Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-29


yet! They II save us yet!
CHAPTER vI.-FoR wENCH's SAKE.
AS Mark Eliot rushed away, intent
upon attempting to rescue Nellie Penn
berton, the crowd gathered about the
three fire engines, parted, and half
frenzied man dashed into the open space
before the burning mill.
''It's Nellie Pembertoni Nellie Penn
berton! Hoo must be savedl Hoo must
be saved. o hunderd peynds to him
who saves her! o hunderd peynds!'
Backwards and forwards IN front of
the great crowd the man rushed like one
half mad crying out his offers of reward
if someone would save the imperiled
maiden. Those who did not know him
or Nellie thought he was her father or
some near relative.
But others who knew him could only
stare at his behavior. and wonder what
interest he could have in the girl that he
should offer such a sum for her rescue.
The man was Dan Ashton, the land
lord of the Star, and if it had been his
own child who stood on the roof of the
doomed mill, he could not have con-
| Quoted himself in more violent manner.
Richard HARDWOOD noticed Dams ex-
element, and he smiled cynlcally to
himself as he heard him offer fl00. He
| knew why Ashton desired the girl to be
! saved. And as that thought fitted
| through the mill owners brain, with the
host of other thoughts it conjured up, he
| felt in his heart that he would have
reason to rejoice yet if the destruction of
| his mill swept Nellie Pemberton forever
out of his way.
Mark Eliot heard nothing of Dan Ash
| ton IS loud and troubled cries as he tore
away on his daring mission; nor would
| he have needed them had he heard. He
needed no prompting, no bribing, in or
| der to exert himself to rescue the beauti-
| full weaver. His love for her spurred
him on, and to save her fair form from
the flames, he was willing may, eager to
risk his own life.
On quitting the precincts of the crowd
Mark 3 first act was to fly to the ware
house of the weaving shed, wherein he
| remembered having seen during the day
| long coil of rope, and finding this he
rushed back, and going along the side of
| the mill which stood near the burning one
| he looked for the entrance thereto.
The young fellow g idea was to ascend
| to the top OF this mill by means of the
of the rope he carried to gain access to
| the roof upon which Nellie Pemberton
was standing. How he was to effect this
| he hardly knew as yet, but that was the
scheme he had In his mind.
But when Mark found the door he was
seeking, he discovered that it was
| locked, and it defied all his attempts TO
force it open. He was about to turn
| away to seek the key, when his eye
| alighted on the fire escape, and in an
other moment he was speeding up the
| iron ladder which run up to the roof like
| those provided in the other mills.
| AS Mark ran upward the glare of the
| burning building opposite fell upon him,
| and the great heat, even at that dis
| lance, was considerable. But needless
| of the flying sparks and rolling clouds of
| smoke and steam, he sped on, and as
| the crowd saw him mount the escape and
OWNED his intention, q lusty cheer rose
| on the air.
In a few moments Mark was standing
on the roof of the mill, and there on a
| level with him on the other roof we're
| Nellie Pemberton and Annie Farrimond,
| though he could not see them yet for
| smoke.
For a brief space Mark rested himself
to regain breath after that swift rush up
the long, steep ladder, and as he stood
| there, he noticed that the whole four of
the engines and the hose from the donkey
engine which was manned by the cotton
| operatives were beng brought to bear
upon that end of the burning building
| over which the girls stood.
Peering through the ascending pillows
of steam and smoke Mark perceived two
| figures crouohing in the gutter opposite
HI = ho inff Of xun uirlo in nf
| the one he had expected to see surprised
| him.
But he did not pause to consider who
! Nellie g companion was. He was think
! ing how he was to reach them. Between
| the two roofs there was a black horrid
| gulf about fifteen yards in width. How
| was he to bridge it? In which way was
! he to effect the rescue of the girl he loved
| and her companion.
1t was no easy matter to answer those
| questions, and it was even q more diff
Quilt and dangerous matter to carry out
! the task he had set himself.
| First of all it was absolutely requisite
! that he should let the girls know of his
! presence, aud to effect this object he
| stopped, and picking from the gutter in
| which he stood handful of mud he flung
! it across the abyss at the two bent forms.
|
| them, as if wondering whence came the
material that had struck them. Then
| Mark, straining his lungs to the utmost,
| shouted
| ''Nellie! Nellie Pemberton! I am
| here TO save you. Can you see me?''
| AS Eliot's deep voice rung through the
| air, rising above the roar of the flames,
| the Kissing of the water, in its intensity,
| the clouds of smoke and steam rolled
away again, and he saw that he was
! heard-seen also, for there were Nellie
! and her companion kneeling in the chan
mel of the roof, with their elbows on the
coping stones and staring at him with
! wild eyes and white, despairing faces.
''For Gods sake keep cool!'' he cried.
''Get further back on the roof. am
going to throw rope. I want you to
| catch it and fasten the end firmly to
/ somethingl'f