Idaho Springs siftings., 1902-10-25

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back those cruel fangs until they had
passed the fatal place, for hardly were
they beyond than, with a rush and
roar, the abyss of fire swallowed up
the spot where Charlie had been over
come.
Still she dragged him along. Love
gave her a power she had never known
before; under its magical influence
weaklings become strong as lions and
perform prodigies of valor.
Through the smoke, almost over
powered by it's awful fumes, she went.
All! were those shouts just ahead?
She shrieked aloud, and heard answer
ing cries, CHEEKY cries that gave her
new hope, new ambition.
Then gigantic figures loomed up be-
yond, and Airline swooned at the feet
of the firemen, who picked both of
them up in kindly arms and bore
them into the fresh air.
Two hours later Charlie. sadly de-
moralized so far as looks went, with
bloodshot eyes, singed mustache, sans
a portion of his eyebrows, and with
sundry burns upon face and hands,
yet bearing a grim look of happiness
upon his countenance, knocked at the
door of room in a neighboring hotel,
and was admitted by Arline's compan-
ion, whose temporary absence from
the Windsor hotel at the time of the
fire had possibly saved her life.
Airline lay upon lounge.
She, too, had suffered somewhat
from the terrible experience, although
not so severely as her lover, but to
Chaylie's ravished eyes she had never
looked so charming as when she held
out both hands to him, while bushes
chased each other over face and neck.
God was indeed good to us, Charlie,
she said, after he had bent down and
deliberately kissed her with the air of
one who holds a proprietary right.
81 echo your words, my darling;
and l venture to say l am the only
man in New York to whom that fear
full fire brought good luck
"Ahl but you richly earned all that
and more-you who fought so des-
perately to save me. Where would l
be now only for you? Oh, Charlie!"
bursting into a flood of tears, as she
remembered how he had swept into
her room and taken possession of her,
leading her through devious ways at
last to safety and life.
"And who was it dragged me away
from the hungry NAV of the flames
when they seemed sure of their prey?
All, my dear girl, the honors are pret-
ty nearly even, it seems to me! We
belong to each other, and Heaven give
me the power to make your life hap
py!"
"Oh, Charliei doubt can never enter
into my soul. After what has occurred
l could not live without your love!
am only contented with you"
They spent happy half hour.
Then Charlie remembered that he
bore a message.
"Aleck and your father are below.
They met in the strangest way during
the fire; it certainly looks as though
the hand of fate was in it. At any
rate, they are both anxious to see you"
he said.
Capt Brand claimed his daughter,
and this time there could be no mis-
taking the genuine thrill that awoke
in Arline's heart when she saw his ge-
nial face and heard his voice, which
at once aroused memories of long ago.
While the great metropolis was
wrapped in mourning on that sad st.
Patrick's evening, happy group dined
in the other hotel.
Capt. Brand related many of his ad-
ventures in modest way, entirely diff
ferent from the braggadocio of the i'm
postor.
Again and again his eyes rested
tenderly and proudly on his lovely
daughter; she had been in his thoughts
for years while he secured the deserts
with the wild Arab tribe with whom
he had been associated; and he had
hard work indeed to believe it was not
a dream.
Aleck; too, seemed to grow more
manly, and Charlie felt sure he had a
grand future before him. The follies
of the past would serve as guideposts,
directing him to the straight and mar
row road that leads to happiness.
AS for Charlie, a peace had come
upon him such as only the mariner
knows when at last his storm-tossed
barque slips into a safe harbor, where
love and home await his coming.
He looked into her beautiful face,
where the lovelight and glow of happi-
ness dwelt forever more, and thanked