Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-07-18
MALCOM KIRK.
Tale of Moral Heroism In Overcoming the World.
nv CHARLES M. SHELDON,
Anthor Of sIn Steps," Philip Strong Rob
Eardy's Seven Days"

| her out toward the fire. Her dress nae
caught on fire and been put out severa
times. Some one had thrown water
over her, but she had hardly known 1t
She worked with all the others In 81
lent frenzy. Suddenly she was con
scious of a tall, awkward figure neal
her, looming up through the smoke
thrashing at the fire with powerful en-
ergy, very incarnation of resistance
and stubborn refusal to surrender.
"Malcomw she cried, and, faint as
she was, she felt new life at the sight
Of him.
Dorothy! Thank God we got back
with him just in time"
| There was no time to say more. The
danger was still great. Near together
now, husband and wife fought on. The
citizens of Conrad afterward bore wit
ness to the way in which they fought.
"Say, did you see Mr.. Kirk" A
group of men at the postoffice, several
days after the great fire, were talking
1t over.
"These New England folks beat ev
ery other kind Wien 1t comes to never
giving up"
Eyes, or fighting the devil. Our min
lister beats all the rest at that" sale
Carver, who spoke Of Kirk as "oul
minister" although he had never beer
member of any church and rarely
went to hear even Malcom preach. Bu'
it was q tribute to the hold Malcon
had secured on such men that they
appropriated him somehow to them
selves or to the best that was strug
Cling in them.
1t was nearly the middle Of the after
noon of that eventful day that the peo
pie of Conrad, exhausted, burned
! blackened, saw the great danger pass
around them and the galloping whirl
wind thundered off beyond the town
leaving a mighty and desolate expanse
of black and smolderi1g prairie be-
hind 1t.
Then it was that the severest tria
Of all came to Malcom and Dorothy.
They had gone into the house Of one
of their parishioners, where the body
of Philip Barton had been carried. He
was living, but had received some In
juries from falling out Of the wagon
probably when the team ran away.
They had come out Of the house and
were on their way home when some
one In the street suddenly clutched
Malcom's arm and, pointing through
the smoke, cried out:
"Look there! The church is on fire!
The church and parsonage stood al
the opposite end Of the town from the
prairie fire, and the danger had beer
the least in that quarter. That part
of the town had been entirely deserted
while the fight had been going on al
the other end.
eff the church goes, the parsonage
will 60, too," thought Malcom, as he
and Dorothy ran through the street.
When they reached the parsonage
the roof had already caught from
| flying timber blown off the church
tower. The water Of the town was ex
hausted. The we'll in the parsonage
yard was already nearly empty. Nal
com rushed into the house and by des
perate work, helped by several othel
men, succeeded In carrying out some
| furniture and q few Of his books.
One of the boxes in Dorothy's room
was blazing as he carried 1t out ant
threw it over, and a pile of papers in
portfolio was scattered. Dorothy, as sht
worked helping to carry some piece!
of furniture to place Of safety, fel
something blow against her face, and
putting up her hand, she caught
piece Of paper.
Even in the excitement she saw
what it was. 1t was the sketch tina
Francis Raleigh had drawn on board
the Cephalonia three years before, th'
sketch of Malcolm holding the baby
Dorothy sobbed as she saw what l
was. Her own baby! And now thei
home and nearly all the things the!
counted dear!
1t was over soon, and in LITTLE
while the church and parsonage, th'
work Of many a weary struggle TO
their little company Of disciples, wer'
dreary heaps of ruin. A hard fight OF
the part of the wornout citizens hat
kept the other houses from being burn
ed The church and parsonage hat
stood in a large lot by themselves.
after ALL" said Malcom when 1t wa
all over, as he sat down by Doroth!
on a trunk while q little group O
neighbors stood by discussing the Incl
dents of the fire, after all, dear, w
have a good deal to be thankful for"
Yes" said Dorothy, with q smile
1t was O little hard for her as she So
there to imagine that Dorothy Gilber
who once back in the old New Eng
land home had been noted for the ele
gance and refinement Of all her way
and surroundings. Nothing but tn
great love she bore the man who hat
asked her to share his life now mad
her insensible to that former life be
fore she was married.
Malcolm Kirk sat there gazing at tn
ruins Of his home and his church, an
deep down in his heart there was
mighty conflict going on. He had los
his books, nearly all that were Of value
and the other losses were great. II
was blackened and burned, his clothe
hung in ragged rents about him, hi
great fists were bleeding and here be
side him was the woman who had lef
all for-what? TO share such priVa
tions, dangers, losses?
! Eor q moment he hardly heard Wha