The Penn's Grove record., 1888-02-25

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insult unTesented to the death. And
''Liarl Cowardl" ito be applied to such
a mana man with a long list of deadly
encounters TO hisI credit. is not one of
which he had failed to ''do" for his
man.
The young main sighed as he dis
missed the idea from his mind as
wholly impracticable.
Then he drew from his bosom the
photograph and aAzed upon it remorse.
fully.
A lovely faee-tthe face of a woman
of 30, or MISREPRESENTATION, yet
sad; oh. SO sad, 10 sorrowful, perhaps
from a slowly consuming heart break,
but with such a divine patience and
accomplishing resignation In the lofty
shaded cheeks and deep spiritual eyes.
poor Madgel Poor sister Madgel''
he murmured, Gould you have
imagined how YOUR picture was de-
stined to interpo$e between my heart
and the avengers bullet, how would
your WI tender heart have stood still
as you gave 1t me, with your pious
%godspeed, two years ago! What could
have been the subtle spell that it
wrought upon such an adamantIne
nature as ,~SprinGsteel Grants in my
behOufp"
He passed his hand over his brow re.
tiectively.
"Once, only once," he resumed, cup
yonder in the guieh did he look upon 1t,
by accident. True, he started strangely
then; but directly afterward he merely
complimenteI me Coldly on your good
looks, Madge, when 1 told him you
were my sister, my only sister and my
all on earth. That was all. Could he
have been concerned In the cruel dis
appointment, or misunderstanding,
which, / have heard, ruined your mai
den hopes of bliss when l was but a
child, making your latter years so Bit
ter, and yet you SO sweet. so mOtherly
to mep Hardly. Though Springfield
has but seldom alluded to his anteced.
ents, l do not think he could have been
from our neighborhood in the east.
What was your pictures softening
influence, then, upon such q man, my
sister? Alasl nothing more, l fear,
than a passing generous freak in a heart
unused to pity. Doubtless that was
all; and now my life is his upon de.
mand. No matter. You are to be
with me tomorrow, Madge. You are
th%encefOrth to make your home with
me, and not another soul the wiser.
And when we have become snugly set
tied in the little ranch that / have been
secretly paying for and fitting up, per-
haps my mlsused chum may yet further
forgive me those crazy words, and
torego the life debt that must be his
for his asking"
lie laid the picture upon the stand
and arose.
~ will 90 to himI" he repeated.
"Yes; 1 will at least humble myself
before him. as is only Just. even though
he spurn me with contempt. And
yet-what Is the useP What was my
p~rovocationp His stern, but we'll
meant, interference to prevent me los
ing my pile to a notorious gambler and
cheat, who was careful enough on his
part-the skulking c~oward-not to re-
sent the thwarting. And that was my
requittal of such kindness. Good lord!
torrents OF foul abuse, and those mad,
those idiotic epithets. I Am crazy to
dream that he will forgive It-that he
will not demand his shot on occasion.
oh, Madge, Madgel to what ruin may
our hoped for happiness he doomed by
my folly and my madness?"
He took another drink from the bot
tie, and desperately threw himself on
the bed. after merely throwing off his
coat and boots.
He presently fell asleep, while softly
repeating the words: "Madge. Madgel
reunited at last"
He was awakened at daylight by a
~suffocating sensation, and got upon his
feet. coughing and splitting.
The room was fast filing with
smoke, the reflection of flames rose and
fell before the window, the very boards
beneath his feet were hot. He tore
open the door. The corridor was full
of yet denser smoke. scanned with Occa-
sional flashes, cries of alarm were ring
ing through the lower passages, and
there was a crash from somewhere
below, followed by fountain Of sparks
and flames which he correctly attribu.
ted to the fall of a burned away stair
case. thus cutting off escape In that
direction. He closed the door, stag.
gered across the floor to the window,
and hurled the sasiies outward by a
single pressure of his powerful hand.
lie was in the fifth story of the burn
ing hotel, fully sixty fest above the
stony street, which vas filled with an
excited multitude.
They were gesticulating and yelling
TO him, but that was all. Plenty of
useless running about. impracticable
vociferations IN abundance, but not a
thing being done or offered for his re-
lief from the appalling s,tuationl
The flames, which were sproutlng out
OF the whole lows Of lower windows,
flicked upon the sea Of upturned faces,
and yet hldeously upon his own.
which he felt to have grown of an ashy
hue, while his heart was beating like u
steam pump.
To add to his horror, the passengers
we're alighting from the eastern mail
stage, which had just drawn up before
the station, at the edge of the little
plaza, nearly opposite, and the second
II to touch the ground was a woman
his sister Madge herself.
She looked terrified by the confusion.
Sarcasm Of destinyI Had she come
at last, all the way from Ohio, with
nothing but love for him and hopeful
expectations In her heart, only to meet
bIs final glance, his fond brotherly
gaze, across this lurid depth, this sea
of fiac,es?
Yesl for even at that instant she
perceived hlm-recognized him-and
their looks met.
His heart ceased its wild throbbings
and then stood still with sympathetic
anguish as he marked her bloodless
face, her frozen attitude, the indie
Scgibable horror iu her dllated eyes and
parted lips.
Then the crowd undulated and yelled
as four stalwart men forced, punched
and shouldered their way through it.
bearing two long house painters lad.
ders spllced together, under the swift,
self possessed man who was knotting,
even as ne gave his orders, a wetted
handkerchief over the lower part of his
face AZ a protection against tho sirocco