The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-09-09
IN THE
TWILIGHT
BY GEORGE E. COBB

Burton found himself, and after its
| climax the details of the peculiar en-
vironment impressed themselves upon
his mind during all his life.
He had entered an upper floor OF n
large mercantile building and was
busy adjusting a disputed account
with the cashier of wholesale Tnil-
linery firm, when there rang out The
echoing ominous cry of:
"Fire !"
In an instant all was alarm and CON
fusion Shouts above and below in
creased and dense smoke filled the
building. There was a rush for the
windows and fire escapes and Burton
was hustled about in the vortex Of
madly crOwdng men and shrieking
women and girls. He ran into ball
way to find that the elevators had
stopped running, the stairway Inn
pasSable.
He noted the figure of a woman
rushing back from the suffocating
smoke into large room. He followed
1her, thinking she might be more ia
miliar with the structure than him
self. He saw her lift up the sash Of
a broad window looking out upon the
street She strained her gaze below
and then sprang to the SILL amid her
terror designing a leap to destruction.
Don't think of that" cried Burton.
reaching her side and drawing her
back from the abyss she so desperate
~ courted. "See! Escape is impossible
that way"
Wylie Burton thrilled. She was a
young woman past twenty with dell
cate refined face, presenting rather
soulfulness than mere beauty. 1t was
the helpless appealing expression of
her eyes that somehow lifted his
thoughts beyond fear or danger. She
spoke not, amid perfect trustfulress.
Her eyes quivered, dropped, and, as If
reading in his own power strength.
sacrifice, with a gentle sigh she drew
closer to his protecting arm and buried
her face at his breast like a frightened
child shutting out some dread-inspir-
ing spectacle
A sense Of power, patience, her0ism
caused Wylie Burton to feel that the
charge of precious human life was
his. He glanced past the window sill.
The street below was a chaos of fire
engines, scaling ladders and surging
mass Of humanity. He freed one hand
and waved it, shouting wildly. There
came a responsive call and he knew
that he was seen. Then he pityingly,
almost tenderly, gazed down at the
fair head pilowed 50 trustingy on his
breast. The girls hands casped his
shoulders, but the terror had died ont
and she was calm, resigned, in his
companionship appearing to feel that
he was her refuge of hope and secur-
| ity. A great breath of relief swept
Burton's lips as the top of a ladder
from below shattered a great pane of
glass.
"They are coming to our rescue"
he spoke SOOthingly. Fearless eyes
met his own her lips quivered as IL
eager to frame some message of graft
tude then they grazed his cheek, only
once, softly, tenderly, and it seemed
to him he would brave any peril to
continue to hold that clingng form
in his embrace.
A helmeted fireman appeared and
lifted the girl through the sashless
aperture Tie instructed Burton ~
wait until they were near the ground
and then make his own descent. There
was but one thought in the mind of
the latter-Of the being he had met,
loved as in a hypnotic flash, and part
ed from all within a few moments.
She had disappeared in the crowd,
however, and inquiry then and for
days succeeding failed to establish her
whereabouts or identity.
| "She was probably some country
buyer" surmised one of the statesmen,
"and was caught in the fire before she
had made any purchases
At the end Of a year Wylie Burton
was still impressed with the recollec-
| ton Of the girl of the terrible yet
precious, vital moments when he ex-
pected to perish with her.
His business took him half way
across the state several times a year.
and because train service was poor he
! had started to walk from Wolyerton
to Espay, towns only four miles apart
| He had accomplished over half the dis
lance when he came upon a farmers
lad seated on a log and holding
bandboy on his knees.
"Oh, say, mlster!" he spoke. "You
aren't going to Espay, are yOu?"
"Why. yes" aSSented Burton.
"Well, maybe you can do something
for me. See this bandbox? Well, 1t
holds a lady's hat. l found 1t by the
roadside where 1t had probably fallen
from some automobile. This label on
! It shows that It came from Miss For
Sythe's millinery store at Espay
Would you mind delivering It there?"
81 viii be glad to- replied Burton,
ana started on his way with It TO
locate neat little millinery establish
ment 1t was just getting on toward
dusk. In the twilight haze lady ap-
preached as he entered.
IL have brought some property
which think came from here" he be-
| gan, and paused.
And she, too, In utter silence they
stood, two souls lowering upon the
brink of marvellous revelation. For
year her picture only had filed his
mind for year every waking hour