Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-09-17

mol ner sister given neT SO QeTCe d look OF
warning
One morning, however. Maggie Lowe
! did not appear. Angie came In her stead.
saying to the overseer that her sister was
sick, and that she would take her place
She understood the work very we'll. hay-
ing watched the sorters for hours at d time.
and she began on her bag of rags without
delay.
1t proved a very eventfuI day In the
beginning of it some of the machinery got
so much cut of order that all the hands
except those in the sorting-room were dis
missed, and at noon Maggie and Angie
were the only ones left in the room, the
others having gone elsewhere to eat their
dinner. Boh Maggie and Angie nved too
far from the mill to GO hOma at noon, and
neither could afford to patronize the cheap
restaurants in the next street, as the ma
jority of the girls did.
Both opened their tin pals and began
TO draw out the breai and cold meat their
| mothers had provided for them. and ate
In silence until nearly all was disposed of,
when suddenly the cry of Fire was
raised outside.
N aggie sprang to her feet to find the
| room beginning to fill with smoke, which
was coming up through the chinks in the
| floor. An accident not at all uncommon
| IL paper mills, had occurred. A bag OF
| cotton waste had burst into flames, and
| the store-room beneath was furnace of
| fire. With lsud cry Of terror Maggie
rushed into the machine room. But SUI
| denty she stopped, recollecting her help
less companion. Poor crippled Angie, the
| best loved child of her fathers enemy,
| Mr.. Lowe, was behind her. waiting for
death. And, strangely enough, like a
flash of Tightening REQUIRED TO Maggie the
strange words spoken by the man who
had pulled her out of the water two weeks
| before.
WIS not this Like danger?" Had she
not promised to sieze any opportuni7 y of
fered to repay him as be had asked, to
show her gratitude? No, she must not
leave Angie there to die alone, and yet how
could she save her? There was no time to
| be lost. The smoke threatened to suffocate
them both. Back to the terrified Angie
she ran, and seized her in her arms. Hard
| work and outdoor exercise had made her
muscular and she bore the cripple easily.
But by the time she reached the door of
| the machine room the flames were bursting
through the flooring at her feet, and she
was obliged to retreat, She ran to the
windows, but could see nothing, so thickly
! did the black smoke roll up outside. No
escape; they were walled in on every side.
| The smoke in the room was so thick that
| they could scarcely breathe.
| Maggie was about to sink dow In des-
| pair to await the terrible fate W hlch was
rushing upon them, when she happened
to think OF shed below one Of the win
dows, in which tubs and tools were kept.
She could hear the shouts OF the people
in the streets, the ringing of the bells on
the rapidly approaching engines, but alas
they would come to late too aid her
Right and left the smoke was rising In
dense volumes; she could not see the root
of the shed, but she knew that there lay
her only chance of escape. She knew that
she could drop easily without injury; but
it would not be so with Annie. The Grip
pie could scarcely escape hurting herself
badly.
Maggie rushed to the bags. Help me
make rope, Annie, " she cried "Quick,
quick.
With the aid of their scissors they
divided the bags into long strips, and
Maggie's nimble fingers knotted them
together, while she explained her plan tc
the cripple
She fastened the imLrovised rope about
Angles waist, and bore her to the window.
In moment Angie had descended safely
to the roof below. As she reached it she
was seen by the dense and anxious crowd
below, among which were Mr. Lowe and
Mr.. Lane.
Come on Maggie" cried Angie, look.
ing up.
But no &nswer came, Maggie's strenth
had become exhausted. Suffocated by the
smoke she had fallen by the window In
sensible.
A ladder was run up TO the roof of the
shed. and IN a moment Angie had explain
ed to the blackened fireman the state OF
| affairs. Another ladder went up in q
twinkling. and in another moment Mag
gle was being carried down to where hel
half crazed father, waited for her. You
may be sure that cheer went up as he
clasped her in his arms, and many WO
man s eyes were wet as they saw how white
was the face. how death-like, which rested
on Mr.. Lanes brest.
That evening the Lanes were all at tea
as calmly as is nothing had happened
Maggie lay on the sofa with waiter be
side her, and was telling how Angie haC
chung to her, when there was knock a
the door.
Come in, said Mrs. Lane.
10 the surprise of all in the room M
Lowe, his wife and his daughter Maggie
entered.
"Neighbor," said Mr. Lowe, ''we'v,
been at Ioggerheads these twelve years OF
more. | won't say who was right in thu
matter or who was wrong, but only this
If you re so minded, We'll strike hand
here, and end the matter"
There's my hand, neighbor," said Mr.
Lane, and it shan't be my fault if we fal
out again.
SARAH said Mrs Lane ''Susan!'
cried Mrs. Lowe. And then the two womel
threw their arms around each other an
began to cry for very joy.
1--WE always loved you" said Mrs
Lane. ''And there hasn't been day
haven wished we were friends. Susan,
: said Mrs. Lowe.
5 Meanwhile the two Maggies were ais
| making up past differences.
So ended the fend between the two fan
lilies, and it was never opened again. Til
5 old intimacy was resumed. and the fire a
: the paper mill brought blessing to bot
, families.
BEECHER AS A WITNESS