The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-02-06

vale of pleasure, into the paradise of
childhood's playground, that eternity
will provide. For you never knew
what play meant here.
As the rear wall fell, crushing in the
roofs of the smaller houses near and
spreading the fire into the adjoining
blocks David Barton gripped John Cor
don's arm tight and exclaimed: The
wind is changing, Hope House will go
nextr'
! They were on the corner next to Hope
House, and the horror of the whole sit
uation was suddenly intensified il pos
sible py the danger which now threat
ened the one building in the whole
ward that represented humanity at its
best. The wind had changed to the
east. The rain was increasing. 1t came
down in a steady cold that had no eff
feet on the fire except apparently to
increase its fury. The awful confusion
was increasing every moment. The
alarm had been sent in for the entire
department. In almost a seconds time
the mass of low wooden tenements that
stood crowded together on both sides
of Hope House was bursting with fire
The maddened. panic smitten people
were carrying their goods out into the
streets Under the shapeless mass OF
hot bricks and twisted iron beams in
Bowen street human forms could be
seen-here a face staring up. here
hand, foot. Il trunk of formless hor-
Iror The whole pile seemed writhing.
tangled heap of human agony. Groans
land cries burst from it that were ap-
palling. The mass had fallen so near
to the two men that some Of the bricks
lay at their feet. Before either realized
what he was doing they were both dig
ging at the CHASTITY mound. Hope House
forgotten for the time being. Their
hands were burned and torn by the hot
bricks and splintered beams Barton
especially seemed inspired with unusu-
al strength. He was drenched to the
skin. His light overcoat was soon
mass of tattered rags He was lifting
a beam that lay across figure that
had moved a hand thrust out of the
debris Gordon was helping him.
Its Mrs. Caylorp' Gordon exclaimed
as the face of the figure appeared.
The woman was crushed into a sick
ening physical mass. but she was alive
and conscious
Its Mr.. Gordon. Mrs. Ca. .-lorT said
John, with a sob. as he tenderly wiped
the face and with Barton's help lifted
or the beam that had crushed her.
The woman gasped and spoke feebiy.
but clearly:
DO you think I'll see Louie? He was
good boy-a good boy"
"Yes, yes. Mrs. Caylor. and his body's
straight now. and he's out of pain"
"a good boy. Yes, out of pain now. "
| she murmured Gordon and Barton
, lifted the form and carried it over to
| Hope House entrance. There was nc
, need of words. No other place was
possible. AS yet the fire had moi
. | touched it. The crowd that surged
, | through Bowen street had suddenly
left everything else unsaved to protect
: | Hope House. Miss Andrews was out
by that tangled heap of torture and
, death. digging with her hands at the
monstrous pile, working with a man:
/, | energy and shaming more than one
, man by her calm but determined cour
? age.
, But Hope House had suddenly com'
: to mean more i'm a few seconds than I
? had meant In a dozen years to the peo
: pie That silent pale. resolute. awful.
a patient woman who had been lovin,
e them resistlessly all these years, VIII,
g was now over there digging at the liv
e ing graves of the people, what of tn
!. place called her home. the center o
I her benignant influence? 1t should no
Z | perish The people OF Bowen stree
n surrounded the place and fought dealt
a for a grim hour. aided by re-enfOrce
e ments of the department In almos
r dream OF action Barton and Gordo
il had participated in this wild fury o
e defense. They first carried the bod
+ OF Mrs. Caylor into the hall. AS the
N laid 1t down both knew that what the
a laid down was a lifeless. shapeles
l. heap of bones and flesh. She was wit
e Louie now
lie On the other side of Jordan
10 In the sweet fields of Eden
a Where the tree of life is blooming.
m The men rushed out to the defens,
% and in that next hour Waterside dii
10 trict witnessed as heroic struggle q
any age of chivalry ever boastcd.
a was not an occasion for the depar
- ment to dictate any rules or method
n of procedure. The people made rule
no They tore down buildings. flung then
10 selves upon flaming fragment
- stamped under foot and literally he.
n back the fury OF the encirciing fir
n, And Hope House was saved. When
an was all over. the building stood blac
no. ened, defaced. scorched. but intaC
III and into its archway came strcamiI
ON dark procession of forms beariI
nm dreadful burdens. which were Laid
NJ straight rows through the hall and ,
% the library floor. Before the gr;
,ir dawn broke through the pail OF smok
~ dripping with drizzling air that pc
ss etrated even the warmly dressed ear
To- risers on the boulevards. there we
he forty-seven forms lying side by side
m the floor of Hope House. and under {
he CHASTITY mound how many more
he man dared to guess.
NO John Gordon found Miss Andrev
ed still at work out by the ruins.
You must stop and eat something
he he said gently. but firmly. And rs
ed spoke he laid his hand on her arm.
till She was bearing on her face and p'
ng son the marks of her desperate enerl
re. But she had never ceased TO be Ora
ho Andrews. calm, self poised. patient,
me domitable. but never hysterical
cot nervous.
nv A faint color appeared in her IA
he and she let Gordon bring her son