The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-11-19
A RACE
WITH DEATH
By JOLIET LA SALE
Copyright, 1904, by Daily Story Pub Coy
"J'M JUST a plain, unadulterate

JUST a plain, unauthorized
l IDIOT"
This announcement James Fairbairn
confidently made to himself. Though
uttered aloud it was necessarily to him
self, for he was riding over billowy
horse and a saucy prairie dog that
watched him nervously so feet away,
there was no sign of life anywhere.
Eyes, an IDIOT" he repeated, solemn
ly. Nobody but an idiot would ride
out to see her to-day even if he did
know that she was alone, after she
had told him she did not want him to
come again."
"She" was Eunice Whitworth, and
she lived with her father and mother
on farm eight miles from the South
Dakota village of Elburn.
AS he upbraided himself his horse
had without his notice taken turn to
the left of the road and was cropping
the long grass, Drowned by long sea-
son of drouth and hot suns. When he
noticed this he jerked the horses head
back to the road and then looked about
him
"Whew!" ne whistled. A thick bank
of smoke was spread over the horizon
ahead of him, and its smell came faint
ly down the breeze, which was waxing
into something stronger than a breeze.
The sun shonc red as copper through
the thickness.
"a prairie fret" he exclaimed. as he
touched the spur to his horse. And it
isn't far off, either"
His horse sped along rapidly under
repeated applications of the spur. Has
tily hitching his horse on reaching the
house, he ran up the walk and knocked
ut the front door. A sweet-faced girl
In charmingly workaday costume
came, and when she saw who it was
her face clouded.
"You!" was all she said but he felt
80 volume of contempt in that one word
Eyes, it's me-" he said, too hurried
to be grammatical. 81 know I'm fool
for coming here, but just couldn't
STAY; away. We have no time to quar-
rel, though. A prairie fire is booming
this way, and you must get out of
here!"
II am able to take care Of myself.
thank you," she said, resentful of his
tone; but she looked around the house
at the clouds of smoke that were
sweeping up before the wind.
maybe, but I am not going to risk
1t. When that fire gets into the slough
it'll jump for this place like mad, and
you must come with me. Your horses
have taken fright long ago, and are too
far away to be caught" The girl could
see them galloping madly away, and
knew that he spoke the truth.
Get whatever you want to take
along. and come" he commanded.
Fairbairn swore. and then stepped
TO the corner of the house and took a
look. Great tongues of flame were leap
ing toward the house hardly more than
mile away. The fire was coming with
amazing speed, licking up the long, dry
prairie grass eagerly Half mile from
the house was the slough he had
spoken of, dry lake bed where the tall
grass of several seasons lay matted and
dry. Once in such fuel the fire would
soon reach the house. Fairbairn swore
again and knocked on the door. No an
swer He tried the door, 1t was locked.
Another despairing look at the ap-
preaching fire sent him TO the door
again in hurry. He placed his broad
shoulder against it and gave heave.
It shook, but held. He tried again:
the door fell in and he fell in over it.
Miss Whitworth was not in sight. He
ran through the rooms below, and not
finding her there ran upstairs. In a
room on the second floor he found her.
sitting in a chair. She was crying.
"There is no time for talk" ex-
claimed Fairbairn. "Ill explain after
wards" With that he took her in his
arms, in spite Of a slight struggle. He
ran down the stairs and out of the
door, and placing the girl on the horse
thrust the reins in her hands and hit
the horse blow on the haunch with
the flat of his hand. The nag, already
alarmed by the fire. started with lean
and bolted down the road. She had
gone but a few feet when the girl,
though with much difficulty, brought
her around and came back.
"What are you going to do?" she
asked.
7"The best can. I'll be all right.
For Gods sake, go! There is not mo-
K ment to spare!" He spoke the truth,
for the fire was in the slough grass,
coming for them at race-horse speed,
and the wind blew hot in their faces.
Sparks were beginning to fly about
them.
"Not without you," she said, calmly.
"But the horse cannot carry two!"
Il lie said, in an agony of Impotence.
"Please go! 1t is your only chance"
mot unless you come, too," she in
sisted. The horse shook with terror
a and the girl kept her back with diffii
sseulty. "You are wasting time"
Never mind me, but go! Why are
lou SO qbstinate?" he cried, hardly
10 oWingA what he said.
Becaufle - Conei"
u u -, ~ liz Sa..