The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-04-13
Through The Wall By CLEVELAND MOFFET1 Copyright. 1909. by D. Appleton
 a Co.
By CLEVELAND MOFFET'

E GCo4 -inued.1
 'sAlice, come nereI' he called. ''StanG zsheSe am. That's right. Now pu out your hand. Do you feel anything? ?
 sI feel draft,'' she said.
 As she spoke the humming sound strengthened, and with 1t the draf blew stronger.
 .sMerciful God" cried Coquenil in s flash of understanding tits blowerr
 NJ Paul turned his face upward and listened attentively. 'tNo doubt of it Its sucking through an air shaft uI there in the eeilfng.''
 ssI-I don't understand"
 s.He's forcing a draft from that room to this one. He has started blower I tell you, and''-
 ssWhat is 8 blower2" put in Alice.
 At her frightened tone Coqueni calmed himself and answered gently ssIt's like big electric fan. It's draw ing air out of this room very fast witE n suction. and Pm afraid unless''-
 Just then there came a sharp por followed by hfssing noise, as if som one were breathing in air through shu teeth. '"rhe blower has sucked ou one of our cloth plugs. There goes an othery' he said as the popping sound was repeated. "1And anothert It's al off with our barrieade, little girl"
 s1The fire may come through a lit tle," he told her comfortingly, s'but Come! We'll build another barricade You know wood is a bad conductor of heat, and-if you have wood al. about you and-over you, why, the fire can't burn you.'
 'sOhr' said Alice.
 ..WelI go over to this door as fan from the paesageway as we can get Now bring me logs from that side pile. That's right"
 Most of the smoke at first was borne upward by the blowers suction and Alice was able to help Coquenf; with the new barricade They built this directly in front of the iron door with only space enough between ii and the door to allow them to crouch behind it. They made it about i've feet long and three feet high,
 Lie down there.'' he directed Stretch right out behind the logs and keep your mouth close to the floor and as near as you can to the crack under the door. You'll have plenty of cool sweet air. Now I'll fix roof over this thing Just shut your eyes and rest. Understand, little friend P
 sYe-es,' faintly.
 He turned toward the barricade and saw that the flames were licking their way through the wall of logs. The heat was becoming unbearabIe. Go quenil crawled in behind the shelter of logs and crouched down beside the girl. She was quite unconscious now but was breathing peacefully, smiling 1y, with face flushed and red lips parted Suddenly there was a crumblfng o1 logs at the passageway, and the cham Der became light as day while blast eof heat swept over them Coquenil looked out around the end of the sheL ter and saw flames yard long shoot. ing toward them through widening breaches in the logs.
 Then he thought of his mother She would know that her boy had fallen in a good cause, as his father had fallen Alice stirred uneasily and opened her eyes. Then she sat up quickly and there was something in her face zCoqueIil had never seen there, some thing he had never seen in any face She cried: You have taken my beautiful dolly. Poor little Esmeralda. You threw her up on that shelf. Will lie-yes, you did.''
 
 it, she slipped out from behind the shelter and stood up in the fire bound chamber.
 Come backg' he cried, reaching aft CT her, but the girl evaded him.
 There it is, on that shelf,'' she went on positively, and, following her fin. ger, Coquenil saw, what he had not noticed before, massive stone shelf jutting out from the wall just over the wood pile. '.You must get my dolly" she ordered
 HCertainly, I'll, get it,'' soothfngly.
 She stamped her foot in displeasure "I don't like this place. She caught Coquenils hand. 'sWe'n go out where the fairies ase That's Q much nicer place to play, Wil1fe.''
 Here there came to M. Paul an urg. ing of mysterious guidance, as if an inward voice had spoken to him and