The age-herald., 1900-05-06
THROUGH FIRE
 AND WATER
BY LILLIAN LANGDoN.

| IT come to you, lass, through nre ana
 water"
 | So spoke Harry Du Val to Edith May as
 the two sat in front of the glowing fire
 place that winters night Tt is sad, lassie, to leave you. God | knows it is. But-' and the break in liar
 rvs voice told the tale which Edith had | heard so often. It told her again how
 Harry had to leave the little village where | they had both grown up together, and go | up to town to earn living. It recited to | her in pitiful tones the story which they l had often whispered together, of the little
 brothers and sisters and the helpless | mother who depended upon arry; and it | told her again of the one pair of hands 1 which must make a living for them all. It was hard, terribly hard; and both Edith and Harry left it as they sat in the | little parlor that night in January, and talked it over again.
 Harry must leave on the morrow, and for Edith. she felt that the future stretched before her dread and dreary without Har- ry.
 Scarcely six months had passed and yet what changes had come into Ediths life. Suddenly deprived of her father and moth CT, she had been compelled to seek the great city-the city where Harry had gone that January day-to make for herself place in the busy hum of bread winners. Edith brushed tear from her eyelidS more than once as she saw the village dis appear in the distance and in it's place come the trees and roads whizzing past. Oh, the big city. How she dreaded it. Yet she longed for it, for Harry was there. Edith sighed and felt the hot tears trickle. as she closed her eyes and leaned her head wearily back and tried not to think of Harry; for in the six months that had passed she had heard from him only once, a brief note.
 q shall never see him again." she moan ed to herself; meyer again." The hum of the train sounded in Edith's ears until she fell asleep from very weari- ness not to wake until the spires of the big city came in view.
 The life of a girl toiler in New York is one of trials and temptations. From shop to shop Edith drifted her pretty face win. ming for her place which her delicate health would not allow her to hold. II am so tired, so tired,' she murmured, night after night. she toiled to her attic "Oh, if I could only diei
 Of Harry Edith saw nothing. He was as completely swallowed up in the great citys vortex as though he had never lived; as for Edith, she hid under another name, and not even her old friends in the little village of K could find her. If ever l get rich and happy I shall go home to them; but not before,' she said once, when, happening to pass a merry party in the street, she recognized some of her girl hood acquaintances in town for days shopping.
 On this night Edith ached in every bone and fibre of her sensitive being. Weary unto death," she was, she told herself, as she pulled her weary limbs up the long narrow staircase until she reached the lit tie hall room on the top floor, which she hired for a miserable sum, and where she cooked her meals night and morning, often going hungry at noon because the pennies were so scarce. The flower of the meadow paled under this treatment, and, little by little, Edith had grown wan and litsless. with nothing of her own self remaining but the bright beauty of her wonderful eyes.
 Things had been hard that day and, too tired to cook her humble meal, Edith had thrown herself upon the bed to sleep. At once she fell into heavy slumber and not even the great clamor outside nor the roar oe the engines awakened her r When at last she opened her eyes it was to find the room filled with smoke Dazed she rushed to the door to the flames leaping up the stairs, and all hope from that direction cut off. "Oh, God" she cried. 'it has come at last. I prayed for death last night
 With frightened eyes she glanced down into the street at the crowd below. Then she held her arms out to them and shout ed, knowing that her voice would be drowned in the awful din below.
 Yes, life sweet after all,
 As if in answer to her cry there came a shout from the street and she saw long ladder being raised against the house. Would it be long enough! The tenement was tall one, and Edith looked down with despairing eles as she saw one ladder after another. all short while the flames crept closer and closer to her, and the smoke choked her and hid her from view
 A great shout from below told her that a long ladder had been secured; and the next minute, coming up hand over hand, she saw the burly form of a stalwart ire man and felt the rough top of his helmet against her hand
 Keep your courage up, girl, it's only a minute longer. There, don't breathe. Hold fast to me Steady, steady" and so down the long ladder, through the suf- locating smoke and brusting flame, came the fireman with Edith in his arms. As they reached the ground a mighty shout broke from the crowd; and then she knew no more, except that kind hands were bathing her temples and forcing some thing down her throat.
 .I told you I'd come through fire and water for you," whispered a voice; and Edith opened wide her eyes to see the helmet bending over her, and under heath, the face of Harry Du Val. It took long time for Edith to get well