The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-17

Strauss found that he gained no advant.
age by fencing in the lane, he tried lee.
ting his cattle get into Kings grain fields.
The first and the second time King drove
the cattle back onto Strauss land ana
repaired his worm-fences where the cat.
tie had broken through The third time
he served a legal notice on Strauss that
If the cattle offended again he would hold
them for damages. The fourth time the
cows played havoc in Kings corn field
and that night the trespassers were safe
ly locked in the great barn on the hill.
Strauss refused to pay the damages and
King posted notices that the cattle were
to be sold to recover damages.
AS Strauss tended his turkeys and nurs.
ed his wrath he planned to get even with
King. The sale would take place that
day and he must get his cows back first,
John King had him this time, but he
would be even yet.
One member of Kings household the
old German loved; that was little Carl,
the youngest boy. This chubby golden
haired little 6-year-old was the only be-
ing Strauss had ever loved in all his long
lonely life. Strauss had come to Mary
land as a young man from far off Ger
many. He had no kin and he had lived
nearly all his life on his little farm. When
baby Carl came to the Kings house
neighbor Strauss had fallen in love with
him at once. Never had the child been
known to dabble in the brook down by
the Dutchman's little cottage or build
sand heaps in the lane, that Strauss had
not filled his little cap with gooseberries
or cherries, or sent him home laden with
honey or with some trinket from the far
off Fatherland The child had grown very
fond of the old man, and on account OF
little Carl the breach between the neigh
bors had been slow to open. Now King
had an advantage that Strauss would not
overlook without revenge and he plotted
to get even with his neighbor.
That afternoon when Strauss drove his
cattle home he was $50 poorer than when
he had ascended the hill to attend tha
sale. John King would be made to suffer
for that, he thought. Then a vision Of
little Carl came to him. but he shut It
out from his mind. John King had beaten
him that time, but he would get even. It
need not injure little Carl. That night,
as he sat smoking his after-supper pipe
at the door Of his cottage. the recording
angel needed a fresh page to keep the
score against Emmanuel Strauss.
Just past midnight a man left the cot
tage at the end of the lane and in the
inky darkness, of that stariess autumn
night, CROPPED his way up the hill to-
| ward Kings. He carried small can
I
to the fence The night was chilly and
the man went very slowly up the HILL
Every few steps he would stop to listen
then he would SILVER, draw his great
coat up to hide his face, and go on again
All was quiet at the Kings house. Inc
man stopped at the great barn and seem
ed to hesitate. Once he seemed TO %
about to turn back and go down the nh
again. Then he Strengthened up, Mteo
int harm.
lighted a match, and. as it famed up
1t illumined the dark scowlng features
of Emmanuel Strauss.A moment later ne
man left the barn hurriedly and ran down
the lane.
At the door of his colt lge Strauss turn
ed and looked back there was no llght
on the hill yet. Then he hurriedy un'
dressed and went to bed He could hos
sleep, so rose and looked out OF the WIZ
dow. A glimmer of light shone through
the windows of the barn on the hill, then
there burst forth a roar of flames ana
fire leaped through the roof, lighting up
the whole country, side and painting
great ruddy glow on the sky. Lign"
flashed from the windows OF the stons
house The farm bell began to ring
wildly. Then other lights CLEANED from
other farms and all the bells in the nelgn'
borhood took up the wild changing. ms
tic appeals for help. Strauss could STAND
il no longer, pulling on his clothes as
he ran, he raced up the hill. The lane
was as bright as day now. When No
had climbed that hill, but short TINS
before, the darkness had been so great
that he had almost felt his way.
John King was just hurrying into the
burning barn to sa the cattle. Even
now the walls were tottering. Here was
nd ha
prayed that his enemy would not get oue
alive. The recording angel surely muss
have wept
Then Emmanuel Strauss heart nearly
stopped beating, he staggered forward
and almost fell. A tiny, white-robed,
barefooted figure was running straight
for the opening in the flames where ktns
had disappeared. 1t was little Carl, cry"
ing, Papa, papa, come out Of the hre
1t burn you" The blazing building sway
ed and trembled.
Strauss gave one wild cry, jumped fors
ward, seized the child and threw him
roughly into the arms OF one of the farm
hands Then he disappeared Into the
blazing building shouting, John! John.
Where are you? I'll save you, John
The tottering walls gave way with
crash and great waves of flame shot SKY
ward, as the ruins buried the old Ger
man beneath a great mass or ournlhs
timbers. The recording angel had to teAV
a whole page from his ledger
John King had passed out OF the ourn1
ing building by another door In the rear
and escaped unframed, except few ugly
burns and loss Of hair and beard. nc
buried all that was mortal OF lmmahuei
Strauss In the village churchyard. Jonn
King and little Carl were the cnlei
mourners
Some weeks later the lawyers read the
last will and testament OF Immanuel
Strauss. The old mans farm, some torty
acres OF land and all his turkeys dueN'
and gosllngs we're 10 be the sole prop
" OF little Carl on one condition lno
rght-of-way must be a rlght-of-Way ~
more: but tho land IN the lane must 10
sold 10 the owner OF Kings HILL