The Whitefish pilot. [volume] (Whitefish, Mont.) 1904-current, 1911-10-19

Ac NAu uot rue past the NtN'Or cot |
tage. Instead. he turned to the left |
and took the long way around. He
would have stayed at home that day |
SO as to have shown Alice that he did |
not care to go unless she accompanied !
him, but he had been appointed one |
OF the judges of the races. so he could |
not very well refuse. He hoped Alice
would hear Of it and understand.
His mother watched him drive
around the long road, and she under. |
stood. and for the first time there came
into her heart doubt of her own wis
dom. Martha Fame had always been
SUFFICIENT unto herself and her family
Her son Henry was different from the
meek husband who had died and the
submissive daughters who had mar.
ried and gone away. Henry had a
dominant spirit of his own. but she
had exacted his promise not to marry
without her consent. and then after his
engagement to Alice Secor had been
an accepted fact for three years she
had set her face against It.
She was jealous Of the girl and Of
Henry's devotion to her. So she had
made family pride and money the We
hfcle of her dispIeasure. and after
awhile. when she had explained her
views to Alice herself, the engage
ment was broken OF. She wondered
now II she was any happier. True, she
had her son all to herself. and he had
0a3nnC<00u hn ANIL
marry nobody else. But he was
changed from the happy young man
OF three months ago, and In his seri.
Gus. brooding face she read bitterness
and sorrow. She was afraid. and she
was ashamed. and yet she did not
know how to make amends. Perhaps
It would come out all right. she argued,
although she had doubts. for the Sc
c0rs were proud, too, and would never
make the first advances.
Dusk was falling when Henry drove
into the yard again.
After Henry had eaten his supper
he went with his mother to the high
hill back of the barn to watch the dis
play of rockets from all around the
valley.
They roared up into the armament.
broke into rainbow showers Of stars
or sent streamers of red fire down to
earth with their dropping sticks.
''That one fell on the barn. Henry!'
cried Martha suddenly. Il wish I'd
let you renew the insurance on it as
you wanted to. but-there, guess it's
gone out. Oh. look Henry: it's awful
like Judgment" She pointed upward
where by a strange freak Of circum.
stances six great skyrockets, like blaz-
ing comets, tore toward the zenith
from all points of the compass. Just
above the Fame house and barns they
poised an instant and then broke al
together in a fiery rain that fell on tn,
Fame farm buildings like heaven SEM
disaster.
"Oh. Henry. that was awful" cried
Martha, almost hysterical with fear
1--WE better get down to the house and
see that everything's all right. l wist
I'd let you renew the insurance"
Henry spoke not word as they hur
ried down the slope. When they reach
ed the barnyard the barn was afire In
a dozen places where the cinders had
ignited the dry shingles. While Mar
tina dew to telephone to the hose com
I pany Henry tore open the barn doors
and led the frightened stock into the
pastures. Then he rolled the carriages
to place of safety. threw canvas
cover over them and turned to the
house.
Through the dormer window Of TIL,
attic there glowed q red light. and {
little tongue Of fame licked the roof
He called his mother. and they worked
frantically to remove their choicest
possessions from the house. for ther.
was nothing else to do until help came
from the village. Suddenly Mrs. Seco
and Alice appeared and worked side
by side with the mother and son.
When the hose company came i
brought half of Little River with it
and before long the house was denud
ed Of its contents while the fire burn
ed slowly downward. checked little BY
little by the streams of water pumped
from the artesian we'll.
The three women. Martha Fame. Mrs
Secor and Alice. huddled in one cor
ner of the yard. Somehow or othel
their arms had become interlaced. ant
once Martha Fanes quivering lips hat
pressed against Alice's dark hair.
Its judgment on me for beint
proud" she moaned continually.
Long after midnight the fight ceased
The barn lay heap of smolderinl
ruins. The house was Quilted by thu
devastating fire. and the household fur
niture of careful Martha Fame wa.
heaped about the yard.
Henry came and placed his arm
around his mother. II guess we'r,
poor enough now. Henry" she sobbet
mot penny of insurance on any
thing and not place to lay my head.
Mrs. SecOr took her arm and gent,
led her toward her own house. "pOO