Wichita eagle., 1888-01-20

You wouldn't believe that girl with an
angels face and the simplicity Of child
could be so full of vanity and treachery as
to make jest of mans highest feelings.
Size is as heartless as stone; she has no
conception of feeling. l don't mean
Why, what on earth?n
Both sprang simultaneously to their
feet. In the doorway of the cavern, the
yelled sunlight turning her tawny hair to
gold, stood little girlish figure, with torn
dress and bare, bleeding feet.
''Oh, Brother Jordan, an you other fell
Ter, We must run fer yer lives; the Mill is
a<ire an it's comm round this way like the
wind. Shore, it is, she cried Indignantly.
s'Come to the ledge here and ye can see fer
yerselves the roads cut off. Ie must 60
down the rocks" They were incredulous,
but both had sufficient faith in the girls
better knowledge of the hills to believe her
against appearances. They scrambled
down the ledge to where their horses were
tied, painting and trembling, and paving
the dried grass. They could not see far
around their own hill, but over high
bowlder burst view OF the wall of lurld
red and yellow flames, rising in straight,
slender columns till a current OF upper air
carried them overhead in drifts of pale,
vapory smoke. The red glow fell upon
their faces In three minutes the sun was
hidden; the hill was swathed in a regal
robe of fiery grandeur. The heat was
growing intense; the smell Of the blaze
and its onlinous roar was upon them. The
weird, awful beauty of the scene held the
young men spellbound for a second, then
they turned to their horses.
Put your coats over their heads-tie
them by the Sleeves" she screamed,
above the crackle and roar Of the rushing
flames. $50 down the gully, it's the
only way. I'm afraid the horses cant
make it. Run-run-for Gods sake,
hUrry!" Both led out their horses, rear
ing and snorting to the precipitous edge
of the chasm; both advanced to put her
on, but she waved them off. ''Save your
selves. I'll git down." and she darted
away, springing from rock 10 rock with
the agility of a mountain creature Both
young men plunged after her, but rock
rolled, throwing the chestnut mare yio-
lently down the chasm to a depth that
must have been fatal. Her rider saved
himself by a spring, and then followed
the girl. Jordan rode madly after them,
his blinded horse pitching and stumbling,
until at length they reached the gravelly
bed of what had once been q mountain
stream, and paused to rest. Jordan
sprang from his saddle. Nancy, my
dear child what did you run like that for?
If you do not ride the rest of the way l
shall not go one step farther" For an
swer she turned and pointed to the spot
they had left. The fire was already way
ing it's long, vivid plumes about the dark
Raven Rocks, and their hot breath was
tanning the awe struck watchers. Their
faces were pale in its red, unearthly
glow; the hot breeze waved the girls
tawny locks.
Jordan threw his arm around her and
forced her to mount the horse, and they
rushed on in the track of the dried up
stream.
They could not tell how it happened.
They were within fifty feet of safety and
the horse must have stumbled, for she
was a sure driver, but as they picked her
up and carried her to the safe ground be-
yond the creek they knew that this time
it was worse than before.
You're safe, anyway" she murmured
when they had carried her home and laid
her in the bed, and she opened her great
eyes Don't worry. You two kin do
sech heap of good in the country, and
I'm weakly anyway. It's all easy, since
you've preached about it-an'-an'-I-I
don't keer bout ivin', nohow."
And when Hayward saw his friends
agony, as he bent over the sweet, white
face, he silently withdrew and left them
alone. When he saw that face again it
wore such happy smile that he knew
she had known, if only for an hour, what
he guessed, and Jordan's bitter grief was
most sacred in his friends eyes, as they
clasped hands in mute understanding be-
side the white, still form.
AS the first snow of the winter fell the
two friends walked one Sabbath after
noon to the little hillside burying ground
and stood beneath the little clay mound.
The wind whistled among the mournful
hemlocks and over the blackened track of
the fire The young men lifted their hats
and stood bareheaded beside the I'M
marked grave.
ut is strange that these wild hills are
creators of such sublimity of character,
such sacriicial heroism," said Hayward,
in a low tone.
The minister did not answer, and his
friend, glancing at his face, turned his
back and walked reverently away.-LiZ-
zie Hyer Neff in The Inter Ocean