Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-12-15
II dunno. First heard OF it was

WnaG 6ne CO.Q.
well, why didn't you drive on up
to where the fire was then?''
She told me where to stop; said she
wanted to SEQ some friends first thing.
She settled with the boss for the rig, SO
l had nothing to say. Boss said to get
back quick as could. What was the
FREQ
ooh, couple of houses-upper end
Of the row! But you just hold on where
you are or drive down and hitch at the
store. III be responsible to the propri-
etor. I may want your buggy-and, jim
my, no talk" In SO saying Mr.. Cook
was impressive. Then be turned to
Warner, who had stood silent listener.
"Where'd she go tor
Into Mrs. Gregg's, fancy. This is
Gregg's house i'll here. She'll want to
see Mrs. Barry, suppose, first thing"
But to this remark Mr. Cook merely
replied by the double question, "Whos
her friend in here and what time does
that big stage go imp He referred to
an old red stagecoach that had somehow
become the property of the United States
''for which the quartermaster at Fort
Russell was accountable, and which,
behind a spanking four horse team, was
driven in those days to town every
morning with the mail and market bas-
kets and orders of the various house.
holds OF the garrison. In addition it
carried such enlisted men or domestics
as might have permission to go to town
in the morning
Don't know who her friend is-the
cook probably. AS for the stage, that
gets away about 10 or half past TO-, ;"
said Warner. "Why?"
"Well, l want to know if Miss
O'Meara attempts to go with it. And
Mr.. Cook spoke as though the name of
the lady was sweet to his tongue.
CHOW, let's go back to the she'd
The shed referred to was the rear por-
ton of the annex, which, thanks par
TALLY to the efforts of the soldiers in
one direction, but mainly to those of
the wind in another, still stood, charred,
blackened, but only partially consumed.
The fire seemed to have broken out in
the kitchen, possibly about the stove.
The interior OF this finder box was a
mass OF fame when Mary opened the
dining room door, and way for the
flames to fash in and lay hold of every
thing infiammable there. Already they
seemed to have eaten their way through
the roof to the caves of the main build
ing and had attacked the projecting
"dormer" of Nathalies room. Then,
driven by the fury of the gale, they had
poured through the house, destroying
all before them, but leaving this melan-
oholy wreck behind. Only the inner end
Of it, that which adjoined the kitchen,
had been burned, but against that parti-
ton hung the wardrobes of the two do
mestics. Under the gowns and garments
stood their boxes-Mary' modest, old
fashioned little trunk, Bridget's brace
of saratogas-and Of these was left little
beyond charred and water soaked frag-
ments.
| And yet SO valuable did Mr.. Cook
consider these relics that one Of the first
things he did was to ask that a sentry
be posted there with orders to permit no
one to disturb anything about what was
left Of the premises, and it was done
n-L,---:.L
IncauwnIie mrs. barry, hInu .uu4,
though very weary and distressed, had
been informed by Mrs. Ray that Bridget
was in the kitchen and begging to be
allowed to see her mistress. And it
wasn't to weep ever her own losses that
Bridget came, but to deplore the dread
full danger and shock to which "Mrs
Barry, mum, and Miss Baird, too,
num-" had been subjected. All three
ladies We're greatly impressed with Miss
O'Meara's expressions of sorrow and
sympathy. "She never seemed to thinl.
Of her own losses, said Mrs. Ray later
"She was sure she had banked the
fire and taken every precaution before
starting for town. added Nathalie
'She could go down on her knees to
Mr.. Maynard, smiled Mrs. Barry, "for
the brave, big, splendid young man
that he is, end wasn't it Gods mercy
he was there? And was he SO awfully
burned as they said in town."
At this recital Nathalie smiled not at
all. She listened with trembling hands
and averted face. Then the news had
got to town, said Mrs. Ray after the
faithful cook had been led away for q
mouthful of breakfast in the kitchen.
Why, surely, yes! Mrs. Ray forgot the
telegraph Office at the post and the fact
that the glare of the fire could have
been seen from Cheyenne and that the
hose and truck companies from the
great quartermaster' depot at Camp
Carlin, half way to the town, had start
ed with their heavy apparatus, only to
see the flames die away before they had
made the first half mile over the gale
swept prairie.
AND then by ~ 0 CLOCK the Iaules OIL
the post began hocking to the Rays to
inquire after Mrs. Barry, and of course
Miss Baird could not be omitted then,
and after the first few clangs on the bell
had made her patient start through
nervousness Mrs. Ray had posted bull
letin on the door: "Please do not ring.
Mrs. Barry and Miss Baird are doing
very we'll and trying to Sleep