The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1894-02-23

in his blanket, secured it about him
with half dozen wire pins, snatched
from her hair, and in an incredibly
short time was again on her feet.
Now she told the trembling Pete to
clasp his arms about her neck, while
with one hand she held the blanket be-
fore his and her own face and with the
other dragged Sammy, like a wool
sack, along the ground.
Twas desperate work for young
girl, rs the dry grass on the left side
of the lane had taken fire and the heat
and smoke had so greatly increased
that only by drawing every breath
through the saturated cloth could life
be sustained. But Marie never fall
tered. Nerved to unwonted strength
by the heroic resolve of her own un-
daunted soul, she managed, despite
her double burden, not only to keep
moving but actually to quicken her
pace to run.
Just as the flames took possession
of the whole lane and beat fercely
against the house, she passed beyond
the latter into a small ploughed field
leading to a mound, barely eighty
yards away. There was no fire under
foot here, but the heat was greater
than ever, and the almost exhausted
girl found it we'll nigh impossible to
draw Sammy's chubby weight over the
turned up soil.
At last, however, after much pain
full Juggling, she arrived at the door
of the milk house, but only--oh, hor-
ror to find 1t securely fastened by
paddock and hasp affixed to the out
side, The key, of course, was at the
now blazing dwelling. 1t might as
well have been a thousand miles away.
Clouds of steam were now. rising
from Marie's blanket. Not for three
minutes longer could she or the boys
live in the furnace-like air. Quite
ignoring her own peril, she sobbingly
walled:
"Dear, MercifuI Father, must these
innocent lambs perish? Oh, if | could
only linda stone or an AK ~
Then, from beneath the hot
blanket-folds, observant little Peter
lisped:
"Daddy did have an ak here for to
make a bench, one day, auntie -
"Oh, you blessed child" cried
Marie, as she caught sight of the i'm
plement lying on pine board.
Drawing long, deep breath and re-
tanning it in her lungs, she laid the lit
tie fellow down beside his brother,
covered both with the blanket and
seized the axe. While the superheated
cir almost blistered her now unpro-
tected face, she still held her breath,
with one deft blow broke the cast-iron
staple, and the next moment the three
were safe in the cool underground
chamber and had reclosed its clay.
lined door.
No danger of burning here, nor
of starving, either, for on low shell
were ranged four great pans Of milk, q
/, roll of butter and cold rice pudding.
In order to ventilate the room, a few
, lengths of small drain-tiles had been
run from its arched ceiling, through the
solid earth, to the top of the mound,
and down this narrow tube there came
enough light to redeem the place from
absolute darkness.
| While Marie, in trembling doubt
5 whether the child yet lived, was I'M
winding Sammy, the youngster re
} gained consciousness and set her fears
at rest by feebly murmuring: "Mo
r wants dwink want shared by tn,
other two and easily satisfied by ai(
of tin dipper.
2 1t was now about three o'clock in TIT
3 afternoon. The imprisoned childrel
t would have to wait six hours for tn,
e return of their parents. But thereon
g was now too cool for comfort; its at
= mosphere was delightfully."- pure; no
2 aparticle of smoke descended the shaft
Q the twins behaved remarkably well
q and their auntie was so blissfully happ,
e over their escape that she whiled ava
the time with merry jest and story un
s til, by and by, the little heroes droppe
, quietly asleep.
e Driving straight down from tn
q north, the two farmers and their wive
e had come within three miles of tn
d spot where stood their homes tina
|, morning, when they met old Die
;, peacefully grazing, or rather, tryin
s to Craze, by the roadside. Instant
d recognizing the horse, and seeing, ia
e to their left, the light of burnin
if woods, they hurried on and arrived &
the northern edge of Wilson's clear
RI ing half an hour before nine.
e No fire was in the fields now, but a
Re were black and desolate Houses an
o barns had vanished not a fence nor
head of stock was to be seen, and til
Il ruin seemed complete.