Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-14
I'll let you know If !

hOck were standing by themselves on
a neighboring stoop, and to them the
searcher turned eagerly.
There was the most likely place, and
John Baxter was not there. Certainly
every citizen in Orham who was able
to crawl would be out this night, and
il tbs old Puritan hermit of the big
house was not present to exult over the
downfall of the wicked it would be be-
cause he was I'll or because The
captain didn't like to think Of the other
reason.
Mrs. Web Saunders, quietly weeping,
was seated on knoll near the pump.
Three of the Saunders hopefuls, also
weeping, but not quietly. were seated
beside her. Another, the youngest of
the family, was being rocked soothing
~ in the arms of stout female, who
was singing to it as placidly as though
fires were an every day or night oc4
currence. The captain peered down,
and the stout woman looked up.
"Why, Mrs. Snow!' exclaimed Cap
tain Fri.
The lady from Nantucket made no
immediate reply. She rose, however,
shook down the black alpaca skirt
which had been folded up to keep it
out of the dew, and, still humming
softly to the child. walked off little
way, motioning with her head for the
captain to follow. When she had
reached spot sufficiently remote from
Mrs. Saunders, she whispered:
How dye do, Cap'n Hedge?
guess the wust is over now, isn't it? 1
saw you workin' with them ropes.
You must be awful tired
"How long have you been here?"
asked the captain, somewhat aston
ished at her calmness.
ooh, come right down as soon as
I heard the bell. Ssh'h, dearie," to the
baby. There, there, it's all right
Lay STILL"
How'd you git acquainted with
herr" nodding toward the wife Of the
proprietor of the scorched saloon.
"Oh, I see the poor thing settin' there
with all them children and nobody
payin' much attention to her, so I
went over and asked If I couldn't help
out. haven't got any children Of my
own, but / was number three in a
family Of fourteen, so know how it's
/ done. Oh, that husband of hers? He's
nice one, he is! Would you b'lieve
it, he come along and she spoke to
him, and he swore at her somethin'
dreadful. That's why she's cryin'.
Poor critter, guess by the looks she's
used to it. Well, give him a piece of
my mind. He went away with a flea
in his ear. I do despise profane
man above all things. Yes, the baby's
all right, Mrs. Saunders. I'm a-comin'.
Good night, Cap'n Hedge s'pose
shall see you all in the mornin'. You
ought to be careful and not stand still
much this damp night. It's bad when
you're het up So"
She went back, still singing to the
baby, to where Mrs. Saunders sat, and
the captain looked after her in kind
Of amazed fashion.
"By mightyg' he muttered, and then
} repeated it. Then he resumed his
search.
crowd was busily working to save
| Mr.. Saunders property. A dozen OF
the members had turned the biggest
pool table over on its back and were
unscrewing the legs, needless of the
fact that to attempt to get the table
, through the front door was an impossi
| bility and that, as the back door was
in the thickest Of the fire, it, too, wa:
Z out Of the question. A man appeared
: ut the open front window Of the sec
ond story with his arms filed with bot
ties of various liquids, Original pack
[ ages" and others. These with fever
, 1sh energy he threw one by one int
| the street, endangering the lives of ev
, cry one in range and, Of course, break
, ing every bottle thrown. Some one o.
; the cooler heads calling his attention
to these facts, he retired and carefully
, packed all the empty bottles, the only
/ ones remaining, into a peach baske
> and tugged the latter downstairs ant
| to safe place on neighboring piazza
, Then he rested from his labors as ont
J who had done all that might reason
ably be expected.
Mr.. Saunders himself, lightly attiret
. in nightshirt tucked into a pair o
, trousers, was rushing here and there
, now loudly demanding more water ant
then stopping to swear at the bottl
!. thrower or some other enthusiast
> Webs smoothness was all gone, ant
! the language he used was, as Abigail
= Mullett said afterward, enough t
! bring down a Judgment on anybody"
Captain Fri caught him by the Slew
+ as he was running past and inquired
"How'd it start, WEBB"
4 How'd it start? I know might,
o well how it started, and fore gi
4 through I'll know who started ii
q Somebody III pay for this. now yo1
. hear me! Hurry up with the water
!. you
He tore frantically away to tn
n pump and the three captains joine'
the crowd of volunteer firemen. Car
d tain Fri, running round to the back o
fHn h,1s1I %~@ ", h. r,t% =,