News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-31

tlel at territi; speed towards the GLOW
, reddening the sky to the westward. Tht
: spot reached, We found a tenement il
flames, aud the vicinity mass of ex
cited and awe stricken spectators. Sys
tematic showing and unceremonious Ell
bowling brought us to the ropes, under
, which the officer in charge at that poin
permitted us to crawl. Catching sight
: of one of his reporters, Mac ran over tC
give him some instructions, while [ re
manned to chat with the officer until he
returned.
, 4 murmur suddenly rose from the
crowd, and concentrated its force until
it became a strange, fearful cry, ending
with the words, uttered by a hundred
pairs of lips:
"There's n woman up there -
All eyes were fixed upon the upper
window, upon girls face, dimly seen
through veil of smoke. A poor woman
uttering a shrek of agony, rushed up to
the Chief of the Fire Department and
besought him to save her daughter. He
turned to one of the men and motioned
towards the ladder just being placed in
position as near the window as possible.
The fireman-thinking, perhaps, of wife
and babe-hesitated with one foot on
the lower rung, and looked first at the
flame bordered window and then at his
chief, as if afraid. Then strong hand
seized his shoulder and hurled him
aside.
"a woman, is it? Sure, give me one
/ of those machines to keep the smoke out
| of my nose and mouth, and I'll go up
and get her.
The chief shook his head, and I added
! q more emphatic protest, but Mac only
| laughed at us in n curious unmirthful
| fashion, and took the smoker from one
of the men. There was queer light in
| his eyes, and his voice trembled little,
but his hand was as steady as steel itself
when he adjusted the rubber sponge
case.
"Pll go anyway" he said, beginning
the assent, whether it is no or yes with
you" Then he lded in an r1nder-tone
to me: eff anything happens, you can
tell Maggie whatever you think best.
If 1 don't come back have kind
thought for me now and then. God bless
you, old fellow l''
A firm pressure of the hand, nod to
the chief, an dhe was mounting the lad
der with q rapidity and skill borne of
practice gained and agility developed on
shipboard. Not n step did he make, not
look behind did he give, but went to
the top and entered the burning build
ing through the window in search of the
woman who had disappeared in the
meantime. The crowd below was breath
less under potent spell. The minutes
passed, bringing nothing-not even q
glimpse of him, a groan went up from a
thousand throats, and I buried my face
in my hands, standing in shuddering
anticipation of the crash which was to
be poor Macs death knell.
A shout, deafening but joyous, caused
me to look up. In the window above,
supporting the girl in his arms, stood
Mac, blackened, protesque silhouette,
made yet more grOtesque by the queer
arrangement which covered his nostrils.
His voice sounded strange and indis-
tinct as he called to us.
Crash The rear wall collapsed, and
We held our breath. Then, seeing the
front and portions of the side walls stood
firm, dozen of us ran to the ladder, but
the chief interposed and sent three of
his dare-devils up the steep ascent. Be-
fore they had gone half way, the two
ghastly figures i'll that upper window had
disappeared-sunk back out of sight,
and were hidden by the volume of smoke
pouring out.
There was little more, thank Heaven
and those brave fellows, to happen. The
window was soon reached, and Mac and
his fair companion taken below. Mao
was terribly burned about the head, face
and arms, having la to search several
rooms for the girl, who fancied that she
might yet find egress and escape by 60
ing down stairs. He had caught her and
dragged her back in the nick of time,
but both had succumbed to the heat and !
smoke-One sapping away their strength |
and the other depriving them of air, |
The firemen found them lying upon the |
floor, and conveyed them out of danger |
amid the cheers of the crowd, which |
shouted itself hoarse. / tried to cheer, |
but the sound died on my lips, for when
saw my friends Sc ared face and hands |
and charred clothing, could do nothing |
but kneel at his side and cry like Il baby |
until tho ambulance came to take him !
home.
He did not die, but outlived the
pain of his wounds; yet when he left his
bed and his room he was another per
son, SO frightfulIy disigured was one
one side of his face and head Maggie |
would have done-faithful Maggie, who |
watched him night and day. Once,
CHANGING to meet her in the parlor, dur
ing one of her brief respites, requested
a few moments of her time, as I had
something mpOrtant-cOncerniDg Mac
to say to her. / had recalled his words,
"If anything happens, you can tell
Maggie whatever you think best, and |
felt justified, as much had happened, in
taking advantage OF his permission to
speak. She looked at me with those
penetrating, pathetic gray eyes, as if to
glance, and said:
maggie, may speak plainly, and
will you answer my questions without
As an old friend, [ desire to
be blunt and straightforward. l have a
task to perform, and you can thus make
it easier for both Of u.s."
Her look became one of wonder, as
she said:
"Ask whatever questions you please,
and be assured that all my answers will
be truthful. But please don't be so
"Do you love Mac 2" I asked, watch
ing her narrowly.
"Love him a" she echoed, Gas if 1 did
not i! / am not ungrateful."
Glove inspired by gratitude, lacks
vitality and is insipid. Have you no
greater love than that for himl"
"What do you mean :" she asked,
coming close to me and scrutinizing my
face.
"Do you love him enough to marry
him 2"
"Do II All, L wish ] could show
you my heart, that l might prove my
ove for him; but /, being woman,
'annOt speak. When he comes to ask
if he has a kingdom in my heart, I shall
ell him he never was absent from the
throne. But i cannot tell him.
"And this young man, this suitor-
Brown2" [ inquired when [ could re-
cover myself.
"He is no suitor of mine," she said,
He is good in his way, but
10 you suppose that he could supplant
1uardy? How you have mis-; s;udged me
Know this, and remember it that unless
marry the man who has made me what
am, | shall go to my grave unwed."
i grasped her hand and bore it to my
ips, saying:
"Take the advice of an old friend,
YOmanly reserve, and tell him what you
lave told me. 1t will make him forget
lis scars. Had he known this before,
loubt if he would have ascended that
adder"
CT Idon't understand, she faltered
growing as pale as the dainty collar she
wore, and catching at chair.
-" His heart was breaking, and life had