The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-10-20
"Then take winew yelled Father

Neal.
 The men looked at him in astonish- ment and doubted the evidence of their ears. Whatl The wine in the great brass bound, oaken vats of the old wine cellars, stored away by the early mission fathers-the beautiful juice of the grape, which came forth sparkling like the ruby and bubbling like divine nectar-the wine that Father Neal himself had been heard to declare surpassed the ancient vintages of France and Spainl
 "Tap the vatsl Draw the wine Bring ropesi 1t is the last hope In raved Father Neal.
 Santos himself, as the chief civic dignitary of the village, solemnly headed & march in the direction of the ivy-c wine cellar, where the act of dissertation was to be done. Others moved off toward the village store to procure rope.
 Santos brother watched the flames leaping from the windows and creep ing along the cornice like gleaming serpents, twisting and writhing in their courss. Rushing back upon him, with force that benumbed his senses, and made him for the time oblivious of all that passed about him, came the memory of that other time when he lay upon bed of sickness and watched the merciless flames pitilessly closing around him. Recollections of his old life, of the days before he became mere senseless automaton, rained down upon him like an avalanche. His brain throbbed like steam engine. his body tingled from head to foot with newly awakened forces. Piercing the confusion of his thoughts there came vision of & sweet girls face. framed in flame and smoke. and a pleading cry:
 "Rafael! Rafaeli Save me-"
 There was sudden stir in the out skirts of the helpless lookers-on. Rafael Santos ran like & deer across the lawn, bearing the rope he had siezed from the cows neck. People looked on, paralyzed with astonish- ment, as they might have done had graven image suddenly come to life. He caught the larger piece of the broken ladder and get it up against the wall. Then he began to mount it, not hastily and recklessly, as Father Neal had done, but slowly and cautiously, as one who measures the full value of every step. There was no time for further mistakes. When he had gone as far as he could, and secured foot ing on the top of 8 window frame, drawing himself up by the sill of the next window above, some boys broke out with wild cheer, but their elders watched his every movement with hushed breath. Clinging with one hand, bracing himself skillfully SO that he could lean forward and look upward, by one superb effort he flung the end of rope into the easement of the second window above, the window where he had seen Felicia's face. A sharp cry, audible above the cracking of the flames, told that his attempt had succeeded and was appreciated. A moment later, as he tested it cauti- ously, the rope pulled firm and taut, showing that the upper end had been secured. Grasping it tightly and freeing himself from his perilous pos- lt1on, hand over hand like 8 sailor, the young fellow ascended to the upper room. But there is not space to tell of the devices Rafael resOrted to for lowering the frightened women in safety to the ground: nor is it neces- sary to tell how not even the consola- tion oi their religion could calm or reassure some of them on their dizzy journey earthward nor how one of the good sisters was found to have cher - lshed a child's broken toy, another an infants yellow dress and another a lock of silver hair cut from the head of her dead mother, in place of the pious relics they should have saved. Little Felicia, made brave and strong by her lovers presence, and honestly confessing her responsibility for the great calamity, stood staunchly by his side, refusing to leave until the last. Long before his mission was concluded other ropes and ladders were brought, and stout hearts and willing hands followed his example, while the old mission wine was showered on the burning building and baptized the workers.
 But 1t was a sorry looking young couple that stood together on the lawn little later. shamelessly renew ing their betrothal VOWS in the pres- ence of all the lookers-on, many of whom as shamelessly laughed or cried in sympathy with the young pair. RafaePs rough clothing was torn and soiled, his brown beard singed, and his hands and face blackened with smoke; while little Felicia's white robe chung to her figure like limp rag, saturated with wine and smeared with dirt and soot. Yet to those who beheld them