The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-10-07

lie LOOK HeF MANU- W hN asiA Nf""PNs
ii IN friendly way.
"IY he repeated IN an altered tone.
why they call me 'pany Daniel
"pary Daniel" Frances was star
tied. "How absurd Of theml meant
your real name. she added.
Daniel Ford. he said dazcdly,
Good night. Mr. Ford" said Fran
ces. Mrs Twecdy is ringing the bell
so desperately | must so"
lie watched her cross the fields until
she disappeared ia the shadowy orch
ard.
That night Dafry Daniel startled
Pond village folks by coming TO prayer
meeting, a place he had avoided for
twenty years.
Perhaps he hoped the schoolteacher
would be there. Perhaps II was
sudden within. Anyway, old friends
nodded at him, and women smiled. and
the minister shook hands and called
him mir Ford"
Miss Blake did not go 10 prayer meet
ing. She sat alone In the sitting room
and corrected exercises until tho
Tweedys came home from the church.
Mrs. Tweedy was filed with mild ex-
| element
"Daffy Daniel was Mt meeting" she
announced as she sank into IA chair.
sls that an unusual eyentr' smiled
Miss Blake.
"once In twenty years. Kinder I'M
usual" remarked Abner dryly.
"It's queer calculated Mrs. Tweedy,
and then she went on TO tell about the
forthcoming fair and carnival which
was to be held In Firemen's hall.
"And the decorations are all Grape
paper and pink cheesecloth,' ended
Mrs Tweedy. Suppose II got atirer
THAT would be dreadful" shuddered
Miss Blake as she went up TO her room.
| That night the schoolteacher dream
ed that she attended the carnival In
Firemen's hall and that suddenly the
whole place was ablaze Some one
picked her up and bore her through
fire and smoke to cool safety,
And she opened her eyes and saw
that her heroic rescuer was Daffy Dan
Tel.
"Why," she had said to him In wild
surprise, you are mang
| And he had answered.:
"a man asleep. You have awakened
me-"
She continued to think OF Daniel
Ford far more often than was neces-
sary or required by mere pity for his
lonely condition.
She knew now that many Of his &C.
centricities were due to his habit or
living alone with his grief. She knew
that through systematic reading he had
educated himself above his neighbors.
Daffy Daniel was a gentleman and
scholar, and the attitude Of his neigh
bors was incomprehensible.
The night Of the carnival!
Firemen's hall was bower Of beau
ty, according to the Pondpoint Bugle.
"Flowers, festoons and fair femininity
crowded the Hoors,' 1t said enthusiasts
tically before 1t went on to describe
the tragedy that followed.
In the middle Of the festivities some
one cried Fire.
There was stampede for the single
exit, but u man impeded the way, big
man with arms stretched across the
doorway, who cried authoritatively;
zone at time, one at a time! Wo-
men and children first3'
The man was Daffy Daniel, who had
not attended festival In twenty years.
While the 1remen threw a feeble
stream on the fllmsy wooden structure
Daniel Ford kept the crowd from panic
until there remained a mere handful
of people, who, frightened ut the vol
umes Of smoke pouring up the stairs,
declined to go and huddled near the
windows.
Among these Frances Blake fingered,
encouraging, soothing and helping one
and another.
Then Daniel Ford suddenly broke
loose upon them, grasped woman In
his arms and rushed down the burning
stairs to safety.
Again and again he made the peril
Gus journey, until the room was In
flames and there remained only the
schooteacher, pale and calm.
Your he groaned. II must save
your
you have saved twenty lives or
more, Daniel Ford" she smiled at him.
"Thank Godr' he said reverently,
"those will atone for the lives ] could
not save twenty years ago.
AS he spoke the burning stairs fell
with q crash.
A cry of horror went up from tho
waiting crowd. III
Daniel Ford caught Frances In his
arms even as she had dreamed. @s
There i one c. Che WI! You trust
mer 800 fsF
Yes" she said. ~~-..,x, ..ssrsk a. n
A large window opened on the roof
Of the Square entrance porch The
corner Of the porch Jutted against the
trunk OF huge tree. af-~
| AL