Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-03-19
street clothes and said "Good right to
her, Madame Bouyier WAS alone

glass chamber broke and The oil was
scattered all about. She was very
thorough. Then she stopped in thu
darkness and carefully lighted match
and touched with its burning end the
paper. A little flame sprang UP and
then died away. She lighted another
match and then tried again. This time
she was more successful, and the flames
ran among the papers, the light shining
upon her face which had become hard
and determined, Frightening and color
ing it. t.
Madame stood and watched the flames
awhile. A smile played upon her mouth.
awe shall see" she said again to herself
I'VE shall see"
Presently the cracking of the wood
assured her that there was no need to
fear that her plans would fail. But yet
she watched the fire glow, and pushed
the paper together with her foot or placed
the outlying sticks of wood where the
blaze could reach them. The flames
rose aud fell and rose again. All the far
corners of the hall which had been 50
dark, were all now lighted. As Madame
Bowler stood still and only watched,
she cast gigantic shadow on the op-
posite wall; but when she moved, her
shadow rau hither and hither, grew
larger or diminished, or danced about
in queer fantastic manner. Quickly the
fire ate up all the paper she mad gath
cred; it played with the small pieces of
wood and consumed them, and then,
seeking more to burn, darted upward to-
ward the woodwork of the staircase
Then, at last Madame Bowler moved
away. She was well satisfied. The heat
and smoke were already almost Sliding,
but she went very slowly toward the
front-door, looking back wards as she did
so toward the spreading fire as though,
at any risk, she would be certain.
81 will do, she said to herself grizzly,
and then she moved more quic Iy. She
picked up her cloak from the floor where
she had thrown it; she unlocked the
door and opened it and was about to 90
out into present safety, at least. Bat,
suddenly, she stopped. With quick,
sharp scream of terror, ne closet the
door violently.
81 had forgotten" she moanod, ~
had forgotten"
She hurried toward the stairs and
began to ascend them. She was sorry
now that she was so old, for she was
forced to go but slowly it seemed to her.
The flames were climbing upward, too.
They reached out and over the front of
the stairway; they coied about the
uprlghts of the banisters and licked the
woodwork they were about TO consume.
They spraug at Madame Mouvier as she
passed on as open mouthe1 serpeats
might have done. Bat she gave no
heed to them, nor to the thick smoke
which surrounded her aud made breath
ing hard and threatened to overcome
her. On she went, along the hall anC
up the second and last flight of stairs.
She breathel in gasps now; bnt still she
did not pause. But as she climbed she
muttered prayer that she might not be
too late.
AT last she came TO a closed door upon
the top floor. Upon this sac knocked
violently, and Immediately 1t was opened
to her. A young woman stood facing
Madame Eauvier, while a little boy with
softly curling light hair clung to hel
skirts.
Come" said Madame quickly
There is fire. Come,"
''Oh~ shrieked the young woman,
and taking her boys hand in hers, she
would have rushed out into the hallway
and to the stairs, but Nadine Bouvier
stopped her.
mo" she said, "not that way. The
stairs will be gone" And she forced
the young wo nan, who wasso frightenel
that she utterly lost her wits, back into
the room again and closed the door, but,
quick as she was, before this was done
smoke enough had come in to make ii
difficult to see or breathe The cracking
of the flames could be heard without,
and Madame Bowler knew well enough
how imminent was the danger
Come" she saii again. "Come-
this way. Where is your husoanl2 He
is out2 Good
She hurried the others toward a dark
closet where were stairs, she knew, lead
ing to an opening to the roof. The door
was unlocked and Madame Bowler went
first up the stairs and uuboltei the scut.
tie fasteniny ani threw the cover back,
The little breath of fresh air was good to
her and grateful; but turning without
hesitation she wcat down the narrow
stairs again. The younger woman was
faint with fright. Sac was barely able to
stand erect; but Madame Bowler pushe /
her on and no the stairs. Then the fresh
air revived her, and Madame FASTENED
back for the little boy who was crying
pitifully. Louise Bowler lifted him
tenderly and carried him up the stairs
and placed him in his mothers arms.
Then unmindful of her fatigue, or, in
deed in the excitement, unconscious of
it, she returned again to the rooms be-
low. From room to room she ran, from
hanging hook to hook. ''Fhey must not
lose anything she said aloud to her.
self.
But by this time there was a great
noise in the street below, for alarm had
been given aud the fire nen with their
had already come Some were
breaking in the door the better to find
and meet and fight the fire. Others ran
through neighboring houses to the roofs
and on the roof of the burning building
they found lains but safe "a won4u with
a child holdin fast to her. O:her fire
men raised tall lad iers to the up ser
stories OF the burning house, aud up
these climbed men who broke in the
windows, and bFavely catered and
CROPPED about in the thick smoke to fad
if by any caance there might yet be Il
living person there. On the floor near
tho steep narrow stairs lea ling to toe
roof they found Louise Bouvier She
was dead. The flames had not reaches
her and she had not suffered much, and
in her arms was great bundle Of cloth
ing.-The Epoch.
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