertha's cold beautiful face. Couldn't
YOU wait in one of these tenements' These
are all nice people"
But she made no motion, and only looked
at his flushed face in annoyed surprise.
''What are you thinking of l stop with
these people!"
"Or drive on home without me. The
horses are gentle and you are such good
driver, you know"
Philip was growing terribly restless; the
people came faster and faster, and his eager
eyes followed each man and woman into the
gates with increasing anxiety. Even Bertha
noticed the curious looks the passers by gave
to the carriage that blocked the way.
Il couldn't think of it." she said in
measured tones that reminded Philip, even
at such moment as that, of her fathers.
''You had better drive along; there, not so
fast. Why will you run the horses9 You
almost frighten me-"
1t took but a few moments to reach Bertha s
home, but it seemed long time to Philip,
who kept looking back over his shoulder at
the flames which to his excited fancy seemed
rising higher at every glance. He stopped
the horses at Bertha's door at last, and leap
ing to the ground, assisted her to alight. The
hcrses were painting, but there was no time
esen to give them breath, and in an instant
more Philip was back in his seat. But
Bertha stood as if she had something to say,
and he waited before he drew up the reins
"You will make a mistake in leaving mf
to myself tonight
He thought there was mysterious touch ct
self distrust in her voice that was soft and
almost tender as she looked fixedly at him.
Ali he had never seen her so lovely as II
the warm passionate woman soul had been
born in her; and he longed in his rapture to
to fall at her feet and kiss them. He was
forgetting the mill in flames as Ec drank in
the new sweet hope she seemed to give him.
He could not leave her thus with that won
derful light in her eyes. No doubt the fire
was subdued, and how little he could do at
best; there were SO many stronger than he.
But suddenly a tongue of flame leaped up
into the black sky like lightning
81 would SO love to stay, darling, but the
mills are on frenzy fathers mills. might
save them. Don't you underestimate would
be infamous in me to'--
~ only said you make mistake"
Till he dies Philip Breton never will forget
that scene; the darting flames beckoning him
away, and this beautiful woman, for whose
| first fond caress he would have given every
thing hut his manhood and honor, inviting
him to stay. And in her changed face he
| thought he saw such sweet promise of love
if he stayed and such suro presage of evil il
| he went.
'sGood night" he said With faltering voic'
as he drew up the reins.
Good night she answered slowly as she
turned to go in, and he thought he heard hel
other sentence over again, "You make mis-
take"
| It was Number Two raill on fire, but al
that ingenuity and strength could do seemed
doing as well without Philip. The men wer'
as busy as bees Fifty manned the brakes O.
the hand engine, and pumped as vigorousi.
as if there was'no such thing as lame back
and aching muscles, while on top of the en-
gine beside the bell, which rang with ever.
stroke of the brakes, stood their foreman
keeping time with his arms and whole body
and encouraging them with his hoarse, ex
cited voice Then there were three hydrant
in full operation and crowd Of men to keel
tho hose in condition, and four more in rub
Der suits to hold the nozzles and direct tn
streams of fast flowing water where it woul
quickest subdue the fierce flames Their
seemed nothing for Philip to do. He wa
worth no more than the crowd Of chatterin
women, who stood as near the fire as thei
rough voiced IL en- would let them. How od
their thin whit faces locked, half hid by th
shawls tied abe at their heads. Itwas grea
event in theii drA, monotonous lives; th
very foundations of their world scenic
shaken, and ttey could not talk fast enoug
to express their crude thoughts at the breal
ing up Of old associations.