Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-02-16
CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER v.
ia n Mss CAREWE was at her desk
IVA writing to Sister Cecilia
fESy1| whom she most loved of all
49, the world, when the bells
startled her with their sudden clangor
The quill dropped from her hand, she
started to her feet, wide eyed, not un-
Outstanding, while the whole town
browsing peacefully moment ago, re.
sounded Immediately with loud con.
rusion She ran to the front door and
looked out, her heart beating wildly.
The western sky was touched with a
soft rose color, which quickly became a
warm glow, fluctuating, and in the
instant shot up like the coming of a
full aurora. Then through the broken
foliage of the treetops could be seen
the orange curls of fame, thres-ouar-
tiers of mile away though they were.
People calling loudly that ut was
Carewe's warehouses" We're running
down the street. From the stable old
Nelson on her fathers best horse came
galloping and, seeing the white figure
In the doorway, cried out In a uuayer-
ing voice without checking his steed:
Il goin' to tell yo' pa, Miss Betty.
de In de kentry on lam business. Go
back in de house, Missy!
The other servants, like ragged
sketches in the night, fitted by with
excited calculations to join the run
ners, and Miss Betty followed them
across the dew strewn turf in her liqht
slippers, but at the gate she stopped.
From up the street came the sound
OF bell smaller than those Of the
churches and courthouse, yet one that
outdid all others in the madness of it's
appeal to clear the way. It was borne
along by what seemed at first an In
definite black mass, but which-as the
aurora grew keener, producing even
here faint yellow twilight-resolved
itself into a mob Of hoarsely shouting
men and boys, who were running and
tugging at ropes which drew along
three extraordinary vehicles. They
came rapidly down the street and
passed Miss Betty with hubbub and
din beyond all understanding-one line
of men, most Of them in red shirts and
oilcloth helmets, at dead run with the
hose cart, second with the hand en-
CINE, the third dragging the ladder
wagon. One man was riding, a tall,
straight gentleman in evening clothes
and without hat, who stood precari-
ously in the hose cart calling in an an
noyed tone through brazen trumpet.
Miss Betty recognized him at once. 1t
was he who caught her kitten, and she
thought that If she had been Fanchon
Bareaud she must have screamed a
warning, for his balance appeared q
thing of mere luck, and If he fell he
would be trampled under foot and
probably run over by the engine. But
happily, she remembered, she was not
Fanchon Bareaud.
Before, behind and beside the depart
nent raced throng Of boys, wild with
the JOY experienced by their species
when property Is being handsomely de-
stroyed. After them came painting wo-
men, holding their sides and gasping
with the effort to keep up with the fly-
Ing procession.
Miss Betty trembled, for she had new
er seen the like in her life. She stood
close to the hedge and let them go by.
Then she turned in after them and ran
like fleet young deer. She was going
to the fire.
Over all the uproar could be heard
the angry voice through the trumpet
calling the turns of the streets to the
men in vain, upbraiding them and
those of the other two companies i'm
partially, and few of his hearers denied
the chief his right to express some cha
grin. since the department, organized a