The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-04-03


VII 4b away the crisp green
* tfs 49,; backs which the Pay
49, master had given them
- u as their final payment
In full"
I'm going 20 leave on the next train for
EIecampaue. Mark" replied the other; ana
within a week In be married to the sweetest
girl in the world, who has been waiting for me
ever since l enlisted. three years ago. Come
along with me. stay at my house, Ice my best
man M the wedding. find some nice girl there
-Elccampane Is full Of nice girls-some OF
them almost bnt not quite as nice as my
girl. Susie-marry her. aud settle down IN kle-
campane. You won't end a buster, liveiier
town iu the country. Come along, old fellow.
No Arnold; no nice girls for me any
more" answered Mark Hunnicutt, sadly.
+" The slash that rebel gave me nc Maynesboro
settled tho girl question forever. shall never
take this smashed face Of mine into the pres
ence Of young ladies. except when necessity
absolutely demands 10. | don't want 10 excite
either their horror or ridicuIe. which the sight
OF il certainly would. ] am going to SOME b'g
ciiy-Chiuaga. / think-where / can live
wholly among men. whodo not care how anan
looks, but what ne is and can do
Nonsense" replied Arnold Bergen. Iou
are unduly sensitive about year appearance.
That is merely aR honorable scar, which VIII
make you al the more attractive TO any glTi
worth having"
But he found that Mark HunHicutt was i'm
movable IN his resolution, and Arnold went
of alone home on the train.
Ten years later Arnold Bergen. thriving
merchant OF Elecampane. was visiting his old
c9mradc Mark Hunnicutt. in a charming little
home on the West Side in Chicago.
swell Mark" ne said, rs they sat together
in the parlor after supper and smoked, while
Mrs. Huunicutt put the little one TO bed, i
see YOU finally broke your resolution not 10 IN
hici that STARRED face on any young lady. You
found. rs ] told you. that anNefvoman worth
the having would consider u an attraction
rather than deformity. From my brief &c
quaintGuce with your wife don't think you
could've got a better woman II you'd had the
face OF Apollo. She comes mighty near being
as good Is my Susie"
We'll ] stuck very close to my resolution
for some years" replied Mark. " went TO
Chicago, as ] told you thought Of doing, aud
found employment ia lunacry yard rs meas
urer and assistant foreman. The business only
brought me ia cOutact with raen-mostiy of
the rOnghcr soTt-and so gTatIiicd my desire 10
keep nay musi!ated c0uutenancc FROM the sight
OF women liked the business for other reA-
sous, aud managed 10 suit my employers so
well that they established me in a separate
yard on the Vest side. ] made this pay, aud
IN a couple OF years was able TO bny them cut,
aud be my own boss. ] took rooms In the
house Gf Nels Dlesen. nv foreman, a steady old
Norwegian and his middle-aged wife prepared
my meals and took care Of my rooms. Ere
queuiiy Size was the only woman SAW. except
81 Assistance, for weeks, the only one / spoke 10
for months At time.
By the time the great Gre swept over the
city had become fairly wcll-to do. Fortune
smiled upon NE over that general ruin, for my
yard bad escaped entirely. being one Of the
very few 80 Fortunate and the enhanced price
OF its stock made me rich man. But my for
mer employers bad lost everything. aud
fastened 10 repay their kindness by dividing
my stock equally with them.
Bot / IN getting ahead OF my story. On the
afternoon Of the first day OF the fre-feeling
entirely secure as % my own property, since
tie high wind steadily drove the pillows OF
fame iu another directiOH-I went over % the
South Side 20 see If ] could he Of any assisi-
ance 20 the less fortunate. Returning late In
the evening. / passed dwelling boEse in
flames. Everybody around WAS in state Of
excitement. and there was cry that there
were women yet ln the house. j rushed ia
and found a young woman Iying ia q swoon at
the head q tie stzirs. Her clothing had al
ready caught Gre. I eZlinguished this. and
carried her out and laid her on a mattress on
abe grass. Casting ha,ty glance around /
found / was alone with her. The roaring
flames aud topping walls had driven every
body else OIL Near ny lay a spring wagon.
TOPPED over by the enormous load fraHticaily
beaied upon Il. and with it, horse struggling
wildly ia the harness. It WAS the work of but
very excited moments 10 exTicats the wagon
from It's load. help tie horse 70 his feet place
the mattress witb the unconscious girl upon IL
OB the vehIrle. and start ON q run 70 lead the
horse out OF the eHeiIcling fameA ! knew il
would never do 10 attempt IL drive the animal
through that mass IL smoke fire aud falling
timbcrs 50 / led him. Fortunately be was a
oGcilc beast. aud followed me readily. But
fs4tI r.la fr.fia n han
charge through the rebel lines al Trevillian'
Station. There AZ least we had the clear sun
shine % show Us our road, and our good sabers
% deal with our foes ] WAS ia agony lest a
wall or telegraph pole should crush the life out
Of the fair girl ] WAS trying 10 save. At last
We passed through the burning zane and as we
entered the parer air my charge showed evil
deuce Of returning consciousness by piteohs
means. ] stopped ia an open space. secured the
horse 70 astelcgIaph pole aud went back 90 her
The glare IN the sky made IL light enough "a
Bee that she was finely formed. tasiefully
dressed and had beautiful face. though this
was dls!gured by the eyebrows and a portion
OF the curling hair being burned away.
%, my iOor eyes" she PrDaned. They
hurt me 50. and ! cannot see d thing Is Il
pitch dark eveTyWherey"
Heavens her eyesighi had been destroyed
j egaded telling her this. aud dipping Hly
handkerchief IN some water near laid IL arrosi
.
There thai will take out tho smart Of Lht
burning. aud make you feel easier"
IL Goes indeed" she answered. "They
don't hurt nearly 50 bad now. You are 5,
kIud."
questioned her as 10 herself She told m,
that bier name wa Mary Lawton; that she wa
en- orphan, Der home having been ia a Iittl,
town in Central New York. She had prepares
herself = teacher, and como 30 Chirago % ne
cept situation iH the public schools. Tn,
people ia tie burning house were alnos
strangers % her having merely taken her in
Oh the recommendation Of the Principal Of on
Of tie schools. until she could make some per
maHeHt arrangement.
What WIS ! % do with herr could no
leave her out there, aud the homes of the few
people / knew bad been swept away by IL,
deVOnFing flames. There seemed 20 be n,
other Nay than 70 take her 10 my own home
Bnd commit her 10 the care Of eOpd Mrs. Olesen
IsucceeGed, BY taking a roundabout oonrse. il
Retting 10 nay place without murh difficulty
Mrs. Olesen. Overlooking with sympathy ans
desire 10 be u help in the great disaster
hustled about stormed sharply ia guttura
Scandinavian Al her 40 less sympathetic lja
slower moving spouse, aud soon had NV sleeD
ing-TOom prepared Tor the suffering stranger
When she WAS disr0bed aud laid in nv bed s,i
rounded by ali the appliances for comCor
which the good vroW could muster, 1 wen
out ia search Of doctor. but it wis mpossibI,