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

EunS OF the nc6 escape.
Then with fast throbbing pulse and
| tightly clenched teeth he swung himself
from the roof and on to the rope. And
| when the gathered thousands below saw
| him swinging in midair on that frail
cord, with which he had bridged the
| space between the two mills, such q cheer
went up to heaven as the old town of
Warringham had never before heard.
Although the rope bent little with
| Mark IS weight it did not slip, and going
cautiously, cody, quickly along, hand
| over hand, be neared the roof of the
| burning mill. Now his knees were
touching the coping stones, and few
moments later he was standing beside
| the two brave and fiercely-tried factory
| lasses.
And as Mark stood beside Nellie Penn
bertOn at that moment a sweet, wild,
( passionate desire to clasp her in his arms
and kiss her dear face seized him. But
that was no time for the indulgence Of
sentiment. The room below them was
even then in the arms of the swift climb
| ing flames, so that there was no time to
daily.
| But how were the girls to be conveyed
across the rope? He knew that it would
| be perilous in the extreme to trust them
had done few moments before, and I'M
less they could cross themselves he failed
| TO see for the moment how they were to
effect their escape.
And while this thought occupied
Mark g attention, an incident of q
startling nature occurred. Without the
slightest warning the farther corner of
| the burning structure collapsed with a
| thunderOus crash, q great shower of
| sparks rushed up in the air and fell all
| around; there was binding glare of
| light, and fearful cry OF terror went
| up from the crowd.
A low cry of fear burst from Mark g
companions, for it seemed as if the
whole of the blazing mill was about to
fall. The roof beneath their feet
| quivered violently, and they all expected
] to be either flung into the fierce sea of
! fire that ragged IN the room below or
! dashed to pieces in the factory yard.
But their end of the building stood
| firm as yet, and knowing that not an
| other instant was to be lost Mark knelt
on the coping stone, grasped the rope
| firmly, and babe Nellie Pemberton fling
| her arms round his neck that he might
carry her across.
"Nowe! Novel; the girl exclaimed.
"Take Annie first; I'll wait. -
''Come then, quick, - the young fel-
| low cried to the other girl, "and for
| God 8 sake cling firmly to meI''
Annie now placed her arms round
| Mark s. neck, and the next moment the
| pair of them were hanging between hea-
ven and earth, their only support being
! thst swaying rope and the mans strong
young arms.
| And the hearts of the gathered thou
| sands beneath them leaped to their
throats as they witnessed this perilous
| feat, and in breathless, agoniZed sus-
| pense they watched, with glaring eyes,
dilated nostrils and clenched lips, that
| pair of human beings, suspended there
on high.
Annie Farrimond was only lightly
| built girl, and in the excitement of that
| trying time Mark scarcely felt himself
| burdened at all. A supernatural
| strength seemed to have come to him,
hand past hand, he left the burning
mill behind and drew near the other
| roof.
Then he saw with a thrill of satisfac-
| ton that several men were gathered at
the other end waiting TO seize him and
his precious freight the moment he came
| within their reach.
| A few moments more and he felt him
self grasped by strong hands, and he and
| Annie were safe; and then the death lik g
| stiffness of the great crowd was suddenly
| broken, and deep, a heartfelt ory-sob
almost-of joy rang out from 1000 honest
| throats.
And now Mark was on the rope again,
and going back to Nellie. One or two
had volunteered for the work, but he
had refused to give way and let someone
take his place. The task of rescuing
the girl he loved was too sweet, too well
come one to be resigned now; and the
! operation was too pregnant with danger
to be placed in other hands.
He was now at Nellie 3 side again, and
| speaking brave, reassuring words to her.
| A few moments more and all peril would
be past, he said. The look on the wench s
fair face, the light that was burning in
! her great brown eyes thrilled Mark
through and through, and he felt that
for such lassie' g sake he would have i'm
| periled much more than he was doing
had such thing been possible.
The topmost storey of all was now
fairly ablaze, and through the open sky
| light Mark could see picture of smoke
and flame. He must be quick or the
ladder to which the rope was tied would
! be set on fire.
Telling Nellie to keep cool, and to
stick to him like death, he swung him
self upon the swaying cord once more
| and began to work his way across that
| black, yawning gulf. And again the
! crowd transf1xed him with their eyes,
and became breathless with hope and
fear.
In minute it was all over, and Mark
and Nellie were standing safe and sound
on the roof beside the others. And in
the yard below scores of women were
sobbing loudly while tears trickled down
strong men g cheeks, so intense and
heart-moving had been the fever of ex-
element each breast had been racked
| by.
| And two or three minutes after their
| escape the spot whereon Mark and Nellie
had lately stood fell in with deafening
crash, and ali that remained of the mill
/ was heap of still blazing ruins.
| When Nellie Pemberton turned to
thank Mark Eliot he had disappeared :,
! and the warm words of thankfulness and
praise she had intended to say were left
| unspoken.