The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-09-26

Panic shone from the eyes of these ter
rified outcasts forlornly watching the
firemen and police in their struggle
with the remorseless flames.
'Heip!" ''Help!'' that pitiful cry of
beleaguered victims, came from hum
dred lips at once. Twice already had
Allan Penton responded to that be
seeching call and fought his way
through fame and smoke with a ouiv-
ering bit of rescued humanity in his
arms. Again he heard it and again in
response dashed up stairway from
which wreaths of flame darted like the
tongue of serpents- This time he was
gone longer than on the previous occa-
sions, and it was feared by the trem-
bling watchers that he would never
reappear. A glad shout rose to their
| lips when he emerged from the smol1-
| ing ruins, bearing in his arms the limp
figure of a young girl. He had scarcely
laid her down at safe distance from
the falling debris. when, overcome by
his exertions, the young man fell ex-
hausted beside her in the street. Eff
forts to revive him proving fruitless,
he was taken to the hospital in one of
the ambulances which were busy carry
ing 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 thousand
homes. To the rest of its horrors the
young inventor was for the time OBJ
liviouS When. sometime during the
next day, he became conscious. it was
to see devastation unparalleled before
IN the history of the country. 1t was
to find himself, like thousands of his
fellow-cltizens, ruined man, and his
happy prospects of the day before
blasted. His machine, the dream of
his ambition, the key to his happiness,
had been consumed by the all-devour-
ing monster Of flame which had devas-
tated the posse ssions 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 already told him the course which
the fire had taken, and he knew that
Jessie Harmon had not suffered from
the effects of the conhagration.
Fortunately we are not permitted to
see far ahead of us in this world, and
he, sitting by the ashes of his hopes,
was spared the knowledge of all the
misery, ingratitude and neglect that
he was doomed to suffer. Wrecked
physically and financially, he was
unable to battle along with the daunt-
less spirit others showed who had only
their possessions taken from them.
From the day of the fire he was a
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 a sort of
paralysis which might possibly be
cured by time. People who had known
him as the strong, hopeful and ener-
getic young inventor, now regarded
him with ill-concealed disdain and sus-
picion. Like a hopeless wreck he
drifted aimlessly along, apparently in
capable Of an effort to regain his
former energy and hope.
It was little wonder that this change
in him should lead Miss Harmon, who
was a practical young woman, to dis
courage his attentions, and ultimately
to marry some one else, Drifting along
with the tide of ''down-at-the-heel''
humanity, Allan Penton was soon for
gotten, even by his old acquaintance.
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 demand
for labor was brisk there, he went out
to the stockyards and requested en-
ployment; but his blank looks and lack
of spirit brought him only 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 do
ing some triaing work in one OF the new
buildings which were going up with
such marvellous rapidity throughout the
burnt district an accident happened
to the young man. Some falling debris
struck him, telling him to the ground
and he was once more taken to the hos
pital His wound was serious one,
and his life despaired Of; but, unex-
pectedly, after a long period of col
lapse he rallied. rapidly regained his
strength, and once more stood up to
face the world. Those who saw him
beheld something akin to what the
watchers at Bethesda were won't to see
when the angel had troubled the pool /;
for the Allan Penton who stepped forth
from the hospital was, strange to say.
again the sanguine. ambitious self of
former days. Something had been
lifted away. certainly, for his eyes were
bright and clear with hope. and the old !
light of mastery kindled within them
What had effected the change no one |
knew or cared. He felt the fire of new /
life burning in his veins and again
heard ambition whispering her fairy /
tales in his ear Events move rapidly |
towards the central point OF this short |
life drama. Surprises, like m1sfortunes, /
seldom come singly. Allan Penton no |
sooner felt the new life quicalened in |
him than an incident occurred which il |!
seemed that destiny must have with |
held until the proper moment