The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-11
CHAPTER v.
NERO NOT THE LAST yIoL1NlSI or

| TO sister Cecilia, whom she most loNeu
OF all the world, when the bells star'ie 20
her with their sudden clangor. Inc gun
| dropped from her hand; she starten 70
her feet wide-eyed. not UNDERSTANDING ;
while the whole town, browsing peace
1uliy moment ago, resoundeu ''..ille'' :
ately with a loud confusion. She ran 70 20
the front door and looked out, her Leart
beating wildly.
The western sky was touched Win
soft rose color. which quickly became
warm glow, fluctuated, and, IN Inc IN,
slant, shot UP like the coming OF inil
Aurora Then through the broken 1oll-
orange curis Of flames, three-quarters OF
a mile away though they were,
| People, calling loudly that 1t was "a
reeves warehouses;" were running down
the street. From the stable, old Nelson,
on her fathers best horse came ga4lop-
doorway, cried out In a quirerlhg voice,
without checking his steed:
| II goln' tell yo pa, Miss Betty; ne IN
| de kentry on Ian business 60 oack IN
de house, Missy!"
The other servants. like ragged sketches
In the night, fitted by, with exclted e1ac-
| tllattons. to join the runners, ana MISS
Betty followed them across the dew.
strewn turf In her light slippers. but at
the gate she stopped.
From UP the street came the SOUND or
bell smaller than those OF the churches
ana courthouse. yet ono that outulo az ~
others In the madness Of Its appeal TO
clear the way. It was borne along by
what seemed at first an indefinite black
mass. but which-as the Aurora grew
keener, producing even here faint, yell
low twillght-resolved itself into mob
Of hoarse-shouting men and boys VINO
were running and tugging a t ropes, which
drew along three extraordinary vehicles:
They came rapidly down the street and
passed Miss Betty. with hubbub ana
Gin beyond all understanding; one line
Of men, most of them in red shirts and
oil-cloth helmets. at dead run with the
hose-cart; a second line with the hand
engine: the third dragging the ladder
wagon. One man was riding, tall.
straight gentleman in evening clothes and
Without hat, who stood prccariously
in the host-cart. calling in an annoyed
tone through q. brazen trumpet. MISS
Betty recognized him at once: 1t was he
who caught her kitten: and she thought
that If she had been Fanchon Bareaud.
she must have screamed a. warning, for
his balance appeared thing OF mere
luck, and, If he fell. he would be tram
pied under foot and probably run over
by the engine. But, happily (she RENE ln-
bered). she was not Fanchon Bareaud!
Before, behind, and beside the depart
ment raced tllrong Of boys, wild With
the JOY experienced by their species when
property is being handsomely destroyed;
after them came painting women. holding
their sides and gasping with the effort to
keep up with the flying procession.
Miss Betty trembled, for she had never
seen the like in her life: she stood close
to the hedge and let them go by; then
she turned in after them and ran like
a fleet young deer. She was going to the
fire.
~ o.. -, ar ,n.o,. could ~ bo,rd
the angry voice through the trumpet.
calling the turns Of the streets to the
men in the van. upbraiding them and
those Of the other two companies Inn
partially; and few OF his hearers de-
MED the chief his right to express some
ckagrin; since the department Organ
lied half-year. hard-drilled, and this
It's first fire worth the name) was late
ON account Of the refusal OF the mem
their new uniforms: for the uniforms
had arrived from Philadelphia two
months ago, and tonight, offered the
first opportunity to display them in
public.
Hail vanrevel!" painted Tappingham
Marsh to Eugene Madrillon, as the two
running in the van of the hose COM
rany," splattered through q mutf
puddle YOU'D think he was Carewe's
enemy. Hank to the mani"
I'D let 1t burn If were he" returned
the other.
ut was all craileys fault" said
Tappingham, swinging an arm free to
wipe the spattered mud from his face.
He swore he wouldn't bulge without
his uniform, and the rest only backed
him up; that was all Crailey said
Carewe could better afford to lose his
| I'D 6aV ~
ment It's first chance to look beautiful
and earnest Tom asked him why he
didn't send for fiddle" Marsh finished
with a chuckle.
"Carewe might afford to lose a little.
even warehouse or two If only out
Of what he's taken from Crailey and
the rest OF lis. these three years."
Taken from vanrevel. You mean.
Who doesn't know where Crailcy's-
Here's Main Street; look out for the
turn!"
They swung out Of the thick shad-
ows Of Carewe Street into full view Of
the fire, and their faces were illumi-
mated as by sunrise.
The warehouses stood on the river
| bank, at the foot Of the street, just
south of the new Powered bridget
There were four Of them, huge. bare
sided buildings; the two nearer the
| DrldSe OF DTlCk, LILO ueiiT' . W 1870,
and all of them rich with stores or
every kind of river merchandise and
costly freight; furniture that had voy-
age, from New England down the long
coast, across the Mexican Gulf, through
the flat Delta and had made the wind
ing journey up the great river a thou-
sand miles. and almost a THOUSAND
more, following the greater and lesser
tributaries; cloth from Gonnecticut
that had been sold in Philadelphia, then
carried over the mountains and through
forests by steam, by canal, by stage
and six-mule freight wagons 10 Pitts
burg, down The Ohio, and thence up
| t. Rouen on the packet Ienhessee
cotton. on its way TO Massaohusetts
| and Rhode Island spindles, lay there
beside huge mounds of raw WOOL from
| Illinois, ready 10 be fed 40 the Rouen
min; dates and nuts from the Carp
bean Sea; lemons from groves OF me
PARKWAY tropics; cigars from the An
TILES; tobacco from virginia and Ken
lucky: most precious of all. the eteat
Egranary of the farmers wheat from me ne
level fields a, home; and all me rleh
stores ana the houses that held mem.
as we'll as tie wharyes upon wnlcn .ley
49, l,.a, landed and he steamers lIidL