Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-10-13

behind her, just before the great court
yard doors swung open, and strange
mob came bowling out on the carefully
cropped lawn.
Meanwhile Emui, with the recklessness
of desperation, yet with kind Of dog
like heroism in her weird, Eastern eyes,
had donned her mistress's flowing, white
peignoir, let down her masses of black
hair, and flinging aside the curtains so
that the brilliant lights of the dressing
room streamcd out into the night, began
to pace up and down in full view of the
lawns, trusting in this way to postpone
the detection of Mrs. Gordon's escape,
and gain time for her mistress.
So she walked back and forth in the
beautiful scented room, awaiting her Ger
tain fate.
The English gunboat "Orio!c" was
filled with company not usually founo
on board man of war;-ladi,s in even.
ing toilette, or still more confessed un
dress, children more or less en- pGjdDadS,
foreign governesses and nurses in wild
agitation, and boat-loads of mon in dress
suits and boutonnieres, but generally
hatless, who knew the resistance of So
small force to be useless, and whose
only duty seemed to be that of escort;ug
and protecting the ladies and children To
III. M. s. "Oriole." One of the last
boat-loads brought an American lady in
Chinese native dress, under the escort of
the English consul, who had heen the
last man to leave the burning island of
the Shameen.
Behind them cleaned the fitfnl glare
of the fire of their homes, and even the
trees, where here and there massive
branch of the camphor or banyan fell TO
the ground, showed the savage fury of
the Chinese mob. Mrs. Gordon ehud-
dcred as she glanced fearfully back, and
chung closer to her escort.
Just after Mrs. Gordon had gained the
shelter of the "Oriole,"a light racing
paper shell, sculled by an oarsman in the
unusual boating costume of full evening
dress, even to the chrysanthemum on his
lapel, drew swiftly alongside the gnn~
boat. The oarsman, on gaining the
deck, threw the dainty shell adrift, with
half sigh. "Pity to let her go,
isn't il I" said the young man, turning
lightly to the gunboat captain. Little
beauty of she'll Just got her out from
home. One more loss tonight to tie
credit of the bcastly Chinese. Shall you
fire on them, Captain!"
'Oh, we'll give them shot or two as
soon as we arc sure there are none of our
people left on Shameen, but we don't
want to bring the Chinese gunboats down
on us yet. My business is to get these
ladies and children TO Hong Kong
After few minutes talk with the cap
tain, the young man gained the upper
deck, where Mrs. Gordon was standing
with some other ladies, leaning over the
rail and mournfully watching the de-
struction of her home, which was partly
visible from that side of the gunboat
''D'ye do, Mrs. Gordonp said the
young man, as serenely as though they
had met at ball. "Just saw you coming
on board with Challoner Aiabaster. /
came in racing-shel, myself. Beauti-
full boating togs I'm in. Mrs. Gordon,
I've been plunging all over Shameen for
you tonight. Got telegram from your
husband asking me TO take you in charge.
Alabaster telegraphed to Hong Kong as
soon as we knew of this business. Jacks
telegram to me was the last before these
blooming pagans cut the lines"
81 should have looked you up in any
case," added Lenox, cutting short Mrs.
Gordon's murmured thanks, 'but every
one thought you were at the Consulate.
You were there to tennis and at tea, you
know"
"Yts," returned the lady. ~ only went
home to dress. The Alabasters sent
young Jewett-consular clerk, you know
and chair for me. He got into the
mob some way and was killed (think how
terrible, Mr.. Lcnox), and the chair cool
les ran away. Had it not been for my
good amah should never have escaped.
/ shall send for her when we get to Hong
Kong; l fancy we shall start before
Lenox shivered BIT, and leaned over
the rail beside Mrs. Gordon. The men.
ton Of Ernui recalled his last horrible
hour at Shameen. Down below he had
given the captain fuller description Of
his search than he cared to unfold be-
fore its object.
You see, Captain, Lenox had said,
"when got near the Keecheong hong,
saw was too late. A deadly fear
smote me. had determined to save Mrs.
Gordon at all hazards, of course, and was
doing my hardest and most rapid think
ing as to the wisest course to pursue
when luckily l happened to overhcar
some words in Chinese that told me the
fdnqui lady had escaped. OF course they
knew Emui had helped her. Not only
because their well planned surprise on
the wealthy Keecheong hong had been
so sudden and complete, but because she
must have escaped in disguise or been
captured. The way between the Consul
late and Keecheong was thick with these
devils. That plucky little amah not
only aided in her mistress's escape, but
what do you Think She put on some of
her mistress's togs, and paraded up and
down in full view of the mob, with open
windows, lights, and all that, you know,
so ns to make them secure of their prev,
and, by delaying the game, to cover Mrs.
Gordon's escape. There are not many
Europeans who would do better than
that. Women2 No, nor men either.
You can imagine the fury of those de-
mons when they learned the truth. Poor
Emui! hope to heaven that it wasn't
death by hundred strokes-they are
quite capable of it--but saw hand,
enc of the poor creatures little brown
paws, I'm afraid it was, on. the grass,
with lot else that was CHASTITY, when |
crawled away. The wing of Mrs. Lee
nox's rooms was totally destroyed"
''Not wcrd of tbis to Mrs. Gordon" |
the Captain had returned, laying his |
hooI - n s.kovis 49,, ttCho 4hO,,.sLt A. Il