The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-09
Our Daily $bort Story

The town of Tecumseh was thus kept Tn a straight jacket, and the widow Horn held the drawing strings. She liv- ed in tall. two-story cottage, bare of outside decorations, with only a very narrow yard between the doorstep and the street. She had few relatives, but none lived in Tecumseh, and they sell dom visited the old lady.
 Ellis Mumford had finished his course at prominent law school, had been ad- mltted to the bar, and had just return ca 10 Tecumseh, hung out his shingle and l settIed down to the study and business of his profession. He had known so lit- tie of the widow Horn during the last few years that he had taken no thought or her in his calculations when he de- term1ned to set himself up as a lawyer in his own home village.
 But he was not long allowed to remain in forgetfulness of the citizenship of FL Vlra Horn. She stopped in front of his ofnce one morning. number of Mum Iords friends were present, but this fact seemed only to enliven the tone of the widows remarks.
 We're home again, Ellis, I see.'
 fes' Mrs Horn; and am right glad to get back once more"
 Set yourself up for a lawyer I reck- self" e 0i my
 Bout lowed so That means ven want to do nothin' but sit around here ana smoke segars and tell yarns. while ye ought to be at work out wonder on them good acres that Abel Mumford Jeff ye. l can tell ye. Ellis, I've got no time Tor young men that take to sicb idIin, occupations. when Nod lands goIn' to waste TOT the want O good muscle that's soln to waste as well Now, think the sooner ye get off that coat and get ont yonder to work, the better off yeH be ana the better off the village I'll bs Good day"
 Thank you. Good day"
 When the widow was out of earshot. the crowd laughed at Mumford's expense But Eihs was i'll at ease for the wid- ows tongue was a power he did not care to have against him. r
 It was past midnight of the same dav that the alarm of fire was heard in inc village and people hurried into their clothes and rushed to the scene of tha burning. which proved to be the widow Horns cottage, the entire lower story of which was enveIoped in flame. No one had been able to enter the cottage: the crowd stood looking on in silent awe. no one seeming able to make a suggestion mere was one question in the mouth of every man who stood there; but he vvae afraid to ask it.:
 w here is the widow Horn?" me crowd stood thus silent and J,ac- i've for ten minutes Then someone | shouted 'iieoiie | Look"
 A woman's head with night can on II had appeared at one of inc sedord story. windows '''e seeoiiu- lhe widows in the building" anotb. CT. shouted; fwho will save her?''
 Ellls Mumford was one of the first who mad seen the night-capped head. and with no thought of the raspinp vilIan | Horn had given him only few bo,,rs | before, he ran for ladder which bc Knew to be nearby and dragged it tc the scene. Then. calling for help he soor had the ladder placed against the h,,iId ing under the window where the white. robed figure had been seen. Then. with great tongues of flame and smoke Ian. ping about him. Ellis ran nimbIy m the | rungs of the ladder and sprang throueb the window into the building. Inside he was met by a hot breath from the onno- site doorway-and the next instant inc flames were swinging in through the opening.
 On her knees by the bedside. with hands clasped was the woman. There was no spiteful tongue flashing now. no stlhging harangue or upbraidlng.
 Ellis glanced once at the woman on her knees, then. as he distinctly felt the floor sinking beneath his feet he sprane forward. seized her in his arms and