Cottage Grove leader., December 04, 1908, Page 9, Image 13

“ Flam es from A sh es”
For an hour they retreated before the not worked long when further effort was
flames, battling their way inch by inch. rendered unnecessary by a sudden passing
But they were steadily reducing the shower which effectively dampened the
breadth of the front they bad to fight and dead leaves; and the fire which Mary had
getting nearer to the spring which would kindled was a thing of the past, save for
the smoldering ruins which marked the
prove their ally.
“Oil! Dick!” Mary suddenly exclaimed. spot where, late the Burton home had
stood.
»
“The fire is spreading over your field I"
Dick, with his teeth set. was whacking
The shower brought another necessity—
away at the fire and as before, he made that of hastily carrying into the barn the
no answer.
rescued goods which had been dumped
“Dick!” Mary cried again. “Go home helter-skelter upon the ground. The work
and save your own house.”
was soon accomplished, for the amount
“Bring out two pails,” Dick command­ saved was not large. Then, in utter wear­
ed. “We can carry water now.”
iness, they sat down within the shelter
“But Dick! your own house will catch of the barn and gazed at the smoking ruin
in a few minutes.”
before them.
“Unless you want both houses burned
Mary, who had been too full of excite­
down you will fetch the two nails!” was ment and occupation before, now found
the rejoinder, between whacks of the time to begin to cry. Covering her face
shovel.
with her hands she bent her head and
“Let my house g o ! I t s all my fau lt!’’ sobbed aloud.
Mary wailed. “Go and save your own!”
“Never mind, Mary,” said Dick, speak­
“Will you get the pails?” Dick demand­ ing kindly for the first time. “It was all
ed, with a mighty emphasis on the first an accident and can’t be helped now.”
word.
“Oh! Dick'" Mary sobbed, “you are too
Man- departed on the run and soon re­ good, too kind. I have acted dreadfully,
turned with the pails and with these the and o h ! it’s too bad. too bad!"
fire was soon checked.
Dick looked steadily at the ruins of the
“Now run in the house before you catch house in which were bound up the recol­
your death of cold!” Dick commanded, lections of a lifetime and could not trust
turning to go.
himself to speak.
“I’ll go and help save your house!"
“I will pay you for all this.” Mary said.
Mary responded hopefully.
“Of course, I can’t restore the old home,
“Can’t be done!” Diek responded short­ but I can pay all the money cost, whatever
ly. “It will be on fire before I can get it is. I have more than twenty thousand
there. I will save what I can. You go in notes and bonds and I will agree to pay
in the house.
you anything you say. I will sign an
He jumped the fence and ran panting agreement right now,” she concluded piti­
down the road without looking behind, fully.
where Mary, a sorry figure in burned and
“I won’t take a cent,” Dick responded
wet rags, followed in breathless haste after energetically. “I will sell the farm for
him.
whatever it will bring and go out West
A little brook ran between his house and start life anew.”
and the other buildings and here the fire
“You can't do it," Mary said. “You are
was bound to stop. But it was clear that too old.”
there was no chance of saving the house
“W hat!” exclaimed Dick with a jump.
and Dick devoted himself to securing “I ’m not forty years old yet."
some of its contents.
“I know that,” said Mary. “ You are
First he carried out the pet birds, chas­ only two years older than I am. but you
ing out the eat and dog as he did so. are old and I am old and everybody is
Then came his legal and commercial old who ever had any part in the only
papers, wisely kept in a convenient place days of my life I ever cared for. Every­
for just such an emergency. Then came thing is gone like that home which now
the family portraits and then the library. lies in ashes.”
“Ashes!" exclaimed Dick.
“Ashes!
Mary had arrived and again they worked
in silence, carrying out books and then What has my life but ashes? Every near
relative
I
have
h
id
has
been
dust
and
odd pieces of furniture and the thousand
and one little things whose loss would ashes these many years. My friends have
have been irreparable. As fast as evety died, gone away, grown into new interests
thing wias carried out, .it was carried —what remains of those friendships but
across the bridge which spanned the little ashes? The home of my childhood is
ashes. Once, early in life I felt about my
brook.
“Don’t go again!” Mary exclaimed, as heart the flames of as pure and ardent a
the flames swept over the roof. “It’s dan­ love as ever man or youth has felt. That
was long ago. For many years I have
gerous !”
“I must g o !" Dick said. “I haven't a had—ashes. AS you have said, I am now
old."
third of the things yet!”
“It was I who laid your home ill ashes,”
“Let them go! Your life is \yorth more
said Mary, crying. “I will give you a
than the things in there!”
deed
to r.iy house and the farm with it
“I don’t know that my life is worth so
much t" Dick said bitterly, thinking that and go away myself. I was foolish and
his house and most of nis goods were wrong, hut you know I did not mean any
burned without insurance, that he was a real harm.”
“I know it. Mary.” said Dick, with a
miserable old bachelor without a near rel­
ative, that Blaine was elected and the little husky catch in his voice. "Don't say
anything more about it. It hurts me more
country going to ruin.
“I'm going back for a few more things,” to see you feel bad than it did to lose
the house.”
he said, starting toward the bridge.
“Don’t g o ! Please don’t g o !" Mary
“How can you ever say that,” Mary
said, following after.
said, sobbing afresh, “after the way I
Dick paid no attention, moving toward have treated you for so many years?”
1.1 coat it rand* o f
Wg i»xtra q u a lity
“Those years are past now, Mary,” said
|
l i o a n w v l« h t, the back door, the lintel of which already
W ) « t b ln ck wool
was ablaze. He was destined, however, Dick, with an unsteady voice, “and if we
f th ib e t coot c lo th
never
again
to
enter
the
house
in
which
can
be friends once more. I will think
, ' i * ' T •I
o* rich xnd
and chi—
c, tn s fh —
tn
f
fin is h I T » LATEST
he was bom. As he neared the door it has cost me little enough. Why,” he
'T S T B C Y PARIS STYLE Mary threw both arms around his neck suddenly and irrelevantly added, “there is
fo r f a l l an d w in te r 1909, ia
a red lantern burning where the green
s tr ik in g ly h a n d so m e, su p erb ly and tightly held him back.
1 s ty lis h . O nely ta ilo r e d , fault*
“You shan't go in i You shan’t! ” she one was. What does that mean?”
[
loaely tr im m e d and fin ish ed ,
I e n d p e r fe c t fittin g . M ode w ith said and clung with a grasp which nothing
“It means,” said Mary, rising and look­
■ tlie r h o r m in g aemi t i l t i n g rip-
short of extreme violence could have ing, “that Abner was mistaken when he
■ p ie b ark, lo o s e fr o n t en d aem i-
H m ilita r y c o lla r ; lir e d thrcnixh-
shaken loose.
hung out the green light and th it those
r o u t w ith fin e rib bed Ita lia n
k er .tee n : SICEVtS are la te s t fu ll
Dick tried to utter some word of pro­ awful Democrats have won, after all.”
m top U p e r in g a ty f® te r m in a tin g
Then, her face still wet with tears, she
test. but his utterances did not amount to
w ith th rew d a in ty turfca and
lo e e ly tu r n o v er c a n .w h i c h arw much.
For one thing. Mary had him gave a little laugh so like that he had
e h a r m in g ly tr im m e d w ith ex tra
heard
twenty years before in their thou­
nearly
strangled.
For
another,
while
he
a re
io e ly
grad e. Iiig’i lu s tr e fib er « ilk • b r n •1
i - . POCKETS
--------
tr im m ed w ith *?!f re ro r ee nnd e o u ___
ts r LCi
b e . O om p letin * th is
was brave enough to have gone into the sand hantering arguments that Dick stood
e le g a n t g a r m e n t is t h e e x q u is ite r e lr e t b a rd arou n d col-
lar, and b eau t ifu l » « ¡r et p n o e ls d a in tily n; lied on abr.nl-
burning house, like many another brave still, trembling with emotion.
liers and b a ck wh*eh are h arraon ioosly ec rd w ith extra
man, he was not altogether displeased at
“I had invited the marching club to
q u a lity h ig h lo st r-» fiber s ilk brwd and s ilk I
w ith s ilk card an d b u tto n s; 5 0 in r h e a
-----
being prevented, against His will, from come _ out and have supper Thursday
o n ly : s i sea 82 t o 4 2 in c h e s b u st m ananre; w eig h s 4** tba.
running; into danger. Finally his veins night,” he said, after a moment's pause.
THE
FREE FUR SCARF « V i & ’i «
ia g ly cMa s o d dainty; it'* ran.It* o f rich gloaay F re e oh Conwy were jumping in a most unaccustomed “But I guess I’ll have to cancel the invi­
rswau b la c k fu r w h ich foahs libs fwtmt Mask tyss ¡ f a f f « in c h e s
way at has-ing Mary’s arms around his tation.”
io a c . w id e and fn IJ ; ex q u is it e ly lin e d w ith rirh Mach sat»".
neck and knowing that Mary was con­
“Don't,” said Marv. “Let them come
SEND
Sl.00
DEPOSIT,
a
iK
S
S
W
J
B
lS
cerned
as to his safety.
to my house, and I'll sec that they arc
e x tr a q u a lity b la c k w ool th ib e t co a t, an d thwetsgaet Frsecfc
Cmay K aren b lack fu r th r o w aca r f C O .IX by wap. ase^ aub-
His show of resistance did not last long. taken care of.”
Ject to e x a m in a tio n , you t o p n yth w b a la n ce . *4 » » and
There was a crash and a roar and a col­
Dick nearly fell oyer in his astonish­
expreaa ch an jea, a ft e r you e x a m in e th w o o a t and acarf and
B ad th e m p e r fe c tly aatiaf.ictn ry, a aarfwd fit. th e eq u al o f
umn
of sparks mounting to the sky mark­ ment.
you r h o m e d ea len r SlOor $12 co a ts a o d ararfa.nnd th e a«wri
in a ty le an d b ea u ty o f an y c o a t and a ca r f a t an y p r i c e ; ed the site where the Burton homestead
“Why!”
he exclaimed. “Constance said
o th er w la o t h e garm en t# w ill b e re tu rn ed t o n s at wwsipsess
an d w e w ill p ro m p tly refu n d you r $ 1 .0 0 . O rder t h a c o a t had stood for a time exceeding the mem­ that you were furiously angry because I
ory of any living man. The pair retreated
inviting them to my own house.”
H E ts S S free special fashion book in time to escape the flying embers and purposed
“ I was," Mary admitted. “But I am
w h ich sh o w s o ra r a th ou san d e le g a n t p ic tu r e s o f rare a od
b e .m tifu l fa ll aod w in te r atylee o f a t l r t w aists, ta ilo r-
then
Dick,
seizing
a
pail,
set
himself
to
going
to
try
never to be foolish and nar­
m a d e su ite , ja c k e ts, ca n es and sk ir ts, an d im m e n se assort-
the further problem o f preventing the fire row again. Haven’t I a dozen cousins
m e e t s o f d a in ty m u slin u n d erw ear an d c h ild r e n # a od
in fa n ts ' g a r m e n ts and ladies* s h o e s at «tr*"»*»» taw ariem.
from spreading into other fields. For­ and lots of friends among them. Why
f t APE NCAtOPAHTEtS fo r ladle«'. miaww’ and c h ild r e n 's
it had been hemmed in by stone shouldn't I entertain them? Besides, it
FURS OF ALL K/NDSrl ^ 'YJu\Zt: tunately
«rails and the winding brook and only will be your house then. I am going tq
XTirfJSS:
ORT 6 0 0 0 S.jfe jSK Ii-. here and there was his attention required. make out a deed and have it recorded,
n ela. lin e n « , b ow ery, la d le s u nd erw ear, tr un k s.vattare dry
good s and n o tio n s o f nil k ' “ ”*— *
* " —*-«• -*— •-
Mary still worked by his side in-aipite of whether you will or not and I will an­
p rices #r.sa H r s«w Fr*e t^y
his repeated mi unci ions to go home lest nounce the fact when they come, together
Chieafs. she take her death of cold. They had with an unsparing account of my foolish­
( Continued fro m page J . )
assistance the whole woods would be in
flames. Just then she saw. swiftly climb­
ing over the wall, the tall figure of the
man in whose despite she had set the fire.
H e swung a shovel above his head and
with each whack the fire had ceased and
a blackened area marked the place where
the implement was brought down.
Grim and angry he worked away,
breaking the line of fire and paying no
attention to Mary,, who followed after,
stamping out the little flames which ever
and anon started up where the fire had
been checked.
As the fire reached the wall this ob­
stacle checked the otherwise certain sweep,
but there were bushes growing in and out
which readily took fire and, burning in
the crevices could not readily be smoth­
ered by impact of the shovel.
Dick dropped this implement and grab­
bing the pail rushed with all speed to a
pond at a most uncomfortable distance
and returning applied the water sparingly
as possible to the wicked little flames he
could not reach in any other way. Again
and yet again he went for water. As he
returned the third time, breathless and
weary, he saw that the wind had changed
and the flames were spreading in the other
direction, toward Mary’s house. Mary
had taken up the shovel and was beating
at the fire.
Up to this time neither had uttered a
sound, but had silently fought the flames
as if each had been alone and as far apart
in person as they were in spirit.
Now silence was broken as Mary utter­
ed a scream of terror and dismay. Her
clothing was on fire.
Dick instantly flew to the rescue, catch­
ing the blaring skirts in his hands and
smothering the flames against his own
stout woolen garments. Then he seized
the precious pail of water and bidding her
lie down he succeeded in putting out the
fire but not until her clothing was much
burned and his own hands and face had
received many a painful blister.
“O h ! Dick, this is dreadful 1” were the
words with which Mary broke her twen­
ty years’ vow.
Dick made no answer, but picked up his
shovel and began whacking at the fire.
He was angry at Mary, at Constance, at
the Republican party, at Blaine, at the
American electorate, at the whole world,
including himself. He felt, too, a kind of
unworthy satisfaction in being an injured
innocent and in the certain knowledge
that Mary could but recognize the fact.
ness and spite in setting that (ire. They
will come, if not on your invitation, the«
on mine.”
Mary’s face had brightened as she
spoke, for she felt that she had found a
way out of the difficulty. H er house was
far finer than Dick's had been and she
was giving up her childhood’s home as
he had lost his. Surely he would now
know that she was doing what she could
to atone.
“I don’t want your deed,” Dick cried.
“I won't take it. I want more than that."
“I will do any thing I can,” said Mary,
hurt and trembling once more.
“I don’t want your house, yopr land or
your money,” Dick said very deliberately.
“I want you.”
No true woman ever takes a chance of
making a mistake. “You mean----- ” she
said faltering!}'.
“I mean to ask you the question which
for years I longed to ask. Then for
other years there were ashes where once
were flames. Now from the ashes the
flames hat e sprung anew. I ask you, will
you be my
“I will.”
“And you will marry me when I say?"
he asked.
“I suppose so.”
“Then I will say to-day. We have let
too many years go by as it is.”
They went to Mary’s house for break­
fast just as the alarmed and mystified
servants were preparing to search for
their mistress.
Later in the day the minister and a very
few friends were called, including the
overjoyed and hilarious Constance, and
the next evening the marching club re­
ceived the surprise of their lives. Dick
and Mary still live merrily and content­
edly on their now united farms and one
voter additional is relied upon to carry
the traditional Burton politics. But his
father and mother never weary of telling
him never to be bigoted and always to
remain good-natured in matters polirical,
as well as in all other matters.
wife?"