Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-04-18

styled herself, was prancing up and
down through the gathering crowd, her
shrill voice overmastering all other
clamor. The vigorous efforts of the men,
directed by cool headed officers, soon
beat back the flames that were threaten
ing the neighboring shanties, and leveed
to the ground what remained of Private
Clancy home. Tho fire was extinguished
almost as rapidly as it began, but the
torrent of Mrs. Clancy's eloquence was
still unstemmcd. The adiurations of
sympathetic sisters to How'd yer
whist the authoritative admonition of
some old sergeant to "Stop your Internal
noise and the half maudlin yet appeal
ing glances of her suffering lord were all
insufficient to check her.
II was not until the quiet tones of the
colonel were heard that she began to
cool down: "We've had enough of this,
Mrs. Clancy; be still, now, or well have
to send you to the hospital in the coal
cart" Mrs. Clancy knew that the colonel
was a man of few words. and believed
him to be one of less sentiment. She was
afraid of him, and concluded it time to
cease threats and abuse and come down
to the more effective role of wronged and
suffering womanhood-a feat which she
accomplished with the consummate ease
of long practice, for the rows in the
Clancy household were matters of garri-
son notoriety. The surgeon, too, had
come, and, after quick examination of
Clancy's condition, had directed him to
he taken at once to the hospital: and
thither his little daughter insisted on
following him, despite the efforts of
some of the women to detain her and
dress her properly.
Before returning to his quarters the
colonel desired to know something of the
origin of the fire. There was testimony
enough and to spare. Every woman in
s;udsville had u theory to express and
was eager TO he heard at once and to the
exclusion of all others. 1t was not until
4" lad summarily ordered them to go to
their homes and not come near him that
the colonel managed to get a clear state
ment from some of the men.
Clancy had been away all the evening,
drinking as usual, and Mrs. Clancy was
searching about Sudsvillc rs much for
sympathy and listeners as for him. Lit
tie Kate. who knew her fathers haunts,
had guided him home and was striving
to get him to his little sleeping corner
before her mothers return. when in his
drunken holpleSsness he fell against the
table, Oyer,urninG the kerosene lamp,
and the curtains were all aflame in an
II n
o'Clock-when Katc's shrieks aroused
the inmates OF Sudsville and started the
cry Of Fire The hilnsy structure of
pine boards burned like so much finder,
and the child and her stupefied father
had been dragged forth only in time to
save their lives. The little one, after
giving the alarm, had rushed again into
the house and was Juggling at his sense
less form when rescue came for both
none too soon.
As for Mrs. Clancy, at the first note Of
danger she had rushed screaming to the
spot. but only in time to see the whole
interior ablaze and to howl franticallv
for some man to save her monev--it was
all in the green box under the bed. For
husband and child she had for the
moment no thought. They were safely
out OF the fire 10y the time she got there,
and she screamed and fought like a fury
against the men who held her back
when she would have plunged into the
midst OF it. 1t took but IA minute for
one or two men to burst through the
tiimsy wall with axes, to rescue the
burning box and knock Off the lid. 1t
was sight to see when the contents
were handed to her. She knelt, wept,
prayed, counted over bill after bill of
smoking, steaming greenbacks, until
suddenly recalled to her senses bv the
eager curiosity and the remarks of some
Of her fellow women. That she kept
money, and a good deal of it. in her
quarters had long been suspected and as
tiercely denied; but no one had dreamed
Of such sum as was revealed.
In her frenzy she had shrieled that
the savings of her lifetime were burning
that there was over three thousand
dollars in the box; but she hid her treas
ure ana gasped and stammered and
swore she was talking ''wild like. They
was nothing but twos and vans" she
vowed; yet there were women there who
declared that they had seen tens and
twenties as she hurried them through
her trembling fingers, and Sudsville Cos
siped ana talked for two hours after she
was led away, still moaning and SILVER
ing, to the bedside of poor Clancy, who
Vas the miserable cause of it all. The
colonel listened to the stories with such
patience as could be accorded TO wit
nesses who desired to give prominence
to their personal exploits in subduing
the flames and rescuing life and prop
erty. It was not until he and the group
Of officers with him had been engaged
some moments in taking testimony that
something was elected which caused q
new SenatiOn.
1t was not by the united efforts of Suds-
Vile that Clancy and Kate had been
dragged from the flames, but by the in
dividual dash and determination of n
single man; there was no discrepancy
here, for the ten or a dozen who were
wildly rushing about the house made no
effort to burst into it until Young soldier
leaned thrOupb their midst into fbo Jlo,