The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-06-04
BY b. r., BUSH.

|
small boys climbed the rafters of the
oid barn, ran across the beams and did
their many deeds of boyish daring, I
sat uncomfortably' on the steps of the
corn bin and begged them tearfully to
come down. I was afraid to put my
nose outside the door after nightfall,
cried myself i'll If left alone without a
light, and, even in daytime, never walk
| I'd alone without constantly turning my
head in fear Of ghosts, and all sorts OF
things.
More than anything else, dogs terri
hed mel would. run from the smallest
yelpfng puppy, and shuddered and
turned cold if a dog so much as passed
me on the other side Of the street. The
wise old women of the neighborhood
nodded their heads at me and told each
other in whispers how my mother had
been frightened almost to death by a
savage dog before I was born.
When I grew to be a. young man, it
was no better. although I concealed my
fears in some measure. It seemed as
bad as could be when I was fancy free,
but 1t became infinitely worse when
fell In love. Alice was the most daring
young woman in our town and a born
hero-Worshipper. She was something
OF naturalist, and had captured with
her own fair hands a collection of
| snakes that made me faint even to
think Of. She had faced an angry bull
| In the field. had tanned unbroken horses,
ridden COLTS without saddle or bride,
| and done SO many brave things that
my heart sank at rehearsing them
My case was hopeless, Of course, but
|. loved her only the more madly.
Whenever I went near her I suffered
| tortures. for her pet and constant at
tendant was horrible, swapping,
snarling little dog.
This vicious creature had an especial
spite against me. From beginning to
end of my calls at Alice's home he
would growl and snap at my legs, my
hands and my face. But though he
sent me into agonies of terror and the
cold perspiratiOn poured from my body
! in a clammy shower at the end of
every visit, I could not bear to give
| up my chance of seeing her.
| It was not long before she knew my
story, as everybody in the town made
! haste to tell it to her. I think she
pitied me and regarded my cowardice
as not the act of a free moral agent.
At any rate, she sent the dog away.
Freed from the terror of his presence,
[ mustered courage to ask her the fate
full question. She was very gentle with
me. but she gave me no hope. Choos-
ing her words as kindly as might be
| in her sweet womanliness, fearing to
| wound me and yet singing the more by
her very kindness, she let me know
| that she could never marry a man
whom she did not consider hero.
went out from her door in the firm
| determination to do something herct~
and win. perforce, my matchless LADY
| But before I had reached the gate.
! that miserable little cur rushed snap
! ping and snarling at my heels, and
forgot even Alice in the vain attempt
to keep from showing the fear I felt.
lay long that night with staring eyes
trying to think Of something brave that
| could do. I thought of going into
the army and moving down whole COM
| panles with my single arm. It would
! not matter if I were killed If only
Alice loved me. But the mere thought
/ Of blood turned me faint and Irwould
lump at the sound OF a firecracker, be-
sides there was no particular war on
| plan, to find all alike unavailoig.
At last must have fallen asleep with
my eyes wide open, and dreamt horri-
BILE dreams. I heard the roar of fire
engines and imagined that the whole
| world was burning up. From her
burning home, Alice was stretching
out her hands to me and calling for
help. I rose in my dreams-did I say
before that I am a sleep-walker -
dressed, clambered from my window by
| means of a tree that grew beside it,
and started for Alice's pretty home be-
| side the church.
| T do not know how much I saw and
| filled with people, but I avoided them
with the cunning Of dreamer To
| my excited fancy every house seemed
bursting with flames. Only the church
stood cool and STILL
| I thought I saw Alice on it's roof and
clambered up, holding by the light
ming rod, by anything She was not
l hllt <n no ho OF or1o
struggled up it, slipping and sliding.
I looked down upon Alice's dwelling
wreathed in fire. The roof and upper
windows were not yet touched, but all
the lower part was encircled by flame.
Alice was not on the steeple. She
stood at second-story window, hold
ing out her hands and calling to me
again. while the horrid red glow
Icrept nearer and nearer. Some one
had rested long ladder against the
side of the church. I lifted it up
with a strength that was not my own,
balanced it with the mysterious power
Of the sleep-walker, swung it across
Alice's window sill, and ran across the
tottering, sloping bridge as firmly as
If it had been solid earth. BY what
seemed a miracle, it held till /
reached the window. then fell totter-
ling to the ground
| A pun OF flame shot IN after me.
I seized Alice in my arms, bore her to
the window and crashed through the
glass with my fists. The pain in my
hands awoke me and
The dream was true. I stood in Ali
ce's room with the flames encircling
the house. In my arms I held, not
Alice, but the little. cringing white
| dog.
Ia sickening terror I looked down.
The flames colored the world blood-red.
| A great sea of fiery faces looked up at
me. Beneath the window stood four
men holding blanket by the corners.
Jump! Jump!' cried scores of
voices I flung down the dog. The
| roaring of flames filled my ears. dared
not jump tottered and fell.
A shock and rebound. I had fallen
| unhurt upon the blanket. I do not know
how got home. Perhaps tainted and
was carried. My mind is not clear as to
anything that happened until the next day
when>I got message from Alice.
/ was bruised and burnt, but must see
her. With the help Of a stick, I limped
slowly. to her temporary residence, the
home of our nea rest nefRhbOr. She re-