Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-05-13
Continued from fourth page. }

voices were already calling Elisa
Lisa |" But with the thought came
instantly the remembrance of the old
grandmother, and she ran back to her
bedside.
The old woman was still apparently
asleep. but the girl could not be sure
whether it were not the stupor of un.
consciousness. She tried to lift her
out of bed, with the wild hope ofcarry'
ing her down; but finding this impos-
sible, she dragged the bed to the win
dow and flung some water on her face
"Grandmotharl grandmother !" she
cried, frantically.
Some one was beating at the locked
outer door, and again she heard the
cry LISA Lisa Schwarz, there is g
fire close by |"
The next chalet was indeed burning
and the fire, which had crept behind
to the Schwarz house, had there gain
ed head quite unsupported by the
neighbors. while the smoke blowing
from the next house prevented their
noticing that it was also pouring from
Lisa's window. She put out her head
and cried for help.
Come out, GOMEZ cried Maria
Brun the men were all working at
the next house.
Lisa rushed once more to the steps
the flames, burning with rapidity
which no one who has not seen these
wooden houses, dry and full of turpen
tins, can conceive, had fastened upon
them with hungry ferceness. For
a moment or two yet she might escape
but the grandmother She flew back
Even in that instant of time the fire,
darting round the corner of the house
showed the' terrified people what q
hold it had gained.
Elisa Lisa screamed Maria again.
Some one else cried out Lisa !" at
the same moment. 1t was the old
grandmother, and her eyes were open
and full of strange terror. The girl
flung her arms around her.
"Try to let me lift thee, grandma"
But she shook her head and smiled,
with the terror gone.
"Thou art good child, my Lisa,
and the dear Lord will bless thee.
thought thou had'st slipped away. but
now it is all well and I will 20 to
Sleep" And she closed her eyes
peacefully.
Maria got hold of two men-no
more, for the flames were spreading
swiftly through the little village-and
they were forcing open the door; but
as they did SO such volume and such
a leaping up Of the fire answered, that
they fell back in dismay. Maria
cried out for ladder, and one was
being fetched when a boy came run.
ming to tell the bearers-they were
brothers-that their own house wa,
in danger, and they dropped the lad
der and ran. Maria herself dragged
it along, and tried to set it against the
wall, when man rushing up, grasped
her arm with clutch of iron.
Lisa is there'" he said, pointing.
"Yes, yes"
No other word. He was up the
ladder out of sight, in another momen,
struggling down again, halt blinded
half choked, but with Lisa on hi:
shoulder--Lisa, unconscious, immov.
able.
Look thou to her, the dear one ~
he said, in voice Of nexpressible
tenderness, as he laid her ON the
ground.
"Ah dear Heaven ! Franz, thou
wilt not go up again! 1t is death
See the flames 70
But he was gone.
This was worse. It was well fol
Lisa that she knew nothing, for the
fire all but had the mastery this time
and even when he got out OH the lad.
der he staggered more than once under
the heavy burden and his own suffer
ing. But ut last the old woman was
laid on the grass where Lisa was lying
and Maria sobbing with excitement.
Before the fire was got under, more
than half the pretty village was burn.
ed and of the two whom Franz res
cued, only one came back to life.
The old grandmother's feeble life had
probably passed away when she said
those words to Lisa. People wonder
how Franz had turned up just at
that moment; only Lisa knew that
what brought him was shame at his
own anger when he saw the red ker.
chief waving "no" from the window.
He had been-very angry. but pres
emily began to think Of her unselfsh-
ness and his injustice, and these
thoughts brought him back to the
village, where he meant to hang
about until she came out the next
morning. We know what he found.
And although Lisa could never be
sufficiently thankful that she had
been given strength to say "no" that