Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1918-01-18


shelter of some trees and stood there
motionless. His eyes were fixed on the
window of the only one of the
upper rooms which had light in it.
1t was that of Aunt Cordelia. She
came to the window in full view and
pulled down the shade. The watcher
uttered deep sigh. Now he retreated
towards the hut and sat down on a
snow hummock.
They have all gone TO bed,n he
soliloquized. tits safe for me to ven
turs. She has left the window up from
the bottom a few inches for ventila-
ton, and the space ia big enough to
pass the letter through"
The man now removes the robe from
his shoulders, thrust it out of view in
side the snow hut and took from his
pocket sealed envelope. This he
placed between his teeth, approaches
the house and began a hand-over-hand,
careful and noiseless ascent of a broad
trellis which very nearly traversed the
entire side of the house. Inch by inch
he clambered, until his face was oppo-
site the open window space. He freed
one hand to remove the letter from his
teeth and slipped it through the aper-
ture.
The stranger was about to descend
when a sudden glow crossed his face.
1t died down. then suddenly it flared
up more brilliantly than before. Curl
Gus, and at the same time somewhat
startled, the man threw back his head
TO obtain a clearer range of vision. 1t
was to discover a heap of rubbish in
the stOreroom which Aunt Cordelia had
visited two hours previous bursting in
to a blaze.
The man was deft and agile. He
rapidly marked a course sideways to-
wards the window of the lumber ROOM
The smoldering and blazing heaps In
the apartment told him that here was
no casual problem TO deal with. He
braced his feet as he got directly OPP
posite the window. He could not lift
the sash from the outside.
Fire! Fire! Fire - he yelled at the
top of his voice, intent on arousing the
sleeping inmates of the house. Then
he gave his body "a forcible, forward
lurch. 1t impelled him through the
lower frame of the window with a
heavy crash, carrying the splintered
sash with him.
The man landed on the floor inside
amid a shower of putty, glass and
wood. He was speedily on his feet.
He kept up his shouting, but doubly
active the while. Some smoking bits
of carpet he lifted and flung through
the window out upon the snow-covered
ground. A mass of old papers and
magazines the stuff had covered burst
forth into vivid flame. He was
scorched, half blinded, breathless, but
he kept on throwing out the blazing
rubbish about him.
Now he wavered and uttered chOk
ing gasps. He felt that the smoke, Gin
ders and heat were about to overcome
him. He was about to abandon the I'M
equal battle when he noticed two tin
jacketed cans, the outside of which
were smoking and shooting out spas
modic streaks of flame.
Kerosene, gasoline !" he painted des-
perately, and dashed at them. One
after the other they hurtled through
the window. Then a great blaze of
light outside and an echOing explosion.
The brave fire-fghter staggered to-
wards the door. He threw the weight
of his powerful frame against 1t. The
door gave way. He went with it pros
trate in the hall, and over him, attract.
ed to the spot by his warning cries and
the accompanying commotion, stun
bled Mr.. Porter.
Then the calls of the latter brought
all hands under the roof to the scene.
It was an exciting five minutes, while
Mr. Porter beat out the flames and the
other members of the household
brought water and dashed it on the dy-
ing embers.
Mr.. Porter carried the insensible
man on his shoulders into q vacant
bedroom. AT glance he saw that this
incidental saver of his property, and
probably of life, was seriously burned.
Buddy hurried on his clothes and ran
for a doctor.
1t was daylight when Aunt Cordelia
found the letter lying on the floor of
her room. She opened 1t to regard its
contents with dilating eyes and a
quickly paling face. A romance five
years dead, the details of which she
had never impaired to a single soul,
was revived with a strangeness and
force that made her sway to the point
of fainting.
81 am all through with the drink"
it read. 81 am a changed man, have
made my way in the world and am
driven TO see you, if only at a distance,
once more. OF course you have long
since forgotten me, but if my peni-
tence and my redemption appeal to
you in the slightest degree send me a
single line to the address l give and l
will hasten to see you openly
What her answer would be, the
glowing eyes, the kiss she bestowed
upon those cherished written lines, her
tears, presaged clearly. She was
called hv har brother into the hall