Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-02-21

nom" ! HdH chTftfN Joe around TO
the barn. and left him with Adam. and
when Adam drove around to the fro mt
of the house Joe was seated beside
him. When my wife came to get into
the carriage she asked me who was
that with Adam, and when / told her
she said
'"WeIl, Edward, think you have
enough 10 do to take care of what
negroes you've got now without buy
ing more.
We rolled along pretty fast over
the road when we did yet started, aud
had Just turned the last bend in the
road, which left Us oBlv straight
stretch OF about mile. when Adam
said:
Mars Edward, whar'y that iirc?'
Rising up. / could see the horizon
brightly illuminated. on the rigut-huud
side ahead Of NJ. in the direction OF The
hous"
"Driyr Adam cricI. FOR M the
horses are worth, Down came the
wfip. aui tie spirited team fairly llew
We comd soon see that il was indeed
our home Ms vile was frantic. It.
WAS aii ! could DO o hold beer IN iho
corrioge The plantation gafe lDrh-
nateJy sroo open. We iaslul IN aud
were soon IN front OF Che hpusr.
Che building was Old. though sub
stnnii1iIv built bv my father many
years before The flames were roar
ing ike "a furnace The first object
my wife's eyes fell on as she lcaped
from tive carriage WIS old Aunt Mlmba.
"Liiiyi Liliy!' she screamed Aunt
Mlmbt poor old soul was on her
knees. wriugno her hands and calling
on the Lord Sizes dar good Lord
up Ia dc back chamber and She pointed
to the upper floor Of The building, now
being rapidly consumed.
"The front part OF the house was
mass Of flame. The parlor windows
had melted like wax, and we could see
the furniture beyond feeding the FIRE
the front chambers aud roof above
were sending their showers Of cmber5
and sparks far up in the mir, and the
basement and rear floor of the slrucl-
ire could not long support the tottcr-
ing iiyid mass above. The door Of
the main hall was standing open
Some of the negroes had burst 10 open,
bat dared TO 20 no farther. The ban
listers aud stairs were burning freely.
saw al once that Lilly was lost. My
wife, half crazod, screaming, Lilly
LilIy, started for the burning stair
way. grasped her arms. IL took all
my strength TO hold her back.
al this instant figure shot past
me into the sheet OF flame, and out OF
sight. | recognized tho shabby form
oi Joe. Poor fellow, | thought he's
gone to his death
nv wife had tainted, and | had just
dragged her under the spreading
limbs 1S trer away from the intense
hcrt, when out Of the fiery furnace
bounded figure covered with fame.
laid Il bundle which he carried 10 hi,
arms nc our feet tore the flaming
blankets from her form and there on
the ground lay Lilly | grasped n
blanket from the carriage and lung
It round him who had braved death
mid the llWues to save my child. With
the help OF Adam and the ovcrsecr
who had arrived we soon had the
flames eXtuguisbcd. In fact there
WAS not mucl to eNtiugujsh; for his
RAGGED clothing had literally burned
from him 1t was tho flaming quilts
and blankets IN his arms, in which
Lilly WAS rolled that made him look
liko pillar of fire.
"Ihr smoke like TO have strauglcd
Lilly. but the lire had not touched her.
She law unconscious Of hor Danger
asleep n u rear chamber 10 which che
fire mud NOT penetrated though the
outside WA, Burning liarccly. DOE bad
hurst i'm Che door. thrown the Blankets
IpHd quilts over her head. gathered bcr
Iup blankets and all, and dashed down
the flaming stairway.
I'VE put Joe Ia the cabin and had
the best medical attendance the county
could afford. The next day | went
/ over and bought his wife aud child.
and her faithful nursing and the
| physicians together finally pulled him
/ through though it was months before
hr could walk
'lt seems that Aunt Mimba had put
| Lilly tl bed and gone over 90 some OF
tine cabin, To- gossip with the negroes
/ there. The fire had broken ont in the
| basement aud made such hcadwav that
when Cd Was discovered they dared not
enter the house The ovcrsoers house
hciug SO lar from my residence, he had
not got lhore when arrived,
"Ol ONE thing am sure; had | not
bought Joe that day my Lilly would
have been food for the lhmcS Do
YOU wonder now that money wouldn't
| buv him2 I've offered him his Freedom.
| hut hc won't leave me. His vile is
our cook, and Joe is my messenger
and handy man, aud the boy is a
/ bright iulo darby and Joo's pride J
wouldn't let any Of the ueiZhbors
know IT, but Lilly has taught him %
read and write l suppose tn die
some of these days, and when ! do
there's provision in my win that
leaves Joe aud his family free aud pro-
yIdcs for giving them a start in lie,
/ but | doub, igtHeyll leave Lilly
.'OH Joe!' and in he came, show
this gentleman to his om.'-H f.
I ScUH