The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-09-22

the relentless storm of fire: and all that second night of flame and woe they slept as they had never slept before, while the old friends. still guarding the vault door, watched over and protected them.
 A few days after the great Chicago fire there were strange movements among the living occupants of the old French burying ground. Edwards ex- cused himself one morning with the avowed object Of securing some sort of home for the winter. which was all but upon them, Milly followed soon af- ter with some plausible excuse for her absence; and Bob White. last of all and looking uncomfortably conscious. short ly disappeared with expressed formida- ble purpose of working the Relief so- | ciety for hatful or two of coal!' So John Hicks. who all his life time had prided himself upon his independ- ence of riches and fought out the prin- ciple manfully. sat there among the dead, holding mothers true hand, al- most as listless and helpless as his own now. and said never a word of the
  to say.
 An hour or two had passed after Bob's departure. when the old people were startled from their stupor by the rum bling of a carriage which was rapidly driven up to the vault door; and Bob himself gorgeously arrayed and chuck ling under his breath. Cruelty jolly, by Jupiter!" with all the airs of lackey handed the old vestmaker the following note:
 MT. and Mrs. Watson request the pleasure of your company to dinner at | their residence. No. - Michigan ave nue. at l p. m.. to-day. Your daughter Mildred, MT. Edwards and Mir. White will be present.
 MT. and Mrs. Hicks, Old French Cem- etery,
 October 15, 1871"
 | Bob afterwards observed with tears in his eyes when recounting the affair, that he could not bear their great be- wilderment, and so he just hurried them into their carriage and leaped up- on the box with the driver to escape explanations and the piteous wonder l whirled over the river and into the burned district" where thousands up- on thousands of workmen filled the still smoking streets and hung upon the walls of the already swiftly re- building city; and, passing all this, on they swept up the avenue for some distance, until handsome mansion was reached. Here the dear old couple were rushed up the broad steps, held close, ecstatically close, in the arms of Milly and Ned Watson; kissed and hugged and torn until there was no strength left in them; and then dragged into their own rooms as rapidly as they had been dragged out of their burning home such a little time Out it seemed such centuriesD before; and 1 shut in with a slam and commands of mock severity, after which Milly and Ned disappeared in each other arms again and again, laughing and crying alternately, Bob meantime per- forming wild pirouette and hilarious ly swearing it was the happiest day of his life.
 Oh, how little Milly fluttered and | whirled about the house like an intoxi- cated butterfly in a splendid garden, l wringing her hands and impatiently l watching the minute hand of the dainty mantel clock that crept around the dial so very slowly! And when time enough had been given her parents-their par ents now!-to collect their scattered thoughts and prepare themselves for dinner, as she had ordered them to do, how she flew to their door and rapped and buzzed and f1uttered and sang un- til they finally appeared, fresher and | younger by years for the great joy that had come upon them, and then | placed her arms akimbo to announce after the manner of old Eff ye blaze, mum, dinners afther waitin'!" while Ned and Bob, looking upon it all in a kind of wild and radiant delirium, bumped their heads crazily together and shook hands fraternally afterward.
 And the neighbors-those just and true chroniclers of local history-unite | in saying that there is not a dearer | old gentleman or a sweeter old lady, a | prettier or more loving wife, tenderer husband or truer friend, than can any | day be found at the home of the vest | makers apprentice.