The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-06-13
51.rie. as she caueht SIGHT OF the i'm

! larie, as she caught sight Of the I'M
olement lying on pine board.
Drawing long, deep breath anu re-
aiming it in her lungs, she laid the lii
lie fellow down beside his brother,
covered both with the blanket an,
seized the axe While the superhoGtet
air almost blistere3 her now unpro.
;ected 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.
ined door,
No danger of burning here, nor
Of starving, either, for on low shell
we're ranged four great pans of milk, b
roll of butter and cold rice pudding.
In order to ventilate the room, few
engths of small drain-tiles had beei
:un from its arched ceiling, through tn,
solid earth, to the top OF the mound,
and down this narrow tube there cam
enough light to redeem the plsce from
absolute darkness.
While Marie, in trembling doubt
whether the child yet lived, WIS un
winding Sammy, the youngster re
gained consciousness and set her fear
at rest by feebly murmuring: "M
wants dwink' "a want shared by tn
other two and easily satisfied hy al.
Of tin dipper.
1t was now about three o'clock in tn
afternoon. The imprisoned childre
would have to wait six hours for til
return of their parents. But thereon
was now too cool for comfort; its at.
mosphere was delightfully."- pure; no
aparticle of smoke descended the shaft
the twins behaved remarkably well.
and their auntie was so plissfully happ,
over their escape that she whiled ava,
the time with merry jest and story un
til, by and by, the little heroes droppe'
quietly asleep.
Driving straight down from the
lorth, the two farmers and their wives
had come within three miles of the
spot where stood their homes thai
morning, when they met old Dick
peacefully grazing, or rather, trying
to Craze. by the roadside. Instantly
recognizing the horse, and seeing, far
to their left, the light of burning
woods, they hurried on and arrived al
the northern edge of Wilson's clear
ing half an hour before nine.
No fire was in the fields now, but al
we're black and desolate. Houses an.
barns had vanished; not fence nor
head of stock was to be seen, and tn,
ruin seemed complete.
Yet, in shuddering dread ola create,
catastrophe, they scarcely thought
their material losses, as, forcing theiI
team to gallop, they drove furiousl.
on.
Their way lay close to the hill-ce1
lar, of which, very curiously, not one
Of the four was thinking-the men,
with sternly set features, looking
straight ahead, and the covering wo-
men covering their eyes, as if to shu.
out to the last moment sight of tbs
unutterable horror which each in hel
secret heart deemed certain must al
700 soon appear.
-E.rEeioped in clouds of hlaes- dust
raised by their own beating hoofs, th'
horses rushed madly on until. abreast
of the mound. Then they stopped So
suddenly that the wagons occupants
pitched forward on their seats, for
right in their path, looking weirdlike
in the murky light, stood Marie
Moreau, holding outstretched before
her one of the dingy blankets.
Hearing the thunder of the ap
preaching vehicle, the watchful girl
had darted out just Ill time to inter
cept it.
"'Tis I--Marie:" she loudly called,
as the afrighted team stood shiver-
ing in their tracks and, almost blend
ing with her own voice, came in re.
Spouse two startled cries-one fer
7ent:
ooh, thank God!" and the other.
rising to shrek: "My boys! Oh,
my boys' Marie!''
s'Safe, safe and unhurt, in the milk
house, Mrs. Wilson!" rang out the
girls joyous answer.
Silence for moment. Then the
soft weeping of women, the shaking
sobs of strong men, and presently
the two mothers locked in each others
arms-the returned travellers stood oD
the ground.
Next day the farmers found that all
their cattle had escaped injury, the
fire not having extended far enough
east to reach that part of Pine River
whittier provident Marie had driven
them. Though much incommoded
by the loss of houses and plenishing,
the good people were by no means
ruined. The two men went to work
with 8 will, and long before winter
came both homes were substantially
rebuilt and refurnished.-New YorI
Ledger.
Beaconsf1eId the jew.