Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-07-04

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"HE SHALL DE SAVED IF DIE FOR IT,"
As he left the little paror he muttered
to himself, "All's fair in love and war and
this will be both, if Jack don't keep his
ugly face ont of my way. I'll have that
woman if | have to go through a sea of
lies, and it's well struck in time, for she
looked pretty haggard when | told that
yarn. | wonder if she's idiot enough to
care for that fool of fellow when there's
better men round" He had not thought
him fool once when he staid behind
their party at the risk of his life 30 spend
days and nights nursing him through a
brain fever, but one forgets favors in love
and war. Then in pursuance of his tactics,
he sought an early opportunity of putting
a thorn in his rivals side.
Don't the course of true love run
smooth, eh>" he said, mockingly, at their
next meeting.
II don't understand"
you're conveniently stupid, old boy.
Well, never mind, | was little soft that
way myself, till l found out in time by
]
field"
Jack turned very red wondering for one
wild moment if he was thought to be the
fortunate one who had made the innings
The next remark enlightened him "A
pretty woman like that don't go long with
out some one getting mortgage on her.
Daisy Lane was engaged before she came
out here. It's so, but please don't speak of
it yet" 1t was true, as MOrdaunt said to
himself and a huge joke, for of course she
was engaged before she was married, as
poor Jack might have guessed if he had
not been too crushed by the blow to see the
point of such wit.
From the fort, twenty miles away, had
come an invitation to most of the settlers
to celebrate the glorious Fourth by a ball
and the first grand display of fireworks
that part of the country had ever seen.
The collections had been very munifcent,
and the amount of patriotic finder was so
large that two wagons were required to
transport the well boxed packages from
the train. There was great enthusiasm
among the invited. Every wagon in the
settlement was supplied with board seats,
and the big stage, which was one of the
fort properties, was borrowed for the con-
venience of Mrs Lane and the only other
two women in the place whose position en-
titled them to an invitation Jack was to
drive the coach, in which, of course, Uncle
Jerry had a place. Lily was now so well
that her mother arranged to leave her to
the care of "A trusty Irish woman. The en-
tertainment was to begin and end early,
for only on condition of returning the same
night. would Daisy be persuaded to leave
her child.
! When the morning of the Fourth came
| Daisy for the first time since her arrival,
was at the station when the train came in,
and Jack and Mordaunt, sauntering up,
saw with astonished eyes her pretty little
! figure lost to sight for brief space in the
fervent embrace of buster clothed young
man who stepped from car. Mordaunt
had tact enough to turn the incident to ac.
count, and, calmly remarking, "1he chosen
one, suppose" walked off, leaving Jack a
prey to woe
The newcomer was widely introduced as
DR.. Bruce and made one of the party driven
that night by Jack, who had no heart to
join the merry conversation of his passen-
| gers.
The ball was delightful, the fireworks
magnificent, but Jack was thankful when
the farewels were said There was a gray
ness in the sky which remotely presaged
dawn AS they reached home, and all but
Jack promptly retired to snatch such short
lengths of sleep remained to them. He,
after caring for his horses, sat down upon
an inverted barrel just within the stable
door, and gave himself up to dreary
thoughts, which were soon invaded by the
consciousness that the freshly rising breeze
was carrying strong scent of burning
upon its wings. Instantly alert, he ran to
the house, finding bundle of oily rags
Ed .,
away the mass, stamped out the fire, and
running around to the front, found the in
cendiaries had put in better work. Smoke
and fire We're starting from several points,
and the western corner, right under Dai-
sy's room, was already bursting into
flames.
Loudly calling "Fire!" to arouse the
sleepers, who would not have too much
time to get down from the upper rooms, he
climbed up to Daisy balcony and pounded
at her window. She had wrapped shawl
about her and lain Iwn without undress-
ing. She sprang To the window white as
death, but understanding just what he
wanted her to do. Let me in and will
carry the baby down stairs" he cried hur-
riedly, for the wind famed flames were
making quick Roadway with the light
boards. Follow me close; don't stop for
anythlng' l VIII come Dack Tor your
things"
But all her possessions had to go with
the rest, for the fire gained force so rapidly
that Jack had to work hard to assist some
of the others to get out alive. Uncle Jerry,
sleeping on the ground floor was one of
the first out, and, with Daisy and the trem-
bling little one, stood at a safe distance
sadly watching the destruction, Suddenly
Daisy darted forward crying: sob, where
} is Malcolm? He has not come down. AS
she spoke, a cry from above drew every
ones eyes. From one of the highest win
dows white, bewildered face looked out.
"Oh, Malcolm" screamed Deisy,"you shall
be savedr' And she few distractedly to-
ward the fiery place.