The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-25
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OF everything else, they had dsvote'
9 themselves to their next door neighbors
D Mrs STANDARDS servants, sleeping il
! the annex beyond the point where th,
D flames started in the Bhrrys quarters
| had escaped without trouble, savin,
! most Of their belongings Mary, be-
! for her utter collapse, might have done
as well, for the smoke and flame blew
through the house and away from tn,
rear of the annex, but, as 1t was, every
stitch she owned other than what she
had on went up in smoke, and, what
, was presumably of much greater conse.
; quence, Bridgets fnery was reduced to
ashes, and, as a sympathizing sister
cook remarked, "She was not even there
to see."
And then when the fire was all over
and had fairly burned itself out and the
pale dawn came creeping into the east.
arn sky Walters, Warner and the doctor
were still poking about the ruins, won
dering how on earth the thing could
have started. There was not a sugges-
ton of olew. All was safe and snug
when Mrs. Stannard visited the kitchen;
all was dark and quiet, but for the
wind, when the corporal made his
rounds; all was dark and quiet, said
old Fritz. when he drove by the back
gate toward midnight. No, Miss
O'Meara-which was garrison for Brfdg.
et-had not returned with him. "Mrs.
Atherton's ladies'" however, had done
go, and SO bad two prominent instru-
mentalists-the bass drummer and pic
colo of the band, who had escorted these
domestics to q show In town, and this
quartet backed Fritz in his statements.
There wasn't sign Of fire, nor were
any of his passengers smoking as they
passed along back of the row.
But Warner kept up his investiga.
lions after his commander had gone and
the day had come, and despite the fact
that many soldiers feet had trampled
the ground there, In the dust of the
old roadway beyond the rear fence,
he found everything the we'll known
trail of Fritz's team and wagon the un-
mistakable prints Of a horse's hoofs and
a buggy's wheels. Even before arous.
ing his weary captain with this impor-
tant information he had dispatched
mounted messenger to town with note
to Cook.
"Majors Stannard and Barry's quar-.
tiers destroyed by fire about 80 a. m.,"
lie wrote. Inmates safe-everything
else consumed. Bridget ON. went to |
town at p. m. and is still absent, but |
single buggy stopped at Barry's rear
gate and there turned and drove back.
1t must have been between IL and 1880.
Better come out quick as possible"
And within the hour Cook was On his
way.
Meanwhile the gale had worn itself
out, as had the fire, and comparative
calm settled down on the post. The lit.
tie doctor looked well nigh used up
when he overhauled bis few patients at
the hospital at sick call, but he had
still much to do and could not give up.
kilograms had been sent to Laramie
notifying the two majors Of the destruo-
ton Of their quarters and the safety Of
the occupants, and in q marvelously
short time their answer was received.
The two battalion commanders were
coming by the first stage. while Ather-
ton and the regiment returned by the
usual easy marches The majors should
reach Russell with the morrow's sun.
70 Barry the loss was far heavier In
books and bric-a- brac and furniture than
% bis brother campaigner. Stannard
ind his devoted wife had long made.it
heir practice to live in the simplest
way, and years in Arizona had taught
hem how comfortable they could be
With very little in the line of household
goods. What they had lost--Mrs. Stan
lard's gowns and laoes being the only
'ery valuable items-was fully covered
y insurance, and Barry had taken
imilar precautions But he was lover
4 books and pictures and little objects
f art gathered in their foreign travel,
nd no money could repay him the loss
I such treasures. All this was fruit for
be breakfast table chat about the post,
nd Of greater consequence apparently
nan the shock to Mrs. Barry, the al
lost desperately heroic rescue of Miss /
sird and the now painful plight Of
er rescuer. Nursed by his sister and |
attendant from the hospital, May q
ard lay under Walters roof, bandaged, I
linded and suffering torment from the {
1rns on bis hands and head, yet think. ,
g less Of this than Of the fact that bis q
forced confinement came at . time q
hen every faculty be possessed should g
I've been brought to bear, for Maynard Y
'lieved be had found the clew to the a
lrglary and means Of sweeping away 81
@ cloud that hung over the name Of .
athalie Baird, and be begged the doc. h
r and Warner to let him have few
ords with Mr.. Cook as soon as posi-
1t was barely 8 when that official
owe into the garrison and Joined Mr.. :,
arner. 1t was not half an hour later . .
hen another buggy arrived and depos. 6
ID Miss O'Meara and her big bag at til
Q back gate opening on Mrs. Greggs is
arters, into the kitchen of which she W Hr
SANITY disappeared. The buggy al. "
'st as quickly began to turn about,
t stentorian shouts from up the row en-
'ailed the drivers ears, and he refined op
his horse and waited. The shouters p prl
re Warner and Mr.. Cook, who issued W
m the rear gate opening on the still an
okiug ruins and came running down Nj
the much surprised occupant of the
g." Cooks face took on shade Of
appointment at sight Of him. Il
oh, it's you, is it. Jimmy?' he said s sai
almost aggrieved tone, for he recog. flo,
ed in the man an employee at the etc
y stable at which be hired his own
lift" "What brings you here SO
ly?" Ia
Orders" said Jimmy briefly, he be. t nl
a discharged soldier. Boss told me
hitch up Billy and drive that lady
to the fort. She said there'd been O S
and she was afraid her property was Tn,
broyed." poa
Wall L.