Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-08-25
NOT HIS DAUGHTER.

legs. "Come, lad, out with the trouble.
What's amiss?"
dad" stammered at last desperately,
"I want to make Kitty-my wife"
The old clay pipe dropped from his lips
and shattered on the floor, and as the half
light from the glowing fire fell upon his
still stalwart frame he murmured inarticu-
lately:
"And Kitty, my daughter, what does
she say?'
"She loves me-" cried earnestly, "but
I have breathed no word of marriage to
her yet wish for your consent first"
With bowed head he leaned against the
wall, as if unconscious of my presence
My words had moved him strongly, for
every now and again he would quayer me-
chanically: II might have known it! I
might have known It'll"
"Dad,' broke forth at length, for the
silence was oppressive, "one would think
1 came to rob you of daughter instead of
giving to you-a son.
He raised his head, and with peculiar
look in his eyes he stammered brokenly,
"Jack, she is not my daughter"
"WhaG" calculated amazedly. "Kitty
not your daughter?"
"Listen," he cried, with appraised hand,
unheeding my exclamation of surprise 81
can trust you, lad, and will tell you how
she came to me-
"Six years ago to this very night was
walking the streets of Bermondsey, which
made up my beat, for was then as you
know, sergeant in the force. The night
was sharp, and blessed the forethought
which had prompted my wife-God bless
her Ito give me pannikin of tea.
Suddenly was startled by a distant
whistle recurring at intervals 1t was the
fire alarm. Following the direction given
by the signal, l soon came to blazing
building, and they told me there were peo
pie at the top and all escape cut off. But
my heart sank within me as gazed up al
the windows above and realized that the
escape could not arrive under ten minutes
The place burned like hayrick, and {
groan of horror went up as with deafenins
crash the first floor fell in.
"The flames were shooting across the
narrow cart way that divided the burning
building from the neighboring warehouse
the caretaker of which, an old man. hat
rushed out at the first alarm--and as IN.
eyes wandered upward like heaven sen
inspiration plan of salvation struck me.
"'Have you a ladder that will reacl
across?' l asked tho terror stricken maj
as threw off my heavy coat. He nodded
affirmation, and Needless of his protesta
tions, | thrust him into the place, and bid
ding him find it quickly rushed up th'
stairs.
Throwing open the window which
faced the burning building was able t.
descry, as the binding smoke fitted ava.
for moment, child's agonized fac
pressed against the glass in terror. Quick
mani yelled as the old man tottered int
the room under the weight of the ladder
and taking it from his shoulder / shot j
across the intervening space and crashed
it through the window opposite.
"Springing on to the sill l got astrid
the ladder, and shutting my eyes com
menced TO pull myself across. Cries of en-
couragement arose from the crowd below
but to look downward was death, and
crawled on smashed in the entire win
dow, then leaped into the room.
"The little child was lying i'll the corne
in a swoon. Picking her up rcmounte
my temporary bridge and commence
the perilous return The heat was intens
and tho suffocating smoke threatened ey
cry moment to overpowcr me, but with
fixed heart clasped her to my breast an
forced my way across.
~ saw one Of my mates with arms out
stretched in the window before me. An
other yard and he dragged me half faintin
into the room.
"Her eyes reopened at last, and with
scream of terror she hid her face.
Mammal she screamed frantically
Where is mammal
"'Take her away, Jim, | said deter
minedly as l grasped tho situation.
must go back.
"'But it's certain death, Sethp IN
mate gasped as he looked fearfully dowr
ward, and he would have held me back.
'HIhe heat scorched horribly, but pun
sued my way, and in few seconds wa
over.
"The fire was creeping up the stairs an
with scream Of horror l darted forwar
and dragged the inanimate form of tn
woman from it's very clutches. She ha
gone to find way of escape, and the smok
had overpowered her The flames had bt
gun to lick my perilous bridge, and as
gazed down into yeritable furnace NJ
heart seemed to stand still.
Suddenly mighty cheer rang aboy
the horrible din, and the engine thundere
up at the very moment got astride til
smoking ladder with my senseless burden
Jl1inlDl aud half lnypI I r,,i1aI
forward My legs seemed to be burnin
away, and the fire wrapped my body in II
remorseloss clutches. A stream Of watt
sblashed against me, and friendly han
grasped me at the moment my senses WEI
leaving me and | was falling headlong
destruction.
"When Iawoke, was in the hospita
My body was swathed in bandages, an
horribly excrutiating pains seemed to
in my legs, and it needed all my pluc
when they told me they had been forced
amputate them. I was in a bad way, bu
pulled round, and after some months {
weary torture was pronounced convales
cent and was discharged the wreck you SC
me. The woman had died, they informe
me, without recovering consciousness.
"Jack," he continued YEARLY, "you'
guess the rest. When was able to ge
about, learned that the little girl was lei
an orphan. Since my wife was taken frol
me she has been all had left to live fol
| have watched her blossom from the littl
maid into beautiful woman, and now"-
The handle of the door turned, and, wit
merry laugh, Kitty tripped into the room
"What, all in the gloaming?" she e1