St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-09
ss,,y oupht to have q lesson In ringing

spend the night in the church, and their
cousin, little Enoch, Aurills's brother, who
had come with her to enjoy lively Fourth,
cried to 20 too little Enoch was only
seven. hut he howled, with both fists in
bis ewes. that he wanted 'ter- ter trooly
Fourth, )" aud Hosy said he would take
care of him if Aurilla would consent to his
GOING You wouldn't know the Fourth of
inlv from Sunday in the Peters Settle
ment, and Hosy pitied him:
Bim had cast grateful chances at Hosy's
expanded pockets. :.
Il hope you've got q lot Of pop there, !"
he said, "You know I'm depending on
you."
down into his boots.
81 haven't got so much as torpedo,
Bim," he said, huskily.
"What In the name Of wonder have you
got your pockets full of" demanded BIN.
sssome things that I've spent every cent
of my money for, but they won't 60 OH,
said Hosy, despairingly.
BIN gszed at him with scorn and des.
peration in his eye.
II know what he is" he said whitening
". "But you've Just made O fool ofyour-
self. for Anrilla isn't that kind Of girl.
She wanted rousing Fourth"
Hosev turned away, shame-faced and
silent. He had q weakness for treating
the girls to candy BIN thought he had
spent all the money for candy. Hosey
thought it easier to have him think so than
to explain. -
Just as the prayer-meeting was about to
close, the boys stole into the vestibule Of
the church, and up the stairs that led to
the steeple. Sandy Doolittle was sitting
in the vestibule, but he was sound asleep.
Sandy could be depended upon 10 be asleep
ut prsyer-meeting time. They went only
to the first landing, because they meant to
spend q part of the night on the soft pew
cushions. But when they went down,
after they had heard the people 60 out and
Sandy Doolittle locked the great outer
door behind him, they found that he had
also locked the door of the auditorium.
"We may as we'll 60 up into the steeple
now it Is lust as comfortable there as it
ia In this entrv," said Bim. And the boys
all followed him up the steep and rickety
stairs-so steep that Enoch had to be
hoisted up, like bale Of goods, and being
cross and sleepy, screamed all the way
that he didn't want to 60 to heaven-he
only wanted to 60 to the Fourth Of July
Up-up the belfry was half way up in
the steeple and the steeple was tall. And
for q part of the way they were in total
darkness. But at last the belfry was
reached, and there was window through
which the moonlight streamed.
The first thing the boys did was to dra"
MP the bell-rope; then they shut down the
trap door through which they had come
They could stand on that and not let
Sandy Doolittle come up, and with the bell
rope in their own hands, Beechville would
wake early to morrow morning, and 1t
wouldn't get q chance for another nap.
either
II the grim old bell above their heads
had been as wise as the bell that rang,
'sTurn again, Wilmington, Lord Mayor of
London T. it would certainly have rupg
now, go down go down" but 1t hung
there in silence. like q stupid bell that
knows nothing of what the day will bring
forth, and the boys arranged themselves
as comfortably rs they could in hooks and
corners, and althouoh the floor was hard
and the Fourth Of July was coming, they
all slept, as boys can.
Hosey awoke suddenly. He thought at
first that a queer dream had made him
wake; he had dreamt that the bell
wouldn't ring, although all Beechville was
trying to make it, because 1t was muffied
in blue yarn stockings But he soon be.
came conscious of q strong smell of fire
the air was thick with smoke.
Sire fire |" cried voices below, and he
heard the engine bell. His cry brought
the boys to their feet.
1.-THE church is on FIRE! We must rel
| down quick I" he cried, selling little
Enoch and lifting the door. But such Z
dense cloud Of black smoke burst up tha
he was forced to drop it instantly. Al
the boys rushed to the window by thu
light Of the burning fire they were instant
ly seen below, and shout of horror wen
up from the crowd. The lower part Of
the church was on fire there seemed Il
be NO way of escape. Firemen tried t,
get upon the roof, but the flames drove
them back; they ran to and fro with lad
ders, but not one could reach half way <
the belfry.
eff we could get q rope to them! Oh, i
we could |" cried chorus Of voices.
Somebody frantically threw rope up
which, of course, missed the window.
An inspiration seized Hosy. He drew
from his pocket one of Polly Cromer'
stockings, and raveled it with the swift
ness of desperation. He made hard it'll
ball and dropped 1t to the ground, holding
fast to the other end Of the yarn. In
moment fireman had tied q small bu
stout rope to the yarn. Rosy pulled care
fully; the crowd watched in breathles
suspense. Would the slender thread hold
All honor to Grandma Cromer's spin
ming The yarn was strong, and the rop
was drawn into the window, while . grea
shout arose from the crowd. In trio
the boys fastened q rope to q beam.
was BIN who went down first, because b
could carry little Enoch on his shoulders
Steadily, hand over hand, Bim went dowr
and reached the ground in safety, and o
the other boys followed Hosy was th
last, and before he went q tongue of fam
had made it's way into the belfry and wa
tapping ut the old bell, which, hsvin
been born in the fire, was not In the lea
affected. And scarcely q minute ate
Hosy touched the ground, the steepie wei
down with crash.
1t was very narrow escape, everybod
said, and 1t was all due to Polly Cromer
J stockings.
! Nobody felt like scolding the boys the
; were punished quite enough for their 81
, capade, and there wasn't the least dang
!. that any of them would ever sneak into
, church to ring the bell again And the
, would never be afflicted again by SAND
Doolit,le's neglect, for it was discovere
, that his lighted pipe, left in the churc
| when he closed it, had caused the fire, al
{ he was deposed from his position as sexto
The story of Polly Cromers stocking
l spread far and wide, and the people bega
to wonder why they had never thought
+ helping Joe Cromer get his artificial LEI
4 | and tina reanlt Was that in q very eho