The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-03-24
II know no more what's the matter

..And the children! Where are
theyp" cried Bill. passing his hand
over his eyes.
'In the top-front room" Stenlake
replied. mechanically. He was not a
person gifted with presence of mind,
but the idea struck him at the time,
how cid this man know there were
children in the housep He had not
seen them. and no one had told of
them. But Sangster had not stopped
to think. He had rushed upstairs.
and Griffith, going after, met him
coming down again. 1.-The fires in
there" he exclaimed; the doors
locked! My God, they'll be burned
alive-the poor little children!
Where's the key?"
II don't know. We lock them in
for safety. l don't know where my
wife put it." ~.
ALI" cried the brokers' man,
clasping his hands in evident anguish,
you're not their father-you don't
care; but at least she's their mother
she must love them a little after all
and-Jane!" he yelled. rushing into
the kitchen. "a hammer, a Ratchet or
something to burst the door open with,
for the love of heaven!"
Jane was not there. She had fled
up the street to give the alarm but
.Sangster 500 found a kitchen chop
per, armed with which he ran upstairs
again. On the landing he met STEM
lake, who had tried to ascend but had
been beaten back. choked and blinded
by the dense volumes of smoke.
iii go up again. "he said in gasps.
ats very good of you-but don't at
tempt Tits simply Madness
Let me pass!' cried the man in
possession, authoritatively, and disap-
peared into the darkness.
Griffith Stenlake, although not such
a bad sort of an easy-going, weak fell
low in the main. was not the man TO
actively prevent other people from
making heroes OF themselves.
Meantime at the top of the house the
agonized cries of the children could be
heard and the determined crash!
crash! crash! against the panels of the
door. That is like a human sound,
too. 1t seems to say: Il will con.
Que or die!'
Quick! quick! OR it will be too late.
The ~devouring flames are fast gaining
ground. Oh. heaven help that brave
heart! Yes. just one more vigorous
blow. The door is flying in splinters.
The smoke and flames burst forth, but
he is inside.
All this happened in a very few
minutes, and by that time the engines
were there playing on the house.
They lose no time when they are
summoned. that gallant brigade,
which for true heroism can beat all
your soldiers from Alexander down.
ward.
''QuicK!!" cried Stenlake. 1.-The es-
cape. There's a mar and two chill
dren in the top room!'
In a twinkling the ladder is set up and
one of the men is ascending it. At the
window he can see a sort of demon-a
blackened form illumined by the glare
Of the fame-holding in either arm a
terrified little girl; they were safe and
sound. The fireman caught them and
babe their preserver descend. But
his only thought had been for them.
Somehow his foot slipped and ho fell
backward. Then there was an appall-
ing crash. The flooring of the ppe
story had given way and brave Bill
Sangster was buried beneath the ruins,
The first gray streeks Of the dawn
are lighting up the sky. The fire has
been mastered. The damage was con-
fined to the two upper stories, and the
ruins are still smoulderlng. After in
finite exertions Sangster has been OK
tricated and carried into Stenlake's
den, where they passed the evening.
His face, where it was not scorched.
was deadly pale. Great drops wrung
out by agony stood out upon his brow,
for both his legs were broken. The
first words he uttered were to ask for
the children. They were there; for
by a merciful Providence they had
escaped all injury.
sJust then a cab drove up to the door
and a lady in evening dress and
wrapped in a cloak alighted. It was
Mrs. Stenlake.
oh, Griffith" she cried, incoher-
CuOly' dS SIG tdu luCO LQo house.
what is this? What has happened?
Where are the c~hildren?"
Safe. thank goodness! Come in
here, Mary. This is the brave fellow
to whom we owe their lives, who has
risked his for them!'
She came into the little room and
started back on seeing the blackened
figure lying upon the couch. Her eyes
dilated and it was only by a supreme
effort that she saved herself from
swooning.
Where did you come from?" she
said at last in an awed whisper.
Il am the man in possession" he
answered. with a faint smile, putting
an arm round each OF the little girls.
Yes. a little money I owed" Stem
lake remarked YEARLY,
But his wife had not asked for an
explanation. She had not even heard
him.
Il thought you were dead" she
continued. in the same tone.
''Oh. don't worry about that, nv
dear. l soon shall be, but I've been
able to save them al any rate, nv lit
tie Ones.n