THE YOUNG FOLKS.

Bush Advocate, Volume V, Issue 354, 16 August 1890, Page 11

THE YOUNG FOLKS.

A PRLCIOUS TOOL-CHEST-The widow Revere lived on the edge of tie village in a little house of her own. Had it not been for this Bute roof over her head, perhaps she would have had even a harder struggle than she did, wh&t heir husband died and left to hex?, lame as she was, the care of three children. for Mrs. Severe had been a cripple for several years, and could move about the house only by wheeling herself in a rollingchair. She couW knit and sew, and before her eldest son, Basil, was able to earn much, the family certainly had been very poor.. But now Mary, the daughter, had grown atrong and skillful enough to keep house, and Basil was thought one of tho brightest boy 8, at the works, where he earned, almost a man's wages. Little Jfohniiy, therefore, had begun to go to school instead of looking forward to daily labour, aa so many boys among the labouring people are obJJgedto do, before they aro fairly ready for really hearty playjngt • Another help to this family was the rent paid for a room in the house by a model-nraker, named Oarr, who had been an old friend of the late Mr. Bevere, and who, just at the. time of the little Btory I am going to tell, waa confined to his bed, while recovering from injuries caused by a serious fall. Carr was a. good-natured, kindly. man, to whom Basil owed much instruction in the use of carpenters* tools ; but he was too generous to himself, as well ftsto others, ever to.kiep long any of the money he made. He knew this weakness, and used very gravely to warn the boys against it. ♦« Johnny," he would say, " look out that wfcen your hair is gray you do not find all your riches shut in one tool-chest, as mine are." Of even this small wealth', Carr did not seem to take great care} for, though. he. oarrfed a wonderfully complex key to his chest ' (which generally stood tfnde* the bench in Basil's corner at the hardware factory), it Beldom ..was closed. For once, however, this tool-chest served several people a very good, turn, although, ance with hfe usual fortune, Caw himself received no great benefit from the incident. One cold winter evening, when matters at the Widow Revere'a were about in the state I have described, the ; cottage had become dark and quiet by nine o'clock, Every one had gone to. bed early> because, all were obliged to be, up. he-, times in the morning. . Perhaps, at first, slumber would have been too heavy for even the sharp-eared mother to. nave noticed any of the noiße ; but four hours of sleep greatly rests the weariest; frame. Napoleon used to say that six.hours.was enough sleep for any man; few of us, however, could ! follow Napoleon's rules in any reßpqct— eurely not in, thiss : ' Certainly, when a little after midnight the | "startled air" of the frosty night echoed through the silent 'streets th.c, harried ringing of : the deep-toned church-bell, mingled with the ! olang of the Bhrill court-house bell, and the I angry voice of the alarm-signal in the hojje- [ tower of the engine-house, even Johnny heard the peal at onco, and knew what it meant. He screamed; "Fire l Fire!" at the top of his voice, and dashed toward the window of his bedroom. "You needn't make such a racket— you're not running with the machine t M scolded Basil, i who, nevertheless, appeared at th* window beside his brother, while M&r/ called from her room; " I see it! I see the fire P Sure enough, there, cearly at the other end of the village, the sky w&s gpwing flame-colour and throwing do wa c ;cJ flush upon the snowy roofs, while the Jeuf'*s tops of distant trees were seen sharp against, the brightness. It would have b&eii a beautiful picture, if it had not suggested so much that was terrible, "I am going 1" Baid Johnny, pulling on his clothes In an excited, way.. • < Notabito£it,"rej6aiedßaBil,TrithdeoiBiOD. " That fir-3 must be a mile away, and the wsather is frightfully cold. Probably it would be put out by tl\e s Uie we reached there* And what good could ye do P" " Way we could— could— aren't you going?" Joh;.;/ was so amazed at his brothers indifference to " a real fire," that he was unable to utter another word, " Going ? No, of course not. It would take all night, an d I want.toSldel)."' i " Baeil, Bflsil," Maty cried again, "Idobe;lieveite the factory.^' • ■■,■' "Eh I The factory ? Je-whiminy ! I hope not." Both the boys ran to their sister's window, i which gave them a better view; and as they, saw the blaze mount higher and higher, and a great volume of smoke roll away to tho west ward, tinted. with' the.flgane-light: and -starred with sparks, alls elfcsure that >Mftty~ was. right for no -other b&ilding in that' part of tdwn. would -furnish material f or so [big 1 a fire. This conviotion made their hearts^ sick, for, each- understood how great a dwftstor that would be to them ; as much, and perhaps more., of a disaster to them than to the owner of the. works ; for it would take away, all their present means of living, whftreaa his home would still be left, and his insurance money was safe. "Well, if that is so, I must go, of course," Basil said; then, Beeing how blue the others seemed, he added gaily, " Or tfsa I shan't be ableto h save my new paper cap, you knowl" which little jest was enough to make them smile again. " But; Jdhnny, I can't letyou go, —•it is too long a run, and Mother and Mary would be a10n0,. , Good-bye, V buttoning up^hla' overcoat ; " and, Mary, if you sit up, you might make a cup of coffee for me about daylight. Good-bye, Mother/ The hardware factory was ..the largest brick building in town. Its I6wer;story, fronting on the street, was occupied, by the counting-room of tho works, by two stores, and, in one corner, by the office of a lawyer, who was also the insurance agent for the village. By the time Basil reached the scene, the whole of one side' of the great structure was in flames, and tho fire wus rapidly eating its way into the rest The near wall fell just as he arrived, crushing the lawyer's office (where the flames first broke out) and one of the Btores under a heap of blazing timbers. A moment later there was a rumour that the lawyerjairaself , who usually slept in the back room, had been killed by the falling wall and lay buried in the ruins. At the other end, one floor above the street, waa the little room where Basil worked at finishing locks, and the other small wares, made in the factory. Ho had nothing of his own of much account there, but suddenly he remembered Carr's tool-chest. " Some very valuable tools are in that chest," he thought to himself , " tools he uses in making his beautiful models of new castings. I've heard him say he paid nine dollars for one queer little saw that; camo from Switzerland. I must try to save that cheat. Poor old Carr hasn't anything else in the wide world." This thinking did not lessen his haste, and he had made his way to the further end of the building in a moment. Here a narrow side-stairway opened near the corner, but smoke was pouring down it and could be seen curling in little wreaths from all the windows, wherever a crack gave it a chance to get out. But as yet no red firelight shone through tho glass. A little time remained, but any one who proposed to enter the building must go at once. " Here, Patsy Gore, como with me!" Basil shouted to a big Irish boy, whom he saw standing near him. " Where ye goin' '(" "Up to my room." "In there ? Why, ye'rechrazy !" "Patsy Gore, I'm going to get Carr's chest of tools out of there, if it can bo done, and you're the one to help me. We can easily run upstairs, and if it's too hot we can drop out of a window. Come on!" " Not wan bit ay it !" ' ' Patsy Gore— -you're coming as far as Igo ! " And with that Basil seized the half-resisting lad by the back of the- neck and trotted straight through the crowd and into the entrance lea ling to the smoky 6teurway. " Give me yourcap !" was his next order; and the obedient Patsy pulled it off, saying not a word when he Haw Basil dip it and Mb own handkerchief into a pool of water, that had dripped from tho roof. Tho crowd shouted to them to como back, and a fireman ran toward them ; but Basil had made up his mind to try to rescue that precious chest for his friend Carr, and wouldn't. hear. Instead, he yelled in the ear of his companion, "Now, come ahead, find if yon turn back I'll thrash you to-morrow until you'll think a windmill has fallen on you !'' Bat Patsy, who was plucky wlion onco his grit was up, was in for it novr, and did not need this terrible throat. Ho followed his leader straight uu tho darkp^ssnge. At the top the Braoke was so not and that Basil dropped to the floor and pressed hia wot handkerchief to his mouth, while Putsy did the same with his well-Boakod cap ; for oue can, as it were, strain out the smoke, and obtain faifly pure air by breathing through a dampened cloth, where otherwise he could not live at a\ Near the door it was much better, and they scrambled along on their hand and knees ; yet, though it was only a Bhort distance from the head of the stairs to the door of the work-room, by the time they had crept there, each felt that he could not have gone much further. At the other end of the hall, 6lender ribbons of flame could bo seen breaking through\the hot 2>artitions.

" Now. Patsy," Basil muttered through his handkerchief,. " shut the door the minute we get in, bo as to keeji Out the smoke. Now for it, " With this warning, both boys rose to their, feet in the suffocating fumes, opened the door, darted in, and slammed it shut. This room they found free from smoke, but it was hot and close. Patsy waa about to open the window as the first move, when Basil seized his arm. " Stop, man ! You'll make a draught that'll pull all the fire hore iv no time. Help me drag outthe&est." It stood under the bench, and was heavy, but in their excitement the two lads had the strength of four, and without difficulty dragged it over to the window. " Wull it go through ?" asked Patsy doubtfully, danciug abdut iv a blue haze, whicb, rapidly leaking in through numberlesß cracks, filled their eyes with smarting tears, " Keep cool, will you I" gcpwled Basil, seizing his shoulder with the grnßp of a y«ung giant. "we must measure, and—" His words were silenced by an awful crash which shook the walls and drowned all other sounds. Patsy shrieked and dropped oft his knees, believing that the whole building had fallen and that they would go to destruction with it the next instant. Basil was almost as much frightened, but did not lose his head. "Get up!" he cried, giving Patsy a sharp shake to enforce hiar words, " The .window is wide enough. Open it." Patsy shoved up the sash, and the appearance of his blackened face caused the crowd to make a great outcry. "Now lift!" Together, with a mighty effort;, the lads raised the heavy box to the low window-sill. Patsy was going to slide it right out, but Basil stopped him. Then both leaned from the window bo that they could breathe, for now the smoke had become a dense cloud inside, and the room over their heads was all afire. " Come down ! Come down J Jump for your lives !" yelled the people outside. But, glancing up. Basil could see that the comer walls were firm — there was at least a minute to spare; even Patsy, under the gaze of the crowd, had recovered his presence of mind with the help of fresh air and the sight of an opening for escape, though it -was far to the street, and' the frozen ground was hard. " Throw me a rope 1" called Basil, as loud as he could, in order to be heard, aria in half a minute a man brought one beneath the window. The man was in Buch nervous haste that the first time be throw, nobody could have roached it; but the second time he did better, andPatay caught the bight. The rope was quickly knotted through one of the handles at the end, and the bos was lowered to the ground, where two men picked it up and bore it away. " Now, Patsy, we'll tie this end of the rope to one leg of the bench and slide down. You go first.^ " Not wan bit ay it— it's yourself *il go first I* " Patey Gore, get out of that window before I throw you out!" said Basil, decidedly.Without more ado, Patsy slid down the rope* Bad! vquickly . followed. None .too quickly., forashe touched the ground a fiery beam of wood, crashed down through the frail ceiling of the room be had quitted, while a great geyser of flame, and sparks and black smoke gushed out at the window through which he had just climbed. " What fools you were to risk your lives for that old chest]" exclaimed half a dozen chiding voices at once. "But it was all Carr owned in the world," Basil replied^ "and may be there's more in it than you kiiow. M Nothing remained to.be done now but to go home. Basil soon- hunted up a ma*, with a waggon, who was willing to take the.chest up to the cottage, and the lad started off 'with the load at once; Neither, of the two. children left behind had felt like going to bed when-Basil left them, so they finished dressing and built a fire; every minute or two -running to the window to see how the flame-colour rpßo and fell in the skyand shone iH lurid, fitful flashes on $ho show. Then they both sat curled up in a big chair, with the curtain drawn high up, and gazed at the sight, talking in a low tone, until the banners of red and yellow began to sink down ? the stars to come out again from their hiding under the glare, : and th<j> rolling smoke to grew thin and Broken; Before many minutes had passed, both felliwleW, Thus Basil found them when, about four o'clock in the morning, he came back, wet, weary, and disheartened, for after all hod he not .lost his work ? His stamping tie snpweldgri -fronV his boots at the d»6r roused the sleettersi" and- they exclaimed together, as' they ransO meet him,. " Was It ?» " Yesy*' was the Bad reply: "it -was the factory, with all the stores besides ; and Squire Purdy, who had an. office in the corner, you know, was killed, they're afraid. But I saved pow old Carr's tool chest for him— run and teAt him it's all right. Johnny.*,' The little fellow did so ; while Basil and the cartman. tookithe chest into the ehed at the rear of the cottage. "Hare you made the coffee?" Basil asked, ac he came in again. " Oh, Basil, I forgot it ! I'm bo sorry ! But I was so excited. I'll make it right away. ' ' While this was doing, the weary lad went in and told the story to his mother, saying as little as possible about the courage and resolution he haa'Bhown, but trying to make her believe how great a loss it would have been to Carr had the tools been burned, Thau Ifary called him, and he eat down to get warm and dry, with coffee, and bread and butter, while he related th« incidents of the fire a second time for the benefit of the youngsters, and of Carr, who could listen through the door of his room. "Did you see Mr. Porter?" Mary asked at last. Mr. Porter was the owner of the factory. "No. I heard that he was away in the country, but that somebody sent for him and he arrived just as I came away. Now I urn tired out, and lam going to bed. No work to-morrow— or, rather, to-day— l guess!" and with those words he went upstairs. Ho thought he bad not closed his eyes more than a minute— though in reality three hours hours had passed— when he heard a rapping at his door, and Mary's voice. " Basil, Basil, get up ! Mr. Porter is here and wants to see you at once. It's something very important." The lad at first could hardly recall what had happened, but speedily gathered his sleepy wits, and, springing up, began to drew. But Mr. Porter could not wait. Ho ran upstairs and burst into the bedroom before the astonished youth was half -clothed, exclaiming : " Did you savo Carr's tool-cheat ?" " Yes ( it's down below." "Is it still locked r 1 " " I think it is— l haven't any key. Try it." Mr. Porter clattered downstairs again, and, rushing out to the shed where the chest stood, prized open tho cover, and, opening one of the small drawers, seized upon a large folded blue paper. He hurriedly unfolded it, and found a sraajler white paper within. ""I've got it! It's all right! Hooray!" he shouted, and began .to dance and caper like a crazyrfnan ; while the children looked on with amazement, and • Basil came down in his shirtsleeVos to see what the noise was. When the factory-owner saw him, he seized his hand, and shook it as if it were a bough full of ripo nuts, making Basil grin, and caper too, though he had no idea why. " INow look hero," said Mr. Porter, suddenly becoming grave and spreading the blue paper out before them, showing it to bo a printed " blank" filled in with writing and figures. " That, you see, is my insurance policy. This little white paper the insurance agent gave mo to show that I had paid ray premium and would be entitled to 7d,000d01. if my factory should be burned. My last premium had to bo paid yesterday, and I paid it ; but the only other written evidence of payment was a book in the Lawyer's office, and that book has been burned. If this paper hadn't been saved, you see, I couldn't have shown anything to prove I had paid the premium and was ontitcd to the insurance." " But," asked. Basil, " couldn't you have proved it in some other way ?" " Juet possible, but unlikely now that poor Purdy is dead,— you know it ? Awful tiling. No, I hadn't a witness. I thiuk nobody saw mo pay him the money, for I ran in while tho men were at dinner and nobody was about. At any rate, it would have cost half it was worth, anil a long time. So, you see, when you saved me that cliest you saved the money to build a new factory, find I'm going to give you five hundred dollars for it." " Why— l don't wjmt anything,— l didn't—" " Maybe you didn't, but you shall have it — shall have it, I tell you, whether you want it or not. And I'll give that CJore boy two hundred, too ; though ho doesn't deeervo it, for ho wouldn't liavo done anything >it all, if you hadn't made him. I've heard all about it — don't contradict rue, I'vo heard all about it ! Good-bye. Good-bye, ma'am." Mr. Porter left as abruptly as he had come, clutching his precious paper. And woll might ho value it. It meant not only safety from ruin to him, but work again for a hundred workmen, who might otherwisa have suffered greatly because of enforced idleness that hard winter. Basil was not forgotten, and when tho ucw factory began running, half a year later, be was putin a better placo than before, with the prospect of soou becoming a foreman. One day, long after the fire, lie asked Mr.

Porter how the insurance policy and receipt came to be in the chest.

" Why," said Mr. Porter, " I had had them in ray pocket, but forgot to give them to the cashier before the safe was closed. Then I was showing a friend over the factory, and, not wishing to carry them any.longer, I happened to see Carr's chest ; and so I put them into one of the little drawers and snapped the springlock. I meant to send to Carr for the key the next day. I thought them safe enough .till morning. I never thought of [flre^—one never expeote to burn up to-night. Then I went into the country. If ft teaohes you the lesson it has. taught me, you will never do careless with a business document."—^. Nicholas.