Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-02-23
Copyright. 1909. by $. $. Mcclure Co.
CHAPTER VII.

| L =
| I(4$Ss59l Apache could wish to dwell
Ssz.:.e9 upon the state Of mind of the
chief Of the Rouen volunteer fire de-
partment; therefore let the curtain of
mercy descend. Without word he
turned and dragged the nozzle to the
eastern caves, whence, after warning
gesture to those below, he dropped it
to the ground, and, out of compassion.
II Should be little more than limited that
the gesture of warning was very slight.
When the rescued band reached the
foot of the last flight Of stairs they be-
held the open doorway as frame for
a great press of intent and contorted
races, every eye still strained to watch
the roof, none of the narrowed specta-
tors comprehending the appearance Of
the girls figure there. nor able to see
whittier she had led the five young men,
until Tappingham Marsh raised shout
as he leaped out Of the door and danced
upon the solid earth again.
Then, indeed, there was mighty up
roar. Cheer after cheer assembled to the
red vault of heaven. Women wept,
men whooped and the people rushed
for the heroes with wide open. welcom-
Ing arms. Jefferson Rareaud and
Frank Chenoweth and General Trum-
Bile dashed at Tom Vanrevel with inco.
herent cries of thanksgiving, shaking
his hands and beating him Historically
upon the back. He greeted them with
bitter laughter
Help get the water into the next
warehouse. This one is beyond con-
troll, but we can save the other two.
Take the lines in-through the door,"
lie brushed the rejoicing friends off
abruptly, and went on in queer. hol-
low voice: There are stairs-and Pm
so sorry didn't think Of 1t until mo-
ment ago, because you could have
brought the water up that wayw
A remarkable case of desertion had
occurred the previous instant under his
eyes. AS the party emerged from the
warehouse into the street Tom heard
Crailey say hurriedly to Miss Carewe:
LET me get you away-come quickly!'
saw him suddenly seize her hand and,
eluding the onrushing crowd, run with
her round the corner of the building,
And somehow, through what inspira-
ton or through what knowledge of his
partners Temperament" heaven knows,
the prophetic soul of the chief was I'M
happily assured that Crailey would Of
fer himself as escort to her home and
find acceptance. But why not? Was it
Crailey who had publicly called his fel:
low man fool, idiot, ilnbecile, at the
! top of his lungs only to find himself
| the proven numskull of the universe,
Tom stood for moment staring after
the vanishing pair, while over his face
stole the strangest expression that ever
man saw there then, with meekly
bowed shoulders, he turned again to
bis work.
AT the corner of the warehouse Miss
/ Carewe detached her hand from Graf
ley's, yet still followed him as he made
q quick detour round the next building.
| A minute OF two later they found
themselves, undetected, upon Main
street in the rear Of the crowd. There
! Cralley paused.
"Forgive me-" he said breathlessly,
"for taking your hand. thought you
would like to get away"
She regarded him gravely, so that he
found it difficult to read her look, ex-
cept that 1t was seriously questioning,
but whether the interrogation was adj
dressed to him or to herself he could
not determine. After silence she
said:
II don't know why followed you.
l believe it must have been because
you didn't give me time to think"
This, Of course, made him even quick
err with her than before. Its all
over" he said briskly. 1.-THE first ware
house is gone, the second will 60, but
they'll save the others easily enough
now that you have pointed out that
the lines may be utilized otherwise
than as adjuncts Of performances on
the high trapeze." They were stand
ing by a picket fence, and he leaned
| against 1t, overcome by mirth In which
she did not join. Her gravity reacted
upon him at once, and his laughter was
stopped short. "Will you not accept
me as an escort to your homer he said
formally.
/ II do not know" she returned sim
ply, the sort Of honest trouble In her
glance that is seen only in very young
eyes.
what reason in the world?" he re-
turned, with crafty sharpness Of as
constituent.
| She continued to gaze upon him
thoughtfully, while he tried to look into
her eyes, but was bafled because the
radiant beams from the lady's orbs, as
the elder Chenoweth might have said,
rested somewhere dangerously near his
chin, which worried him, for, though
his chin made no retreat and was far
from i'll looking, 1t was nevertheless
that feature which he most distrusted.
won't you tell me why not?" he re-
peated uneasily.
\ Because" she answered at last,
speaking Observation-Disclosures 1t isn't
so easy matter for me as you seem to
think. You have not been introduced
to me, and l know you never will be-
and that what you told me was true"
(Which part Of what I told your
The question escaped from him in.
stanter.
THAT the others might come when
they liked, but that you could not"
"Oh. yes, yes" His expression al.
tered to a sincere detection. his shout.
ders dropped and his voice indicated
supreme annoyance. 81 might have