CHAPTER XL.—Continued.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11698, 13 December 1899, Page 2 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XL.— Continued.

/rJ^JP^ LIFP na<l fuo wat ch and wallet in his pocket almost f&rjy&jis&M before he ceased speaking; \gS^?«l then he flew to the trunk (sOftl — fortunately the trunk was sot locked — he found the f^i^ papers and thrust them in his coat. Tbe npxt moment he was bending over the squire. 4 Here let me help yon up.' he said, *yon must not mind if yon are hurt a little — put your arms around mv neck aud give yonrself to me and I will save j n.' The man rolled over, and with Cliff's help, stood np on his well foot, though a arroan burst from him in making the effort. Ho clasped his hands about Cliffs neck as he was bidden, and the young man lifted him in his arms, bore him from the room, through the volume of smoke that was coming up through the aperture above the stairs to the toof and then across it and to the next h. ■vase. > > Here he deposited his burden upon the npper step of the flight of stairs leading below, while tbe fresh, frosty air had done much toward reviving the roan. \ 'Now,' said the hero, 'if you can manage to get inside out of the cold by yourself, J will try to save some clothing. Can you ?' ' Ypb, I will try, but don't ran any lists for the clothes, Ciiff,' the squire replied, as he began to ease himself down the 6toirs. He was shivering becanse of cold and excitement. In'spite of the gravity of the situation, a smile flashed over Cliffs face as he noticed the change in the man's tone when he pronounced his name and marked the consideration expressed for him. lie darted back and down into the norn, which he had but just left alii lough now the flimes smote him as he went, for tbey were rolling up from below with great force. He snatched a sheet from the bed, and without, making a false movement or slip, piled upon it, everything that l»elonged to the squire that he could lay his hands on, emptying both trunk and clo3et : then gathering it up by the fonr corners he knotted them, swung tbe uack over his shoulder, and a moment later was again on the roof of the house and Ibis time getting a thorough drenching from the stream of water that had been directed to the column of smoke that was pouring out of the sky-lu-he. . He had not been any too expeditious, for almost at the same instant there came a terrible crash, which told of falling floors and stairways within the burning building. Dropping the pack throngh the roof of his own. dwe|ling, he quickly followed it, to find the squire gaivering in the hall. He assisted him down the npxt flight to the room he occupied, which was » large square apartment in the front of the hou3e, and made him gel into his own bed. The man was a. little inclined to rebel afcainet this arrangement", for he seemed to think that they were still in danger from the fire ; but Cliff assured him that the department were getting the flames under control, and they were in m danerer, as the walls between were fireproof. As soon as he had made him comfortable, he went upstairs again to brin# down the clothing he had saved, and placed them neatly in his closet and an empty trunk of his own ; after that he had a refreshing bath and put on dry garments. Although the water began to play for more than an hour after the worst was over, np live 3 had been lest, although much personal property was destroyed, and the excitement soon subdued. Bnt when morning broke Sqnire Talford was raving in the delirium of a dream. Cliff felt bis duty to act upon his own responsibilities, and immediately called a phjsician, who at once declared that the man must either go to a hospital or have a trained nurse where he was, for he was very sick, and liable to have a tedious illnessr Knowing the Squire's horror of incurring hea-vy .-expenses, Cliff did not quite like to send him to the hospital, while the cost of a- trained

nurse in the hoose, with her Inard to be paid, would very soon amount to a great sum. The man wag in no condition to plan for himself, and so, affer thinking the matter over seriously, and consulting the landlady, who was a kind-hearted sensible woman, Cliff decided to send for Maria Kimberly to take care of her master. Mrs Woodruff, the owner of the house, had a conplo of empty rooms, which she was very glad to rent — onern the same door, and the - other above — and Cliff said he would take one and Maria the other. • So about the middle of the forenoon when Mrs Kimberly was ironing the lass parlour curtain — wfyich, after it was hung would complete her honsecleaning for the season — a messenger boy appeared at the door with a telegram for her. It was Cliff's message, briefly stating the Squire's illne3s and bidding her to come and nurse him. She was to take the earliest possible train for New York, wire Cliff when she reached thafc-town, when she would leave for Washington and he would meet her. It was the first telegram that the woman had ever received in her life, and it naturally gave her quite a shock, but she was equal to the emergency, and after reading the message ' twice her mind began to act vigorously. ' Goodness gracious me !' she ejacn lated as she drew a long breath, ' it's come like a clap of thunder. It's come like a clap of thunder. But of course I have to go. Yes, and — I'm sure it's another dispensation of Providence — I shall take that box belonging to Cliff with me.