Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-05-21

The stables afire, Miss Balcom ~
the cook proclaimed.
els it?" the mistress absently
answered. "Tell Henry to put it out,
please. Oh, l remember; | allowed
Henry to visit his sister" She closed
her writing-desk and stood consider
ing. Cant you throw some water on
it?" she asked, presently.
cts the roof. | spose it caught
with n spark from one o them pesky
in9ines -beins S everything s dry as
tinder. Amt nothin' to git scairt
ABOUT, cause the winds away from
the house, what little the is. But the
boss is iu the stable, you recollec'."
"Oh, my!" Moved beyond her
wont, Mrs. Balcom swept electrically
through the kitchen and out of the
back door. "Oh, my" she repeated
as she came in sight of the blaze,
ben Ezra will be burned, won't he :?
What will Mr.. Balcom say? What
can we do?"
"D' know" was the depressing
answer, 81 sent Jane to the corner
alter the tiremen but the land knows
how long it'll take to git 'em here"
'Ben Ezra must come out!" Mrs.
Balloon asserted; but there was an
| accent of despair in the words, deter
mined as the sentiment was.
Cant break that door down N
that air paytent lock on-Mr. Bal
CONS got the key with him"
''Mrs. Balcom stared straight be-
fore her like one fascinated into help
lessness. The servants conscience
would not let her rest until she had
kicked the door and thrown herself
against it. 1t did not even tremble.
She mopped her flushed face with her
apron and, shaking her head mourn
fully, drew back beyond the heat of
the flames that were laying bare the
rafters.
Ben Ezra must come out !" Mrs
Balcom said again. The horses agon-
lied whinny had broken the spell that
was upon her. Her eyes filed at The
sound, and she ran forward aimlessly
and glanced desperately about her.
MAN! You man ~ she cried, all
at once. "Come here and get our
horse !"
Though the stranger had seemed to
spring from the ground, he showed no
alncrity about coming further. He
tool, time to aurvev tho londscane no
fore be cl;mhed tbo fonca Ho Inol,ad
nost tba women not ot tbom os
tbouob he feared a nossihle somewhat
behind And when he had advanced
to where they stood, though he
abruptly took the manner of haste and
impatience, his shifty eyes seemed to
cover everv point of the horizon.
"Now, then," he demanded,
"where's your ax?"
"In the stable, suppose, " was Mr..
Balcom's detected reply.
"'N' it's paytent lock !" the cook
chimed in. tragically.
''Hev?" The stranger started and
stared ut them suspiciously, but the
wretchedness in their faces appeared
to reassure him. He turned again to
scan the hill road. Then he ran up
to the door.
'Huh! That thing!'' the women
heard him say, contemptuously
Through the waveless atmosphere of
the August noon the smoke fioated
lazily off and left the vision unob-
scured, and the spiteful snap of flame
oyerruled every other noise The
women looked and listened with an
intentness that would have been pain
full had it long endured. From the
bag he carried the stranger took a
slittering something which he applied
to the lock- Instantaneously, almost,
the door swung open. Stripping off
his blouse, the man passed through,
and when he reappeared the horse,
safely blinded, uniniured, was with
him. Mrs. Balcom auttered after as
he led the trembling brute to safer
place. Events had shaken her accus-
toned calm, For once in her life she
could not meet the occasion with
graceful words.
"Oh, l don't know how to thank
you !" she faltered, at length. ''Mr.
Balcome values Ben Ezra so! I'm
sure hell" Why, here he comes
Al