The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-12-19

Il
Joan Wet "a enc q I've sah4 W
men worked In the rear, beating ont sucl
straseiing Ares ~ Threatened to rsvivt
their energy. but still. A. the morning
wore on, the outlook appeared a. hope
less a. ever, for there, where q. vista Of
trscless common opened to the view, dip
ping down into one Of the many lovely
glades which intsrsected the woods
there. too, oil was Ere and smoke rollins
down like torrent of molten metal and
up again upon the other side, where Il
encountered other ruddy currents tear
Ing downward, SO that fiery waves inter
mingled, as It were, and sent up fierce
showers Of sparks and columns Of fame
into the face of the day. 1t was an In
ferno.
Alas, how strange a day! A day Of
doom and death for myrads of helpless
living creatures; birds Of the air and four
footed creatures alike overtaken by q
cruel fate. In that glade the fiery forces
seemed to have concentrated. Down in
its murky depths 1t was possible to dis
tingiish several Of the figures, looking
like the genil Of the fire, as they moved
hither and thither In the very midst.
Among them Joan thought she deserted
the well known form OF VIII Larkins,
and 80 sure did she soon become Of the
identity Of that sturdy figure, swaying a
mighty bough In bis strong arms as no
beat and beat in the obstinate flames,
that she was impelled to descend and fol-
low. There might be peril in that gloomy
hollow, and her heart thumped heavily
,,aA hAu oh L.
her, he might bid her roughly to go back,
but she would chance that She must
follow.
Not far from him the girl distinguished
another form which she thought she
knew--that Of the disreputable charcoal
burner, md he seemed to be approaching
Will. That he bore her lover u grudge
Joan knew, for he had been caught
poaching OIL several occasions, and the
ghnlekeeper had threatened to "have him
up Above the roaring of the FIRE came
the sound Of their voices in hot dispute.
and Joan hurried over the smoking soil.
Neither of the men had yet perceived
her, for their faces were to the opposite
slope. Suddenly she, saw the older man
aim quick and heavy blow with the
thick stick he carried right over Wills
hand. 1t came with such crushing force
that the hand 1t struck was constrained
to drop the Dough. Will staggered back,
and Joan, uttering cry of pain and an
ger, as though she herself had felt the
force of the blow, hurled her bough at
the cowardly assailant, and, darling for
ward, threw her arms about her lover az
though to protect him from further at
tack.
"Oh, Will" she sobbed, "are you
hurtY'
:. At first he seemed inclined to shake her
off.
go home, girl" he cried hoarsely. But
look into her tender eyes, streaming
with tears, and the wall of separation
between them crumbled to nothing.
The charcoal burner east curious
glance at the pair and then, with NUT
tered curse, SUNK off and disappeared
among the smoking trees.
How come you here, Joan? asked
Will.
why, I've been beating out the fire
along of the rest most ever since this
morning." she replied, between laughter
and tears.
They looked at each other. He was
black hot. grimy, nor had her pretty face
escaped, nevertheless their lips met in a
close kiss. They had owed each other
that kiss for a fortnight at the least.
1--WE been brute to you, JOAN" con-
fesscd the man.
i've been a fool know" admitted
the girl.
Life amt long enough for quarrels,"
said he
We've lost fortnisht's happiness"
she replied.
I'm have to go home" said Will pres.
emily, with weary sigh. Il can't beat
no more. believe my thumb is broke"
"Ol, poor Wiln' cried Joan, taking the
manned hand in both her own. Come,
mother will bind it up"
They turned their back on the fire and
left it to take its course.
"rhere's fuel beyond there in plenty,
but twill burn itself out In time" said
Will, nodding backward in the direction
from which they had come. And so it
did. BY Sunday the flames were all ex-
and heaven sent rain fell
gently, cooling the heated, blackened soil.
Will aud Joan walked to church together,
choosing the road which overlooked the
devastated woods. How pitiful sight!
Here and there the embers still sent
forth little puffs of smoke. Naught that
had been green remained. except in small, |
eccentric patches The lofty pines reared
heir grim heads, with charred trunks
md scorched branches. Silence reigned
everywhere round them. There was no
song of bird, not a chirp or twitter in !
his region Of widespread desolation.
And yet the very next spring would |
zee the tender shoots of green picking up
through the dead litter, life renewing It.
elf and covering the bare ground, green
ronds erect like so many fairy croziers
md many colorcd MOSES hiding all this
benz \ lovely mantle.
The wood pigeons rebuild in the old frs
hat survive, and the house martins shell
or under the caves where Joan and VIII
Times Herald.