The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-11-16

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Sound, girls, think Of IL, said Margaret,
patting the gold with loving touches,
"and clam bakes and sea bathing and no
matches
''Give 1t TO Belle. Her purse is the
emptiest and largest" laughed Elsie.
"and well act as special police on the
way home"
Mr. Crashaw spoke to them at that in |
stant, and they turned to answer his
question.
"There, I've left my penknife on the |
work bench" said Belle. "Tll just slip
up ard get it," and she ran lightly back |
to the now empty room.
A hasty search on the bench, the floor,
i'm every corner failed to reveal the miss
ing l-nife, and Belle was forced to give
up the search. She walked slowly back
to the door, looking on either side as she
went. Upon reaching it, she found to
her amazement that it was locked. The
anitor had come in and, not seeing her
as she stopped under the work benches,
had locked the door and gone away for
the night, and here she must stay, pos
sibly until Monday morning, who could
tell.
The three girls waited until tired for
Bellies return, and then, concluding she
had gone home without them, sauntered
slowly back to Mrs. Blakes, rejoicing
that it was for the last time.
Belle, left alone in the gathering dark
ness, paced the floor of her prison with
impatient steps. Here was the adven-
ture Elsie had hoped would come be
fore they left, and Belle defiantly wished
she was here to enjoy it.
Surely the girls would become anxious
about her and come to seek her, espe-
cially as she had the precious money in
her pocket. At that remembrance her
heart gave faint throb of fear. What
if something should happen to thatl She
walked to the window and peered down
into the narrow court below, but not
soul was to be seen.
| AS she turned back slender thread of
smoke caught her eye coming from the
window of the dipping room. She
watched, first with curiosity, then with
growing alarm, as puff after puff came
faster and faster. The sickening truth
that the factory was ON fire and she was
alone flashed upon herl
She watched the ever increasing smoke
with fascination she could not throw
off. Now the flames could be seen. Was
there no help? Must she die alone? And
the money! The precious money, the
girls had worked so hard for. Must
that, too, be lost2
She flew from door to door and
: window to window, beating them with
her fists and calling aloud in her
agony. At last, after what seemed an
: eternity, she heard the sound of voices
in the streets, and cries of fire and calls
for water. The room she was confined
in had no windows facing the street,
and she could not venture near those on
the court, as the smoke rolled in in
! clouds.
ID Must she die? Life was so sweet She
3 must make one more effort to save it,
and picking up a heavy wrench, with
t the strength of despair, broke the lock
7. on door leading into the next room.
e With cry of joy she darted in, only to
a be met with such volumes of smoke that
t she nearly lost hope. Burying her face
in her apron she crawled to the window
! and fell more dead than alive across the
J sill
d There on the street below was the en-
0 tire village watching the flames roar and
I leap from story 20 story. Among the sea
o of faces she could barely distinguish
n those of her friends.
''Margaretw she called. Margaret
save me. Oh, won't some one try to save
me?'
y uI,, fo;,,f cr-y Fo,. bai,, ,aoobad Mo oroo
u ret's ears and her eyes met Bellies figure
! darkly outlined against the wall of fire
s Save herl Save herlp she cried il
y agony, and all eyes We're now turned to
IS ward the crouching figure, whose Whit
g face and moving lips prayed for help.
q The cry, "a woman III the buildingl
q was taken up and passed from lip to lip
Y and a dozen brave hearts offered to scall
ladders and try to rescue her.
In the midst of her greatest peril Belle
y did not forget the gold pieces she helt
y firmly clasped in one hand, and hastily
t tying them in her handkerchief sh'
a tossed it far into the air and it fell a
l. Margaret's feet. Ladders are soon il
place, stout hands are stretched to thu
" fainting girl, and when she opens he
eyes she is safe in Margaret's arms, will
7 Elsie and Lizzie questioning and crying
:, all in one breath, while the crowC
gathered around to congratulate her.
h "To think" sobbed Lizzie, "that yol
should have thought of the money In al
II your danger"
n Within few short weeks, four happy
"a girls started on their summer holiday
and in all that merry party it is safe t.
say none enjoyed it more than the foul
e who had SO hardly earned it.-Louis'
u Thrush Brooks in Springfield Homestead
% Oliver G. Bosbyshell. the new superin