Year: 1868




of the window, came running down to
the door calling to the servants to fol-
low her, and taking up Nan in her
own arms carried her in and laid her
upon bed.


With care and patience they pres
emily revived her, but she was so fe-
verish and excited with the fright and
pain that Mrs. Vale would not hear
of her being carried home that night,
but kept both her and Mrs. Billings.
and sent a boy down to the little
cottage to wait till Jacobs return and
tell him that his mother would not be
home that night. The boy went, and
as Jacob did not appear, and as he
was pretty tired, he lay down upon
the seat in the little porch, and slept
very comfortable there until morning.


Ten o'clock struck, and at the sound
out went the last light in Square
Wales orderly house, and the Squire
himself went last to bed. Ten min
utes later, a great cloud of smoke, and
then, flashing, Pickering flame, and then
a steady stream of. fire rose all at
once from the great hay barn, and then
from the straw shed, and finally from
beneath the wooden steps at the front
and back Of the house. By the time
the sleepy household were aroused to
the full sense Of the danger that was
upon them, everything was in a blaze
and burning in the hot dry air of the
summer night with frightful rapidity.
Hardly anything was saved beyond |
the lives of the inmates and few box
es of paper and valuableS in the
Squire's study. After a little while |
they gave over the attempt to do any
thing, and stood out in the yard in
front of the house looking on at the
destruction, dismally enough ofcourse.
But while they looked, a window in
the upper part Of the house was
thrown open, and a wOman's white
CHASTITY face looked out. while Mrs.
Vale shrieked.


Good heavens! That woman and
child They have been forgotten, and
now it is too late p


"Too late! Little Nan ?" shouted.
almost screamed Eugene, who stood
close beside her, and without another
word he darted in at the open door
and up the burning stairs, and disap-
peared In what seemed nothing less
than a sea Of roaring flame One
great cry went up from all who saw
him, but high above it was his mothers
as she fell fainting to the ground


The next sound was the Squire's
voice calling upon the men to aid him
+. 10 = ---, go.
that of the woman and child he had
wished himself to save, and offering
great rewards to those who should
succeed in rescuing them. Not that
[ believe the reward made any differ
ence, for all were ready to do their
best without it, and no one whether
man or chimney-elf, can do more
But before any one could find time or
wit to do anything more than talk, a
brave voice from the window called
out:


"All right! Stand by to catch her
some Of you"


! Then Eugene appeared at the win
dow conveying great bundle bound
around with strips of sheets and tow
els tied together until they made a
rope nearly long enough to reach the
ground


Quick now! Cut off the rope and
let me have it for the woman. Moth
er, see to little Nan there in the bun
die !"


So little Nan, safe and sound, was
taken out of the comforter she had
been placed in, and Mrs. Vale sat
down On the grass and took her in her
arms and cried over her as if she had
been her own, all the time keeping
her eyes fixed on the window where
Eugene now stood with poor Mrs. Bill
! lings, who, white and trembling and
scared, could hardly be pursuaded to
even let him tie the rope around her
waist At last, however, partly by
coaxing and partly by main strength,
he succeeded in getting her outside Of
the window, and then putting forth
his whole strength, he lowered her
gently and safely to the ground.


"She's safe, and the ropes clear
Now fasten it and come down your
self!' shouted the Squire in a tremb,
ling voice, for the boy was the apple
Of his fathers eye; and proud as he
was of his courage, he could hardly
wait to let him finish his work before
be summoned him out of his danger.
''All right, father. Ive"-began
the boy, and at that moment the floor
gave way under his feet, and he dis
appeared from the window where the
flames came rushing out instead.
With an awful groan the father
rushed forward, but was passed half
,, way by light boyish figure, who flew
rather than ran from behind a great
tree where he had been hiding, plung-
ed through the chasm left by the door
, now burned away, and disappeared
in that roaring, frightful furnace
y where deadly jaws seemed gaping for
t more food, more lives.


But the next moment that light ac-
e tive figure appeared staggering out


again, this time with the senseless
. form of Eugene Vale in his arms, his
| face and arms wrapped in the coat his
!, preserver had hastily stripped off his


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