Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-10-06
DAILY SHORT STORY
HER NECKLACE.

stroke on the town bell. He listened
and counted two strokes, then pause,
then five strokes more. Being familiar
with the fire alarm code, Bob knew
that district % included the home OF
Deacon Chase, and as there were but
half a dozen houses in the district the
deacon's might be the one for which
the alarm was sounded.
Now, Bob's relations with Deacon
Chase were somewhat strained. Bob
was in love with Ida. the deacon'S
daughter, and, being wild. he was not
an accepta able suitor. He was bright
fellow and only needed to settle down
TO take a good stand in the world. But
the deacon was not assured that he
would ever settle down and was not to
be blamed for being unwilling TO COM
nit his daughter to so graceless
scamp. Bob had that very afternoon
been forbidden the house.
Be this as it may, the young man
threw off the bedclotheS and. throwing
on his body clothes, sailed forth TO the
fire He had not gone far before he
discovered that, true enough, the dea-
cons house was burning. Fearful that
Ida might be in danger, he ran till he
came TO the house and was treasured
at seeing her in the front yard with the
others. But just as he was about to
enter the gate he heard her eXclaim,
MY necklace And she dashed in at
the front door before any one could
stop her.
The necklace was of coral and not
intrinsically valuable. Bob had given
il to her and when he saw her run in
to almost certain death to save it his
love famed like the burning building.
He dashed in after her.
The crowd without stopped passing
water and looked on appalled,. The
whole of the house above the second
story was burning. and the two had no
sooner had time to mount the stairs
than the roof over the front fell. That
was the last seen by the crowd of Bob
and Ida. and no one doubted that they
had perished
The house faced west, and the wind
was from the same quarter. Behind,
not more than a hundred yards from
the back door, ran the river. Ida, too
much excited to heed the smoke that
stood in her way, dashed for her room
at the rear, grasped her necklace on
the bureau and, turning. saw Bob.
Without q word he drew her to the
front staircase, but found It roaring
with fame. There were no rear stairs,
so he took Ida to q window. The smoke
was so thick that he could not see the
ground, but, going back TO Ida's bed
room, he took off the blankets from the
81 f,-;n Af hnr
made rope of the rest and let her
TO the ground. Then, tying the end of
his rope to a bed Stat and putting it
crosswise against the window, he let
himself down.
Where they stood sheltered by the
lower part of the building they were
momentarily safe, the smoke and Gin
ders forming q Semicircle about them
above the ground. But Bob knew they
could not remain there long, so, bun
ding Ida in the blanket to keep her
clothes from igniting. he took her up
in his arms and ran with her toward
the river, intending To escape the heat,
smoke and cinders by getting into the
water But on reaching the bank he
found skiff. Without stopping to look
for oars he put his burden in, Embossed
the painter, showed off and jumped in
himself
The current soon carried them be-
yond danger. The boat was seen from
the shore. but no one dreamed that
those in it were the lost ones The low
erS were obliged TO drift with the cur
rent. not having anything with which
even to guide the boat.
shore as soon as possible, find parsOn
and be married, but Ida could not
bring herself to marry without her
fathers consent, and Bob shrank from
what seemed TO him 10 be taking an
advantage Of both father and daughter.
1t was near morning when they passed
through some reeds. and Bob, catching
hold of them, succeeded in rawing the
boat TO shore.
Surprising that they had been seen in
their escape, they did not hurry to re-
turn, stopping at a farmhouse for
breakfast. After breakfast the farmer
harneSsed his horses and drove them
home. AS they approached, a gang of
men were at work on the debris of the
burned building hunting for their
corpses. while Deacon Chase stood rue
fully by looking on. His back was
turned 10 the road and lie did not see
the party coming. Ida, who did not
know of the melancholy hunt they
were engaged in, sang out:
Father, saved my necklace"
The deacon turned, saw his daughter,
tottered. gathered his faculties. Ida
gave a bound and the two were locked
in each others arms.
After a brief explanation the deacon
got into the wagon, pressing Bob's
hand as he did so, and they were
driven to the temporary abode of the
family. where a similar surprise was
In store for the mother and sisters. |
Then, when IL was all over. Bob, with /
assumed modesty, Withdrawing. said:
Il beg your pardon. deacon. l have |