The record-union., 1894-09-22

siderable nervousness, "but there may be
before morning, as there seems TO be a
very extensive contagration on the
w est Sider'
This offered Mr.. Edwards an opportu-
nifty to relieve the wkwardness of the
rigid position he had suddenly assumed.
lie stepped at once TO the window and
remarked that the sky did have an unu-
sually bright appearance.
Il will stay little longer, / think"
limiting at the old gentleman's retiracy,
ana II 1t becomes serious we will let you
know"
The fire, or-or the other matter?"
gurglingly asked the lace in the night
cap.
"Bothp' replied the apprentice, some
what confused but laughing with Milly
as the ghost-like object disappeared be-
| hind the closing door visibly shaking
with merriment.
Perhaps an hour or more passed in that
delicious, quiet and tender restlessness OF
love, OF love that was full, sincere and
| perfect now, with all the aSperities of the
former days gone and only the ordinary
! happy trust OF common people remain
| ing, when an explosion was heard that
Snook the Old tenement until IL ratified
and jingled like merry andrew, and
rumble ana roar as OF the voices of des-
! pairing thousands flooded over the little
court into the vestnaker's home, while
above II all, mingled with the rapid fall
| ing OF burning brands upon the silvering
! shingles, came those shouts which car
| ried with them such terrible meaning:
| There is no hoper' and 1.-The city Is
doomedr'
In those hours, SO memorable that there
is scarcely spot under the sun where
some part Of their awful story has not
been told; in those hours OF sudden fear,
OF heartrendlng agony and terrible death,
there was but one thing left for the little
family, as tor countless other families to
do, and that was to instantly endeavor TO
save their lives, ii possible, and leave all
else behind.
Almost before the shock of the explo-
sion had Subsided, shower OF brands
We're tumbling around the caves Of the
old tenements forming the little court,
ana serpents OF flames were writing i'll
and out among the timber in a horribly
fantastic way.
1t might have grown brighter and
brlghter-tor where does it not where
love eXlSts-aS they had sat there, and
some dim consciousness of it all might
have come upon them; but it was not un-
til now that full knowledge of what was
III that cry, The city is doomed" was re-
allied; and, as ii moved by single i'm
pulse, they rushed to the vestmaker's
room and almost dragged the horrihed
couple from their beds.
Deathly white, John Hicks CROPPED his
way tremblingly TO the great easy chair,
holding it as a dear friends hand for the
last time Great tears of anguish rolled
from his eyes, and as he pitifully looked
around the little place where there had
been such happy, happy days, where so
much that his long life had gathered was
stored, it seemed as though his distracted
heart must break.
It.
can we leave ?'' he cried in frenzied de-
spair.
Mother managed in some way to moan
that the Lord would provide, while they
were compelled to almost tear the vest
maker from the spot; and as, half craZed
and wholly respondent they sped from
the little nest, he agoniZedly clutched
backward toward it all with his rough
working-hands, as did thousands upon
thousands of others that dolorous night,
moaning piteoos1y again and again:
Dear, dear old home-good- !"
And now, if never before and if never
again, the vestmaker's apprentice was
given an opportunity to show what man
ner of man he was.
1t was the one and only outdoors
prayer meeting Chicago had ever known;
and the conditions enforced by terror
took form and aspect as fantastic and
horrible as the subjects were almost
numberless and far separate in circum-
stance.
Crowded. torn, forced forward by re-
sistless streams of frantic refugees, or
thrown aside with blow or a curse; fall
ing from exhaustion and suffocation, and
spurred by the feet of others until reused
again by despair; they fought their brave
fight with Death all that dreadful night,
and struggled for this dear life OF ours as
only despairing souls can show their des-
perate might.
Then the. morning came, more terrible
in Its sickly glare than the red glory of
the night, driving the witless thousands
over and beyond the river and into the
cold waters of the lake; and there, on the
sands, in and out of the surf, in turn
frozen and blistered, all but dead from
physical and mental suttering-they saw
their beloved city go down like a bunch
of reeds, knowing no earthly hope be-
yond!
AS that fateful day dragged on, they
were driven, driven onwards; and when
the flames and the shadows OF the night
struggled for mastery they were forced
pitilessly from each halting-p place. At
last the old French cemetery was reached
and stumbling among the neglected
graves, on which were already flung
thousands of exhausted sufferers, the
apprentice led, carried and dragged his
charges to the foot of a mound, on which
stood a large vault, filled with lost and
moaning children, guarded by a single
determined sentinel, who kept the almost
fierce besiegers away with desperate
success which attracted Ned's attention
even in his miserable distraction.
Packed full of little ones And, by
the eternal! I'll brain the first ruffian of
you that attempts to enter'' he would
shout, while frantically swinging his club
about him.
It woo hopaSt Rob Whito roorad I,1is
tered and bruised, who was Succoring
every wailing child that fled that way and
thus heroically defended them. Reaiz-
ing it all, Watson rushed upon him with
God bless you, Bob! !" unheeding the
stinging blow from Bob's club, but grasp
ing him in his arms and shedding the first
tears that had wet his eyes for many a
years; and they did him world OF good
as he afterward manfully confessed.
"Oh, but hasn't Chicago got up the
boss fire, though ?'' exclaimed Bob
pantingly as he recognized his friend.
"But who is that with you? The little
vest"
"Yes, Bob, and the big ones, too. More
dead than alive, though! But for heav-
ems sake; as l have now greater motive
than ever for remaing ircog. to the old
folks, as you value my friendship, call
me Edwards -
Through long habit Bob raised his quiz
ZSES, lOI w hlCLl INC SldSS6S Ddu HOurS Do-
fore been shivered, and gazing for a mo-
ment discouragedly at Watson, said mus
ingly:
'Bad as ever! Bad as ever, N Ed
wards ~
But the charging upon his temporary
orphan asylum became too heavy to adj
init of speculations upon his friends de-
pravity, and ne returned to the unequal
conflict with a hearty invitation to Ned to
bring up his relatives" And in a few