Show 44 4 A VOICE PROM FROM THE V EX Y i of B 11 10 by 1 daily 11 story pu pub ce for an hour after the doun pupil pupils which the thinly populated district had gone to their homes too blanchard eat sat at the west winlow ow of the little white schoolhouse watching the evening sunlight ehlin shim berlus upon the nodding prairie crass that stretched like ille a yellow aea sea tor for talles and milea i 1 it wae was mid september for a mouth hot a drop of moisture had alien fallen in the road that wound a dull gray tray treal acro i the plain the dual dust waa was ankle akle deep verdure was sero and belcas fel cas and dry the sky ky wee was cloud flees less the tho suns heat beat almost intolerable but mibs miss blanchards thought thoughts were blot at of the parched glittering lend le nd cape nor yet of her school duties they her were of john mallory she could not remember when ehe she atad ad not loved john mallory all their citing live lives they had hail ben been sweethearts but ut at fit last they had quarreled and parted arted in anger auger while eho she till still considered that he had been bu unjust to her and her eye eyes napped indignantly at the recollection ot tot hie his harah harsh words ehe she could not dull the keen edge of 0 regret the dazzling rightness of the sunshine could not tot the the deep dalle dalk some shadow hat that seemed to wrap her fin n its mantle with a sah sho she turned from the badow aed and her ginice rested upon the 00 telephone bark of her bar deal dear thoughtful hought ful john johnr it was he who bad had ordered Dr dered the telephone placed in the th schoolhouse house there are so many tramps in to the country ho he bad had said to her it they bother you little woman or if it you are ever ver tn in need of help cine me up her tier heart had thrilled with affection at t the time but now she tossed M r head proudly 1 I do not need hie his tax istance she he eald said 1 I am arm quite of taking care of I 1 skink again the he turned to gaze across the fields lelila ff and became con to clous of A peculiar bazo hate chrt seemed to fill 01 the air with increasing density de nalty with never a thought but that a much ineeda shower waa was not far distant dia tant she ho watched it la in idle curiosity but prea atly with sudden foreboding ehe she no hefti that heavy clouda clouds of vapor occa loyally loa ally rolled tolled over tho the building borne mee and lad then through the beven eaon window there drifted a strong I 1 ft mIllar odor the odor of smoke j Itu hurrying yIng to the door she eh pushed it pea pin aai aad cast one apprehensive alance to io the eastward Atward ea then hrank shrank back ap the prairie was aart adrel I 1 across the eastern horizon vs was a wall of flame whose red tongues wevner aed reaching to the very portal portals of theaven the long parched blades of abass dry aa tinder were food wait to the ravenous element fahe wind had increased to a ole ale and already roady a shower of sparks waa was falling within a tot fe rode rods of the schoolhouse i the evidente esi 1 dente a mile away 9 towards the east from which the alre re vw wis rapidly approaching to the wr westward stward twice that distance must be traversed before he she could reach a habitation she knew the plowed felds surround surrounding Ins the dwellings in toured to the bul bildings dings but ehe she could not hope to reach any of them in ri dyance of this scarlet agent of ot destruction st yet certain death awalt ird her lier if it abo sho remained for the houses house was wa without protect protection iou of any mature an agony 0 6 thoughts though te crowded her brain and in A deenzy of fear she he through tho the open window thero drifted a strong familiar odor dashed into the road already she h could feel feet the beat of the fire that waa was A racing towards her with the speed of or a railway train it seemed no more than two miles away she cound hear the ominous ocal noua crackling of the arr erne crass an a the flames leaped leaved forth aul an em m braced the writhing verdure in their hot embrace the sky wu was hidden by a bantit of rooter smoke tho the CUD sun visible only ct inter vals wa was it round ball ol 01 crim soil on before the rolling vapor fright ened bird birds flew flow past in flocks ions tho the lusty dusty road almott daaling against her in their road mad flight drove droves of rabbits fled to her terrified eyes the whole world seemed ablaze vainly sho aho scanned the prairie in all directions hoping some one with a team would come to her nus latance but ea DC a bu man being did she see with a cry to god for mercy eho sho bank sank upon the ground aud covered her tier face with her hands and the blister ing demon of lampane name flame roared louder and till still louder in her tars ara r rid ld the scarlet of ita its breath tinged red the now of her face the ebony of her hair r joha johnl john the he cried la in the depth depths of her despair then like an dr f A wit 40 A moment later she waa was folded in john malloth Mall Mallo orya tx arms inspiration came the recollection ot the tele telephone she staggered to her feet and dashed into the schoolhouse the intermor Int eror was aulow us ith ther th reflections ot the th flames the air was stifling ne with tho th smoke with her hand upon the receiver she he paused irresolutely the i turned her bar head lightly slightly and glanced out tho the win dow at the hurricane of dath bearing down upon her no no she he eald said 1 I will sot no power war on earth can eave save roe me now and he heit it would be but agony for him to know that I 1 aa in thia this sea of ot aade and he unable to give me aid ald when it ie Is over overla is over averit it will be urn time enough for him to know with her face illumined with a 6 gleam ot heroic determination ahe Is turned abay auay and walked slowly to the window and there she ah stood pale PRIC but gazing calmly out at the raging rating flood of alre the flames were only a few feet away now and their hungry tort tongues gues almost licked the window panes in lestair she obe wrung her band bands oh god she shel cried 1 I cannot die dle without once more hearing bearing the voice I 1 love without asking to bo be forgiven for the hasty the angry words I 1 uttered tred 1 again ehe she to the telephone and rang ring the bell and when at last she heard his familiar voice the fire was laying greedy hands bands upon the walls of the building john she said you are not angry with alth me are dear you do not know how bow glad I 1 am to bear you say wt dear I 1 was afraid you held resentment and I 1 oh no to john dear it was all my fault and I 1 am sorry so sorry where am I 1 now cowf f do 3 ou on think I 1 would be standing at the telephone if it I 1 were la in the schoolhouse there must be fire all around it by the time it awful she shrank for an instant before the intense heal heat the roar of the flame flames was ilka like wall of a hurricane in a forest john joby johni johal perhaps perhaps I 1 will never see aou ou again dear but it I 1 never do remember that I 1 loved you john better than she staggered beneath the choking cloud of scarlet tongued ot flame flamo were upping lapping the floor almost at her feet yea yes john I 1 am going away far far away where I 1 can not tell ti tomorrow morrow tonight to night aa you A III know bear uw john good bye good the receiver dropped from her nerveless fingers and blinded with smoke and faint tron from the intense heat beat she ruled forward i tha blackness stumbling falling tall lac rising again sho she reached the drier unscathed he hearing the desperate ringing of the telephone belt bell and the deafening roaring of ot the fl flamed arnes onward she staggered until she he reached the road that one break in the wall of flame and there she paired and turned her flushed face upward toward thy thu sky in mute appeal to heaven something fell upon i her bar forehead something damp aad axil cool she reached forth her hands palms upwards cooling drop drops of moisture rno lature kissed the quivering quiver lne flesh it was raf raining nIng 1 with a err cry of joy upon her lips she I 1 sank upon her knees in the dust and offered up a prayer cf of thanksgiving for the shower bed had corn in time in a mighty torrent fell the rain and when at last the woman malsed her eyes she saw a wide expanse of ot blackened i bubble but not a spark was blowing then through tho mist her bar dp ded ced eyes beheld ft a Is familiar mIllar broad broad shouldered figure running towards her bar with outstretched 1 ed band hands and arid a moment laier later she was folded in john Mal lorye strong arms thank god oh thank godl he cried |