Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-11-05


two was our scare box. We never
waited for second alarm from there,
but jumped the moment IL was rung
in. 1t was right in the heart of the
dry goods district, where the big
buildings, full of inAammable nate
rial, give the finest chance for q fire.
1t sounded especially scary at night,
when there was no one round down
in that part of the city, and a fire
would have q fine chance to get O
good start before il was discovered.
"I knew all this well, but this and
more would not explain the way / ran
TO that fire. Although ii was q sharp
night I did not wait to take my over
coat, but examining my hat on my
head went flying down the stairs, TAX
ing all sorts OF chances of sprained
ankles, and tore up the street like a
wild creature. II was half-past ten
by the clock on the Liverpool Life In.
surance building, and there were not
many people on the sidewalk, but 1
could not wait to pick my way through
them and ran up the middle Of the
street AZ 1 had not run for years. I
could feel that the fire itself had no
connection with the way l was run.
ming, nor with the alarm, and that
something more to me than life itself
hung in the balance, though what /
could not tell. slipped and STUN
bled on the pavement; strained and
struggled, and my breath came in
great gasps and sobs, and still I could
not go fast enough.
"I've answered that box q dozen
times, and I've never thought OF
going any other way than down Canal
street. knew that was the quickest
way, but in spite of the desperate
haste that was dragging me on, gave
that way no thought, but kept straight
on up Main street to East. ibid not
pause, for my way seemed as clear as
though someone ran before me, beck
oning me on. Down East street /
turned, and here I was all alone, and
my footsteps echoed loudly back from
the deserted buildings as L ran. Far
down the street L could see something
coming, and coming fast, and as saw
1t nm overpowering fear took posses
sion of me, and / knew that l must
meet it before something, what could
not tell, happened.
Then in an iastaat I saaH,,Ehst,it,
wssy sSeSt dray, probably that Of
some belated teamster coming from
the ferries, but now without driver,
with the reins on the horses backs
and the horses themselves tearing
wildly up the street, with the dray
bounding and laundering behind
them.
"And then, only short distance
ahead of the oncoming dray, l saw
someone crossing the street, and my
heart leaped up in my throat as L rec
ognized the trim little figure l knew
so well. All in second | saw her
stop, hesitate, turn back, trip on
something in the street and go down
directly in the path of the maddened
horses.
"I gave great sob of terror and
bent forward, striving to run faster as
the realization of what it all meant
came over me, but it was like running
in nightmare; my feet were as though
anchored to the ground, and seemed
hardly to move. paid no attention
to the dray; my whole life and SOU
were in reaching that little heap on
the ground before il, and l felt that
if 1 could not do that it was better
that I, too, should go under the on
coming hoofs.
at was all over in second, al
though it seemed years, so keen wa
my agony. The horses were almos
on me when / stopped AMI, hardl,
pausing in my run, lifted her in my
arms. 1 made bound to one side
but as did so the shoulder of the of
horse struck mine, and L was whirlec
round and dashed to the ground
stunned and bewildered, but holding
Kitty safe in my arms, while the dra.
went laundering by almost above us
81 was on my feet in an instant an'
lifted her from the ground. l leane'
against the building, holding he
close to me aud shaking from hea'
to foot, while my teeth chartered as
with ague. Ny whole being had bee
80 racked aud torn by the fearful
strain had gone through that l wa
nearly out of my head, and / shivere'
and cried and laughed as tried :
tell her in wildly disconnected sen
fences how / happened to be Their
and how thankful 1 was and how
loved her.
"And she, brave little woman, onl
cried little on my shoulder, and the
, was as calm and sweet as ever an
L -. L.