Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-11-06

!
and children in all degrees of deshd-
bile were huddled lin disconsolate
groups in the streets. Panic shone
from the eyes Of those terrified out
casts folornly watching the firemen
and police in their struggle with the
remorseless flames.
esHelp!'' "Help!' that pitiful cry of
the beleagured victims, came from
hundred lips at once. Twice already
had Allan Penton responded to that
beseeching call and fought his way
through flame and smoke with Quiv-
ering bit of recused humanity in his
arms Again he heard it, and again
in response dashed up a stairway
/ from which wreaths of flame darted
/ like the tongues Of serpents. This
| time he was gone longer than on the
! previous occasions, and it was feared
! by the trembling watchers that he
would never appear. A glad shout
rose to their lips when he emerged
j from the smoking ruins, bearing in
his arms the limp figure Of young
girl. He had scarcely laid her down
| at safe distance from the falling de-
bris, when, overcome by his exertions,
the young man fell exhausted beside
her in the street. Efforts to revive
him proving fruitless, he was taken
to the hospital in one of the ambu
lances, which were busy carrying off
the victims of the holocaust.
The remainder Of the history of that
nights fire is told in the loss of over
two hundred lives and many thous-
and homes. To the rest of its hor-
rors the young inventor was for the
time oblivious. When, sometime
during the next day, he became con-
scious, it was to see a ruined man, land
his happy prospects Of the day before
blasted. His machine, the dream of
his ambition, the key to his happi-
ness, had been consumed by the all
devouring monster of fame which
had consumed and devastated the
possessions Of rich and poor alike.
On heap Of ashes which marked
the spot formerly occupied by the
house in which he had lived, he sat
down and wept like child. The
newspapers had, told him the course
which the fire had taken, and he knew
that Jessie Harmon had not suffered
from the effects of the confagration.
When Allan Penton attempted to
rise and walk from the scene of his
loss and despair he staggered like
drunkard. Fortunately we are not
permitted to see far ahead of us III
this world, and he, sitting by the
ashes of his hopes, was spared the
knowledge of all the misery, ingrati
tude, and neglect that he was doomed
to suffer. Wrecked physically and
financially he was unable to battle
along with the dauntless spirit others
showed who had only their posses
sions taken from them.
From the day OF the fire he was
changed person. The doctors decided
that the nervous shock incident to
his experience at the fire and the loss
Of his invention, over which he had
toiled SO many years, had caused
sort Of paralysis which might possibly
be cured by time. People who had
known him as the strong, hopeful,
and energetic young inventor, now
regarded him with i1l-concealed dis
| dain and suspicion. Like hopeless
| wreck he drifted aimlessly along, ap-
parently incapable of an effort to re-
gain his former energy and hope.
1t was little wonder that this change
in him should lead Miss Harmon, who
was practical young woman, to dis
course his attentions, and ultimately
to marry someone else. Drifting
along with the tide of clown at-heeP'
humanity, Allan Penton was soon for
gotten, even by his old acquaintances.
His time was spent idling by the lake
shore, and around the busy scenes of
rehabilitation where the trowel and the
derrick were eternally busy, and
where he managed by transient labor
to earn sufficient to secure him the
small amount upon which he seemed
satisfied to exist.
Once, when he heard that the de-
mand for labor was brisk there, he
went out to the stockyards and re-
quested employment; but his blank
looks and lack Of spirit brought him
only a refusal. Almost two years
went by in this way; and no one
thought that Allan Penton would |
ever bestir himself again in this |
world Of activity and aggressiveness. |
On certain evening when he was
doing some trifling work in one of the