Mower County transcript., 1903-01-28

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The church and parsonage stood al
the opposite end Of the town from the
prairie fire, and the danger had been
the least in that quarter. That part
of the town had been entirely deserted
while the fight had been going on at
the other end.
IF the church goes, the parsonage
will go, too," thought Malcom, as he
and Dorothy ran through the street.
When they reached the parsonage,
the roof had already caught from a
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 other
men, succeeded in carrying out some
furniture and few of his books.
One Of the boxes in Dorothy's room
was blazing as he carried it out and
threw it over, and pile Of papers in a
portfolio was scattered. Dorothy, as she
worked helping to carry some pieces
Of furniture to place Of safety, felt
something blow against her face, and,
putting up her hand, she caught a
piece Of paper. a~~s,
4 Even in the excitement she saw
what it was. It was the sketch that
Francis Raleigh had drawn on board
the Cephalonia three years before, the
sketch Of Malcom holding the baby.
Dorothy sobbed as she saw what it
was. Her own baby! And now their
home and nearly all the things they
counted dear!
1t was over soon, and in a little
while the church and parsonage, the
work Of many a. weary struggle for
their little company Of disciples, were
dreary heaps Of ruin. A hard fight on
the part Of the wornout citizens had
kept the other houses from being burn
ed. The church and parsonage had
stood in large lot by themselves.
AFTER ALL" said Malcom when it was
all over, as he sat down by Dorothy
on trunk while a little group of
neighbors stood by discussing the Incl
dents Of the fire, latter all, dear, we
have a good deal to be thankful for"
eyes," said Dorothy, with a smile.
It was little hard for her as she sat
there to imagine that Dorothy Gilbert
who once back in the old New Eng
land home had been noted for the ele.
gance and refinement Of all her ways
and surroundings. Nothing but the
great love she bore the man who had
asked her to share his life now made
her insensible to that former life be-
fore she was married.
Malcom Kirk sat there gazing at the
ruins Of his home and his church, and
deep down in his heart there was q
mighty conflict going on. He had lost
his books, nearly all that were Of value,
and the other losses were great. He
was blackened and burned, his clothes
hung in ragged rents about him, his
great fists were bleeding, and here be-
side him was the woman who had left
all for-what? To share such priva.
tions, dangers, losses?
For moment he hardly heard what
some of his parishioners were saying.
They had been talking excitedly to-
gether.
"Mr. Kirk, we are of the opinion that
this fire was incendiary.'
'How is that" asked Malcom, rous-
ing up little.
1.-The first seen Of it was in the tow
er. Now, the fire from the prairie
could not possibly have caught up
there. Some one must have set it."
Then different ones began to whisper
their suspicious.
The next day, while Malcom and
Dorothy were staying with one Of the
church members who took them into
his home, the rumor grew that the fire
was the work of the whisky men.
Down on the street excited groups of
men gathered that evening, discussing
the matter. Every one knew that NAL
com Kirk had fought the saloons from
the first day Of his entrance into Con
rad. He was feared and hated by
them more than any one else. He had
succeeded to a large degree in getting
the other churches to act together in
the agitation now going on all over the
state. He was already noted for his
leadership throughout the county and
had written and spoken on every possi.
BILE occasion for the proposed prohibit.
tory amendment. -:
So there was reason in the suspicion
held by the citizens. As the evening
wore on proof Of certain saloon mans
guilt seemed almost sure. Two oi
three persons had seen him coming GU,
Of the parsonage yard that afternoon
Of the fire. A child had seen the same
man on the steps OF the church q few
minutes after Dorothy had left the par
sona1e. !! &:"@ y %2#,3&.s=-z!:: Z: -
II was now 10 o'clock: The crowd :,
The corner BY the postomce rev, evetJ
minute larger and more thrsatsnine
Groups 81 men stood surrounding somt
speaker who urged lynching as TIL
only satisfactory punishment for ssacf
. crime The: citizsustw exasperat
ed and nervous from the great stfadl
Of The last two days. .ss.a; . d, (.
Malcom Kirk came down town lat
that night to get the mail from TIL
east bound express and walked Into IL,