Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-02-13

the major turned with some misyfyfneS
to take parting look at the little house
he was leaving behind. II was a snug
place, and CHEEKY. The cabin. with it's
whitewashed walls and the pot of flow
cars Frightening the window, made one
think OF prim old man with earna-
ton In his buttonhole-the major him.
self, perhaps. dressed for feast-day.
Presently now they were In the for
est that pressed close up to the road.
But the donkey made painful progress.
When the afternoon was well spent they
were still some ten miles from the place
where the major had planned to spend
the night
The sun sank behind the trees. The
nrst shades merged into darkness. Night
was upon them when they came to bit
OF rising ground which the major knew
was not far from their destination. on
II the southwest he could see a glow
upon the sky that filed him with ap-
prehension.
II was after eight o'clock when they
had managed to make another mile, and
now the fire first seen from the hilltop
was spreading very rapidly. 1t tinged
the whole southern sky where storm
ciouds hung, and strange sounds, indis-
tinct and ominous, were in the air.
On again the travellers plodded for a
little way, and then Michael stumbled
and rolled his riders on the ground.
When the major had scrambled to his
feet, and made sure that Marie's cries
were due to fright, and not to injury. he
noted that the beacon light on the skv
was well up toward the zenith, and the
Instant sounds were growing louder.
Even as he looked up, tree here and
there frightened IN the glow.
For moment he stood irresolute.
Then an inspiration came to him.
seizing Marie, he dropped her into one
OF the saddle-bag pockets and strapped
the pocket-fap loosely at the top.
The baby squirmed vigorously and
cried Justify, but the pocket, flap and
all, held firm. 1t was a doubtful chance
that the major meant to take; but he
thought the donkey's instinct would
guide him to safety, and since he could
not carry both his master and Marie.
there was no other way.
There were tears in the old soldiers
eyes as he picked UP stout stick and
struck Michael a resounding blow
across the TANKS. His lameness for
gotten Tor the moment, the donkey
bounded away
The major followed, but only as far
as Father Ramien's little woodland
chapel In truth, he could go no far
Their. He had barely strength to
scramble up the rude steps and in at
the open door. Father Ramien was
gone The only light within was that
OF the altar lamp, which sent a faint
ray out into the little room.
But on at the south the fire was
nashing from tree to tree. Terrifying
! noises accompanied 1t, and the clouds
were so bright that flames from above
seemed to mingle with the fire below.
The major thought the end of the
world had come
The light grew brighter. He could
see the crucifix above the altar. the
passion pictures on the walls, the
carven text upon the chancel rail that
promised eternal life. The major knelt
to say paternoster. Presently the
frail little structure shook in the blast.
frebrandS ratified on roof and walls,
the windows burst ia, and in the roll
Ing tide of flame the chapel disap-
peared.
Two days later Marie Bonnet's
nurse, desperately hurrying back to
Peshtigo. met some people who told
her of a miraculous escape A child
had been placed in one of the pockets
of prodigious pair of saddle-bags and
committed to the care of a donkey
which trusty beast had saved both
the chili's lie and his own by saga
ciously walking into a pom. near the
Sugar Bush road.
So! And where was the child? One
should see William Duquette, the
blacksmith? Very we'll, then. To Will
liam DuQuette went Mother La Rose
straightway. and proved that it was
the little Marie who had been in the
saddle-bag, and who had come out of
1t trifie stupefied by smoke, uut very
much alive; in fact, wholly unframed
Years after, when the little Marie
was old enough to understand, she
found occasion for pride and rejoicing
In the fact that she had been chris
tened Marie Ducharme Bonnet. She
liked to think that the name brought
her nearer to the spirit of the old SOL
der who had loved her and guarded
her to the last-Youth's Companion.