Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-06-19

Through sheer obstlnanee and pettlsh.
ness julia refused to dismiss her school
until the scholars, alarmed at the prea.
columns OF smoke that the rising wind
swept over them, declared their inten.
ton Of going home, whether or no.
some ran out into the middle of "tbe
erik" and from there faneied thew could
see red flames cleaning ferociously. in.
stantly the children were panic stricken.
ana ran about crying, in aimless con
fusion.
Then Julia's real womanliness and
strength rose to the surface, while
the petty willfulness disappeared. She
brought order into the childish ranks
babe them secure their books and prop
critics and file out quietly, leading them
herself through the woods, where the
winding footpath led most of them 10
their homes. She saw that every one
was safe in the care Of parents, then
composedly, but quickly, made her way
to the Cleaver homestead, where she
boarded.
She found every door open and not a
soul in sight. Looking out from the
back porch, she could see ON the right
the big barn full Sf hay, the sheds,
wagons and farm machinery clustered
near; on the left, the schoolhouse. still
safe; before her and across the plowed
fields, AN arm OF the woods, through
which the clear space of the creek could
be diseerned, and little more to the
right, and farther away, the sweeping
clouds of smoke pouring up and onward
with hurying density.
Voices in quick, broken shouts fell on
her ear, and grasping her straw hat she
fastened out in that direction. She
found MOTHER sister. daughter and
younger children eagerly hnging down
the fences, scattering the rails widely
over the bare ground.
"We must get the fences down before
the fire comes, cried Mary Cleaver, the
eldest daughter, as she saw Julia APP
preaching, I'm glad you've come, and
it's lucky your dress is wooden. The fire
is raging so that the little space of
burned ground around the fences won't
stay it at all, an il it once gets to run
min through them, barn, horses, hay.
home and everything must CO."
"Where are the men:'
"Over at Johnson's settlement, fight
ing like beavers and dead tired out. Three
houses and barns have gone up Already.
The hearty, rosy checked girl, in short
worsted skirts and mans coat and hat
tossed huge knotty rail over her Shout
| der and looked at the little schoolma am
with superior air. Are you equal to
that sort Of thing for an hour or two?'
Julia fancIed she could hear the roar of
the ON coming flames, and already the
air was sitting; but, for answer, grasped
a rail in her 1.-the young arms, and flung
it out as lightly as the stouter girl had
done.
How she worked! Her sleeves were
soon torn from the round, white arms
and they were quickly rasped and
scratched until tiny red streams ran down
to her wrists. In her excitement she
flung rails about that she could not have
| lifted in ordinary moments; even the
Cleaver girl looked at her admiringly, and
suggested that "she take it easier" Blu
there was little time for rest. A rec
flame leaped over the tops of the trees
here and there, and burning cinders wer,
falling around them; one more line o.
fence must be, at least, partly scattered
before there was safety. 1t was farthe
out and directly in the way of the thick
est rain of flying cinders. But the tw,
girls, one SO slender, willowy and quick
the other strong and steady, attacked i
with undauuted spirit, and just as thu
stirred the hair ON their brows the fir
bait was rendered harmless,
Julia was painting with exhaustion an,
wondering if she was going TO faint
when Mrs. Cleayer came up with tn
frantic cry of;
"Where is little jeanette? Where il
the world is the girl. Have you seel
herr
jake, the slow, old fashioned 12-year
old, made his mother understand afte
a while that Jeanne had gone in the di
rection of the fire cause she wante'
to see it burn
THAT DARN child She amt afraid o
nothin'. She'll be burned alive" An,
the woman tried to run and find he
youngest born; but WEAKNESS and emo
ton overcame her eagerness and she fel
helpless to the ground.
Mary FASTENED TO her mothers side
and no other woman or child dared ven
ture nearer toward the surging storm o
flames and smoke that was bearing dow
upon them.
Only Julia. She looked forward i
dread but for one moment, then callinI
up every reserve of strength and couI
age, she paused like a bird ready TO
fight, thinking which was the bes
course, and with the grace and speed o
deer sprang through the bushes, cal
ing Jeanette's name. Toward the RICH
the fire was not so near, and in that d.
rection Julia flew, peering under ever
oush and behind every log for the miss
ing girl. On and on, through the dens
smoke, with the agonizing fear in he
heart that the child had already met he
terrible fate lending her a false strength
on and ON she passed, as long as posi-
BILE pathway opened before her. bu
suddenly she came upon wall of fire; :
, turn aside was but to face another. unit
she realized with appalling force that sh
was hemmed in on every side.
1t seemed to her the fire fiend had SUI
/ denly encircled her, by some skilif,
trick, and was mocking her despair
. The sun refused to shine and the SIX
was blotted out in darkness; this was ne
, the world, the bright, beautiful earth 81
had loved so well, but some chaotic spas
out in the universe, where the elemen
r were fighting for mastery. The q'ii'
morning when she and Harry had stoo
/ together making believe they did not 10y
each other and were not happy mu
|. have been far away in some other lif
, She would never get back to that Ii
.,o,.o. aoo Harry mayor rpcpI,