Show VOICE FROM THE VORTEX by ny COOL BY EY MIS by daily story tory pub co cc for an hour after the deem deava pupils which the wily dettrict ct furnished had gone to their homes miss blanchard nt pat at the west win in how klow ot of the th little white schoolhouse vat watching ching the e evening ening sunlight shim mering upon the nodding prairie erase grass that stretched strEtCh td like a yellow sea for mites aej miles it was ml 11 I 1 september bep for a month not a drop of moisture molt ture had fallen in the road that wound a dull gray streak at aarom rose the plain the dust was ankle deep ordure wan as sere and lifeless and dry the sky was cloud leo less the sun s hrat beat almost intolerable but alias blanc hard a thoughts were not of the parched glittering land nor let et ot of her school duties throy were of john mallory she could not remember when she had bad not loed john Al mallory allory all their young lives the had been sweetheart sweethearts sat mut at last they had quarreled and parted in anger lalle while ehe she still considered that be he biad bad been unjust to her and her eyes nappe indignantly nt at the recollection r t att hi harsh worda words ehe she could not dull U ahi e kerf edge of regret the daA dalang aling brightness of the sunshine could not Idl estrate the shadow the deep dark that seemed to wrap her in its mantle with a sigh abe he turned from the and hr her glance rested upon the telephone back of her desk dear thoughtful john it was nas he abe had ordered the telephone placed in the schoolhouse there are so many tramps in the country he had said to her it they bother you little woman or it 11 you are ever in need of help ring roe me up her tier heart ha ba I 1 thrilled with affection at the time nut but now she towed tossed her head proudly I 1 do not need hie his assistance ehe she said I 1 nm am quite capable of taking can care of roalf I 1 think again she he turned to case across the monotonous field fields and anti became con nalcus of a 0 pe pecullar peu illar ullar haze that to 1111 the nir air with increasing density alth XV ath never neer a thought but that a much awed sho er waa was not tar far distant the she watched it in idio curiosity but pree pres antly with sudden foreboding she he noticed that heavy clouds of vapor oica elo tonally nally rolled over the building home borne westward ant an I 1 then through the open window there drifted a strong familiar odor od ortho tho odor of smoke hurrying ying to the door ehe she pushed it open and cast one apprehensive glance to the eastward then shrank back appalled the prairie was afire across the eastern horizon was vias a livid will of flame whose whoso red tongues seemed reaching to the very portals of heaven the long parched blades of grass dry as tinder were food most tempting to the ravenous dement element the wind had increased to a gale and already a shower of sparks wai was falling within a few rods of the hou houe the ne irest residence a rolle mile aay away was as towards ahm cast from which the ce wan approaching to the ve westward stward twice that distance must be lie traversed before ahe he could reach a babl habitation tation she knew the plowed fields surrounding the in safety to the buildings but she he could not hope to reach any of them in al alvance vatice of this scarlet agent of de let tt certain death awaited her it she rb for the chool school house was without protect protection lom of any nature an agony of thoughts crowded ner tier brain and in a it frenzy of fear she dashed into the tte road already she could feel the heat ol 01 the fire that was racing towards her with the opted of a railway train it seemed no more than two miles away she could hear the otril 1 nolis crackling of nf the dry grass as the flames leaped forth and cm em braced the writhing verdure in their iol hot embrace the sky was hidden ly a mantle of the burt ln visible only at inter later calr als was a gnat grat round ball of cram eon son before the rolling vapor fright ned ened birds flew past in flocks along tho the duety dusty road read albort dashing against her in their mad flight droves of rab t AK through the open windo r v there drifted a trong strong fam am liar odor ute lats red fied to hm terrified terrt fled eyes cy the worl world deer seer d ablah vainly she be banned the tb ta in all it loping laping arac with a team tea would obie came to her assistance but noi not a ha hat man being did the ee we with a err te to god fer for mercy ini erey abe be bank ocoa opoa the dmd brou aad and covered br her ie to with BT ber basa and the tb bilker ing demois at o 0 pant flam name loader aad mad wn in her ber ear ears ail asid the tb carlt of if its areat i red the aa snow of her face fam the ebony of her hair john john johnl the she cried in the depths of her despair then like an inspiration came the recollection of the telephone she staggered to her feet and dashed into the school bouee the interior was aglow with the reflection reflections ot of the flames fl arnee the air nag as stifling stilling with the smoke with her hand upon the receiver she paused irresolutely then turned her head slightly and glanced out the win dow at the hurricane of death bearing down upon her so no no she P aid paid I 1 will not no power rn cri earth can save me now and he it woul I 1 la be but agony tor for him to know that I 1 am in this sea if flame A A deao duao A moment later she was folded in john mallory s strong arma and he unable to gle me aid when it Is ow ie ts ovir lt it will be timo time enough for him to know alth her tier fae fa fd e Illum illumined ired with a gleam of determination she turned and walked slowly to the window and ther she stood pale but izing i calmly out at the raging flood of fire the lames flames were only a few feet auay now and their hungry tongues almost licked the window panes in despair she wrung her bands oh god she cried I 1 cannot die without once more heiring the voice I 1 love without will out asking to be forgiven for the hasty the angry words I 1 uttered again she hastened to the telephone and prid rang the bell and when hen at last she he heard hia his voice the fire was as laying greedy banai up in the walls w ails of the building john she ball sat I 1 ou are not angry ar gry with me are you le you do not knon kno how gla I 1 I 1 am to hear bear you eay say that dear I 1 was afraid you held resentment and anti I 1 oh no john dear it was all my fault and I 1 am sorry so sorry NN here am I 1 now do you think I 1 would be stand ing at the telephone II 11 I 1 were in the schoolhouse there must be fire all around it by this time isn t it aw lw fult ful she shrank tor for an instant before the intense heat the rear of the fames 1 amas was like wull wall of a hurricane in a forest john john johnl perhaps per hapa haps I 1 will never eee see ou oil again dear but it I 1 never do remember that I 1 loved yon john bitter than she staggered beneath the choking cloud of smoke S 8 arlet tongues of flame were lapping the floor almost at her feet lee ce john I 1 am going away tar far far away where I 1 ran can not tell you now tomorrow to morrow tonight to night perhaps you will know oh john dear deir john good bye good the dropped from her ne neless fingers and blinded with moke and anti faint from the intense heat eh ho reeled forward foru ard phrot gh the black blacic ness stumbling falling failing rising adalu she reached the door unscathed hear ing the desperate ringing of the tele phone belt bell an ani I 1 the capening deafening cat ening roaring of the flames anwa d she he staggered until she reached the road that oie ie narrow break in the wall of ume mime and there she paused and turned her tier flushed flashed face upward toncred the eky sky in mute ap pil peal to heaven something fell upon her for forehead thead rom ehing clamp and cool she reached forth her hands palms upward upwards coiling cooling drop drops of 0 moisture roo leture kissed the quivering flesh it wa with a cry of 0 joy upon her ier lips the he sank upon her knees in the dual dust and offered vp lip a prayer ot 0 thank giving for the shower that had bad conic come in time in ft a mighty borret tell fell the rain and when at last tb tt t comat raised her eyes the he i haw a ride expanse of 0 blae ined stubble but not a kimark was glowing then through the tb mist her dazed eyes behold a familiar broad shouldered figure running towards her with outstretched hand handia and a mo me meal lter later the a mas folded in john Atal mallory lorys A 4 rong roag arwil stank OW oh thank boji be ert erl |