Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-02-11

BtOSStGT Dure0 ms hCnu as nc STOOD there
silent.
fragments he remembered Initiated his
own Gallo nerves so delightfully."- after
the emotional tension of the song of
patriotism and the exhaustion of car
rying the viol that he concluded the
ladies. too, must surely find them
cheering.
Some of them confessed afterward
that they were comforted by these
sounds as of a gigantic bumblebee in
musical practice. Others said they
We're so queer and foreignlike they
made them lonesomer than before.
They fairly ''loved" to hear even that
old fiddle grumble out an attempt ut
"DiXey" or "Julianna Johnson Coming
to Town" The night wore on
And, oh, how slow that keen eyed star
Has tracked the chilly gray!
Misunderstanding yet? How very, far
The morning lies away!
Mrs. Pembroke, moved by half con-
scious remorse for her daylight ungra
ciousness, came out to her gate as
Blossier stopped there for the second
time and asked him in to have "a dram
and q snack"
Pretty Miss Molly Boon called to him
once as he went by her mothers house
and asked him to come in and help her
move sick child. Miss Molly gave
him cup Of coffee. The east was gray
with the yelling dawn when Blossier,
weary enough, stopped before the last
house at the end Of street. His bow
arm dropped; his eyes fastened them
selves on corner of the house. Yes;
| there it was-fre! A curling spit Of
fame leaped, vivid in the darkness,
around the corner above the floor Of the
| porch.
The double bass fell. Blossler ran up
the walk. Before he could reach the
house the sneaking fame had grown
holder. 1t had fastened itself into the
wooden pillar by the wall. He shouted;
he threw stone at the door as he ran.
| Around the corner the fire was burst
ing up from pile of debris against
the wall. 1t caught like teeth in the
dry clapboards. The porch pillar was
burning. Blossier ran in upon the blaz-
ing stuff. He had torn off his coat and
wrapped it around his fists, and he
kicked and knocked the brands far out
into the gravel walk and the grass.
Two women We're now beside him. 1t
looked as If the house would go. The
little flames were burning merrily.
That meant most of the town would
go, for fine dawn wind was springing
up. They brought buckets of water
and a ladder, and meanwhile Blossier
was whipping the fire with shovel he
had caught from one of them. He con-
trived to command the women without
losing second; lie made them pour
water from the floor above; he fought
like tiend. Suddenly a memory of the
barricades rose clear and sharp within
him as he had not remembered them
for years. The spirit of war swelled
like trumpets note within the little
man, and his soul responded to its own
cry for the salvation of lies femmes ct
les enfants."
1t was sight to see the alien, old
Blossy, in the weird growing light, his
life in his hand, his clothes burning
upon him, his face scorched and smoke
blackened, fighting at the close quar-
tiers OF death struggle an enemy
that was not his enemy, gaining n vic
tory that did not save him.
The Joyous light was pouring over
the summer earth in delicate. elating
WaVelets when the last flame flickered
out, and Blossier fell amid the cinders
as II he, too, We're gone.
Inc crying women, one white, one
black, bent over him. The old negress
started to lift him, but her mistress
caught her arm.
ANT 'Cindy,"- she said. stake his
feet" And she pushed the servant
aside and stopped herself over the
| CHASTITY face.
Miss Jane" said the other, II kin
tote him by m'se'f. You's too trem-
bly,
III help tote this man into NV house
myself, Ant 'Cindy," was Jane Nc
1rath,s answer, and together they lift
ed their burden.
INTO the spare room," said she in
the hall. Her voice was clear md
nara, while her tears, falling like quiet
rain on Blossler's face, were making
little white blots and streaks there.
IN the beginning of the conflict Mrs.
McGrath had set her fiye-year.old
daughter on the gravel walk by the
front gate out of harms way, and told
her TO stay there. There she still sat,
crying Justify.
over after Miss Mary Bell
Croft Miss Jane now commanded
Ant ,Cindy' and take Janey with
you ana leave her there. The children