Year: 1870

f Peters was always clear and sensibl,
e Immediately after an epileptic attack
4 and, even in that terrible moment O.
e extremity, her heart rose up to Coo
e in thanksgiving for this. great mercy
4 The flames are almost upon us,
t she said, as she met his look of un
f coniprehending astonishment. ether,
2 is not a moment to lose. Take thi
lcord and lower yourself from tina


windo,y-=quickl' n s @


f "Who are you? How-how did J
come herc?" he gasped. a1


g 81 am Mrs. somers, the DOCTOR


wife. Never mind how you came
: here The house is on fire, and you
must save pdurself by leaving it
!, Take the rope; say, and go.
, He took iii obeying her tons d
command without any expostnlation.


until his foot was on the ledge of the
window. Then a dull thought of hcl
seemed to struggle through his brain.
"Yoo ought to CO." he said slowly.
you're a woman. You go first"


81 will go as soon as you have


reached the ground" she answered,


Don't waste time in considering me
l-go." .-.,.. .
/. She pushed him as she spoke, and


The next instant he was sliding down


the cord, as Rose had Sided before


him. Unfortunately, however, his


weight was much greater than that


OF the girl, and Just as he was half


way down, the cord broke and fell


with him, leaving only short frag-


ment dangling at the upper window.


He was not injured, 70 he had fallen
on bed of soft turf from n distance
of not more than six or eight feet !;


but as he fell there sounded in his
ears q low cry, the first and which


despair wrung from the woman watch


ing above, the woman whose only


hope of safety Was gone with that


rope.


He heard it, and, it stirred, all the
human heart that was left i'll him.
J lie was still entirely unable to COM
prehend how or what he was doing
there ; but all instinct told him that
this woman had surrendered her
chance of escape 10 him, and also
another instinct made him desire to
save her from tie frightful death that
was roaring and cracking above


He looked round, still half stupidity,
for q means TO do so but there was
none at hand. No tree grew near
The window, no vine clambered over
the house. no projecting ledge offered
foothold, and there seemed literally
no means of reaching her. Yet, if
| she was not reached in a few minutes,
succor would come too late, for al
ready volumes of black smoke were
pouring from the window, and every
moment he expected to see the vivid
flames leapforth, as they were doing
elsewhere. He rushed frantically
about, searching, he scarcely knew
for what-a ladder, rope, anything;
but searching vainly. He thought
of the staircase, but he had sense
enough to know that that was hope


less, since, even if he reached the up
per story, a gulf of fire would inter


,ene between him and her. He
stood still and looked at the window
from which her face had vanished,
and wrung his hands in wild despair


Nothing save a miracle could save
her now. Yet, bark he started and
listened as, borne forward on the
midnight air, there came loud cry
of ''lire !" the sound of many voices,
the tramp of many feet, the uproar
and tumult of numbers rushing from
the town down the high-road towards
the blazing house. 9til


On they came, pouring, as if by
magic, from every direction, leaping
over the pailings, dashing down the
fonces, filling the peaceful yard with
wild scene of commotion, us the
engine was brought up at galop and
wheeled into position. 40


Rose was in the van, and it was &C
cording to her directions that the first
ladder was fixed against the windsw,
from which she had descended. Yet,
after it was fixed, it seemed useless
risk TO ascend, for the room within
was surging sea of fire, and the
smoke and flames rushed blindingly
forth. If Mrs. Somers- was still There
she could not be alive. So the people
said, shaking their heads as they
spoke. and while they still hesitated
no man brave enough or rash
enough to throw away his life for
groundless hopeT-a dark figure
sprang forward and mounted the lad
der before their eyes


Who it was they did not know, but
they cheered him as he went up. and
when they saw him vault over the
window sill, and disappear in the
burning room, their shouts made the
midnight ring. Whoever he might
be, he was hero, they said; and
they watched with tense drawn breath
for sigh of his re-appearance. He
remained so long, however, that they
began to think he would not rcappcar
at all again-began to tell each other
that the attempt must end iii this way
and that it was madness and rasllness
to have tried it, when suddenly they
stopped to shout again with all their
might and main. For there he was
There he stood on the ledge of the
the window, with the lurid background |
behind him, and the forkel tongues.
of flames darling out toward him
there he stood looking grand and ma
jestic to the wondering eyes below,
with a woman's insensiblc' figure rest
ing on his arm.


They watched him breathleSsly, for
the trial of decent was low before
him. anf the while wall was burning
so rapidly tat the ladder might fall !
Mt any moment. He descended slow
", blrdencd apd exhausted, it SEEM
ed, but when he came within a few
feet of the ground, dozen strong
arms were ready to assist him. He