Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-11-17
By LAURA >lDA ROSS

I%:Js<s. st.i.s' - ga ) lat' :: i'll
II Copyright by American Press Assoc
!. = citation; 1911, -
. On one. Of the Vermont lakes there
is a house. :onet ends Of: which projects
over the water: Farmer Enoch, Dale
occupied the place with his family,
consisting Of his wife and children.
His Oldest daGghter, Daisy. was "a,
daisy indeed-stEaigbt. 'comely, and a
pleasant smile usually played about
her lips whenever she spoke. ~ :.
E, 1.-THE; only trouble about Daisy" said
her father to; his friend Hickson. lis
that she's egot a lover. tsl& don't like
him. Hes a good boy; but there Emo
sand! in him. Nobody will ever accuse
Dan Potter of Setting the lake 'ahre:'
IS. Pears to me, replied >Hie kson;
;that most gals at your 'darter's age
have a lover ;f.;they; can ;git> one. and
'as for Dan Potter. don't remember
you OF, i ever settin' the lake afre:" :.
''That may be-" responded Dale, but
Am not .goin' to give. Daisy; to xany'
body that isn't we'll fixed uohow." y><x.
!. One night Dam was*awakened}:by q
glare Of light shfning' inHat; his:,win-
dow, and raising himself on his ell
bow, he. looked out to see about IT.: It
was across the; lake and was, either
Farmer, ,Dale's or one Of two other
houses that, were built close together.
A. fame WAS just breaking out Of one
Of the upper. windows; =: III. ,::>t,,,;:.:<
The first thought that entered Dams;
head was that Farmer. Dale would be
burned to Il CHAR and he hoped he
would, The second Thought was that
Daisy might be burned, too, and this.
jumped him out Of bed. Hurryipg on
his clothes, he ran down: to: the water
edge, catching up pair Of oars as he
went. got into a; boat and started
across the lake. -, .,,:.:. -. j..
The distance was a. mile, the burning:
house not being directly opposite Dams
starting point. AS: be-: drew: near
enough to get his bearings he saw that
the house was Farmer Dafe's: The
light of the flames lit up the faces Of
persons standing about. "a line had
been formed to pass buckets Of water,
but the work had evidently been stop
ped by something appalling. The look
ers on were running about wildly to
no purpose, and Dan could see Farm
Dale with~several Of their
children about them, Wringing their
hands. Daisy was not there.
The explanation was this: When the
fire was discovered Farmer Dale took
the smaller children. his wife carrying
the youngest. and got them safely
downstairs and out Of the house. It
was only then that he thought OF
Daisy, who occupied a room in: that
part Of the house that. overhung the
lake: : .: IT,:
Dale went upstairs again, but the
fire; that had been caused by a de-
fective chimney running up through
the center Of the building. had ac-
quired such a Roadway at that point
that it cut him off from Daisy's room.
He ran downstairs and went about
frantically. vainly looking for some
way of reaching that portion OF the
house where Daisy slept 1t being an
extension over water prevented lad
der being raised. and the wind being
of the shore the flames and smoke
were blown so as to envelop the part
he wished to reach.
While the shore was lighted by the
flames Dan was in darkness and part
ly obscured by smoke He was igno-
rant that Daisy was supposed to be
still in the burning building, but he
knew very we'll where her room was
located. for he had often while out
on the lake seen white handkerchief
waving to him from her window.
Perhaps it was this that led him in
stinctively to pull in as near as posi-
BILE to the burning house. When be
came so near as to feel the heat he
turned the boat around and kept on
slowly backing in. Then above the
cracking, the roar and the shouts Of
those on the shore he heard cry. He
could see nothing for the smoke, but
be backed his boat in to within some
twenty yards OF the: house. Then he
heard a splash in front of him. and
he backed right in under fame and
smoke till within few feet Of the
house.
Suddenly something rose right up
out of the water beside him. he
seized itnand held garments. Pulling
the thing partly up out of the Water
he realized that he held: a human be-
ing. With difficulty he pulled the fg-
ure into the boat. and it lay limp In
the bottom. Then; taking up the oars.
be backed away from the heat and
smoke that bad become intoIerable. : -:
j, Reaching "a point where the light,
unobseured by: smoke. enabled him to
use his eyes: he saw that the figure In
his boat was woman in night
gown Turning up the xfacs. he e1-
e4almeo: >...:.: 80 :ft;,'! y:
i"Great heavens, ,S,paiSyE'' 49,: