Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-06-16


and the smoke rifta
His air Of authority was unQuestion-
able.
Doubtless one Of the family" NUT
tered the fireman, as he rushed into the
night air with the silver and bric-a-brac.
"and game one, at that"
The flames were already raging
through the upper rooms as Jack plunged
again into the house and blindly CROPPED
his way along the floor. snatching at any
and everything he could remove from
the house.
Great books from the library,
broken clock, q mat, q handful Of lace
curtains and draperies, and all the
time great roaring and laundering Of
the flames, the engines, and human
voices around him.
BY this time his face was so black his
mate would not have known him. At that
very moment he was grooming to the
baby on the lawn several hundred feet
from the house, while the maid pinched
and pushed. slammed and almost brow
beat the child. apparently with the idea
that If 1t was not yet injured, 1t by
rights ought to be, and all the time tell
ing him what brave, good, honest man
he was; but falling to note that his
smoke-colored face in segments showed
even redder than the devouring flames
through which the smoke rings.
Suddenly the woman grasped him by
the arm with q cry. There were Mrs.
Kinney's watches, gold and silver. lying
on the table In her room In a pearl-cov-
cred box; and before the words were
out of her mouth the baby was thrust
into her arms, and the man had disap-
peared into the chaos Of fiery rain.
He heard babel of voices calling upon
him to come back, but ON he went. He
burst into the room. and CROPPED about
in the sitting atmosphere until his hand
came In contact with the box, and then
step by step he fought his way back to
the door in the face Of streams Of water
and fire combined.
Somehow. he missed the door ana
stumbled against a window, his hands
30 blistered that he could not raise It:
and, plunging against the glass Like q
drunken man, jumped into the night,
covered with blood and smoke. TWAS
descent Of more than Is feet and when
he became conscious again he was lying
in cot at the Southwich hospital, ban
daged like mummy.
HE is stirring now" some one called
out In loud whisper at the bedside.
Under his mummy folds he saw part
Of man and about two-tMrds Of the
nurse and smaller sections Of other peo-
pie in the room, but 1t was like looking
through glass darkly. There were two
whole fingers on his right hand, and
Pete's hand and voice reached him at
the same time.
He felt him wave the others aside as
he bent lower.
"They caught us both, Jack" he heard
him say, "it's a case of sure evidence, old
man, but they won't sentence you till
you are able to walk. Internal shame,
old fellow, but did the best for you
I could after the fret"
Jack pressed his hand gratefully. even
while he groaned at the news.
"Did-did-the blamed cons get onto
YER. Jackq" was his first question
N"It wasn't the cons. not the cons that
gave the thing away, Pete. Twas the
woman. the maid YOU see"
"The old leather faceI" muttered the
other under his breath. Don't We SID
nose Pete. that the-the tudee will"
Tban with a vroan ha ralansed into
rncon sciousness He felt some NM
uent odor Mt b,s postrtls He became
S,mlv aware that the room was filing
gain. in the shame and horror Of h,a
Situation he raised with a desnarata AZ.
'ort one manned and blackened handle
raw the covers still more closely around
linn
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