The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1890-11-15


its heart were sscowl and menace,
signaling that its mission was ruin.
Sir, sir-r-r!''sbe stammercd IS she
met OLD John. The fire will soon be
upon. as! Young John issnot here. Help
mo harness Jim into the splow!D
"W-w-what?' he stammered in reply,
50 dazed that he was like one palsy
stricken. :
Hannah flew ont of the house and,
quickly embarrassing. Jim, attached him
to the pillow. Fat Mrs. Tutherly was
better in an emergency than one would
have supposed. She now came up
bravely, like an old-fashioned Dutch
cruiser at a critical moment in the bat
tie hour.
''You drive the horse, Mrs. Tutherly,
and I'll hold the pillow, and we will make
afurrow all about the buildings Oh, il
Mr.. Blasland would just help and burn
the grass on the prairie side of the fur
row!' a
Hannah was more deferential in her
style OF address than was the house.
keeper. The latter was plain and per-
emptory. s'Here, here, old John! Come
and help!" she screamed, in the same
breath giving the order: .'Git up
there lively. Jim! Up with -u,
git-t-t!"
She resumed her command to the
ranchman: Burn the grass all outside
the furrer! Quick, sir, quick! We will
all be b'rnt to cinder if you don't fly
round! Git up there, Jim! Faster, old
boy!'
After this last equivocal order, the
fat housekeeper, rosy and putting, skill
fully steered Jim down the east side of
the farmhouse. Hannah guided the
pillow, the muscles swelling in her firm,
shapely hands and along her barred
brown wrists. Her eyes glanced down.
ward to see that the plowshare was run
ming right, and then they were lifted to
the heavens. Those deep eyes of blue
were filled with prayers reverent sup
plication. 3D.. =.
''God help u.s. God help us!" she MUIR
INJURED. Behind the pillow tottered the
old ranchman, kindling the grass out
side the furrow, and leaving a rapidly
widening space of black, fre-ravaged
ground between the ranch buildings and
that awful conflagration driving over
the prairie. .-s. 49,. ... - .s..ah...
''Now the north side!' said Hannah.
'The east side is OF the most conse-
quence. Ready" ..s !.
"Hit up-up-up, Jim! Come on, old
John" screamed Mrs.. Tutherly. The
smoke was now all about them, but
Hannah would say: 1.-THE east side is
safe! Thank God!'' and press stubborn
ly on.
But where was young John? More
than once Hannah had prayed: ''God
keep him!' Had he been overtaken bv
that awful fire, scorched, suffocated,
burnt to death? He was somewhere
out on the prairie. His horse was swift
His pluck was great He knew cne
prairie; but there was that terrible
engine of flame, without wheels, yet
rolling on, the horrible dragon of fire,
without wings, yetsteadily flying! Who
could escape all this?
The north side had been furro we'd and
burnt over, when Hannah caught the
quick beat Of horses hoofs, and on came
beautiful brown Betty, bring ing her
master, young John!
'Thank God!' he shouted as he
leaped from Betty's steaming back,
kissed Hannah, and then Selling the
plow-handles cried: "Leave this west
side and go for the south side! Quick!
Run, Hannah, fast, and be firing the
grass up in the southeastern corner!'
There was crouching form that soon
appeared, torch in his wrinkled hand.
His face was blackened by the SCOT of
the burnt prairie. HE don't see me!
He don t notice me. lie kissed her. I've
been scorched and singed. They don't
notice me, +" muttered old John.
!, They did notice him when the work
OF saving had been completed, when out
of a wide, blackened waste rose up the
uninjured buildings, safe behind that
long, protecting furrow. They found
him lying insensible at one exposed
corner, an expired torch in his hand.
The heat, the excitement of the I'M
usual effort at his age, had overcome
him. They carried him to his bed.
What did he murmur at last?
"Nobody cares for me here" he
moaned. ''Send for my John!"
AouA ooA' aShou young john. Inc
sufferer bent his head in assent.
''Nobody cares for me here" he thrn
murmured again. ''Send for him!'
1--WE will; but we care for you, grand
pa," said Hannah. 1--WE are your Johns
children"
''W-w-what?" asked the old man, the
faded brown eyes opening wide in as
constituent
eyes, grandpa said young John,
Hannah and Ivwe-we are brother and
sister; and-and-we thought if we
came, sometime it would come about
that we could tell you, and you would
hear US, and you would be reconciled tc
father and be willing to see him, and"
The old man here broke in with a crv
that came out of heart once more ten.
der and sincere: ''Thank God! Bless
you, bless you, and send for my joint"
my John" came, and the coming
wrought wonders in the old father
Edward A. Rand, in Golden Rule
Matrimonial Statistics.
In 1883 thirteen per cent. of all the
men married in Pennsylvania married
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