Barriers Burned Away Page 44

  CHAPTER XLIII

  "CHRISTINE, AWAKE! FOR YOUR LIFE!"

  Dennis was too much stunned and bewildered to do more than instinctivelywork his way to the windward as the only point of safety, but the firewas now becoming so broad in its sweep that to do this was difficult.The awful event he had witnessed seemed partially to paralyze him; forhe knew that the oath, hot as the scorching flames, was scarcely utteredbefore Mr. Ludolph's lips were closed forever. He and his ambitiousdream perished in a moment, and he was summoned to the other world tolearn what his proud reason scoffed at in this.

  For a block or more Dennis was passively borne alone by the rushingmob. Suddenly a voice seemed to shout almost in his ear, "The northside is burning!" and he started as from a dream. The thought ofChristine flashed upon him, perishing perhaps in the flames. Heremembered that now she had no protector, and that he for the momenthad forgotten her; though in truth he had never imagined that she couldbe imperilled by the burning of the north side.

  In an agony of fear and anxiety he put forth every effort of which hewas capable, and tore through the crowd as if mad. There was no wayof getting across the river now save by the La Salle Street tunnel.Into this dark passage he plunged with multitudes of others. It wasindeed as near Pandemonium as any earthly condition could be. Drivenforward by the swiftly pursuing flames, hemmed in on every side, ashrieking, frenzied, terror-stricken throng rushed into the blackcavern. Every moral grade was represented there. Those who led abandonedlives were plainly recognizable, their guilty consciences findingexpression in their livid faces. These jostled the refined and delicatelady, who, in the awful democracy of the hour, brushed against thiefand harlot. Little children wailed for their lost parents, and manywere trampled underfoot. Parents cried for their children, womenshrieked for their husbands, some praying, many cursing with oaths ashot as the flames that crackled near. Multitudes were in no othercostumes than those in which they had sprung from their beds. Altogetherit was a strange, incongruous, writhing mass of humanity, such as theworld had never looked upon, pouring into what might seem, in itshorrors, the mouth of hell.

  As Dennis entered the utter darkness, a confused roar smote his earthat might have appalled the stoutest heart, but he was now obliviousto everything save Christine's danger. With set teeth he put hisshoulder against the living mass and pushed with the strongest tillhe emerged into the glare of the north side. Here, escaping somewhatfrom the throng, he made his way rapidly to the Ludolph mansion, whichto his joy he found was still considerably to the windward of the fire.But he saw that from the southwest another line of flame was bearingdown upon it.

  The front door was locked, and the house utterly dark. He rang thebell furiously, but there was no response. He walked around under thewindow and shouted, but the place remained as dark and silent as atomb. He pounded on the door, but its massive thickness scarcelyadmitted of a reverberation.

  "They must have escaped," he said; "but, merciful heaven! there mustbe no uncertainty in this case. What shall I do?"

  The windows of the lower story were all strongly guarded and hopeless,but one opening on the balcony of Christine's studio seemed practicableif it could be reached. A half-grown elm swayed its graceful branchesover the balcony, and Dennis knew the tough and fibrous nature of thistree. In the New England woods of his early home he had learned toclimb for nuts like a squirrel, and so with no great difficulty hemounted the trunk and dropped from an overhanging branch to the pointhe sought. The window was down at the top, but the lower sash wasfastened. He could see the catch by the light of the fire. He brokethe pane of glass nearest it, hoping that the crash might awakenChristine, if she were still there. But after the clatter died awaythere was no sound. He then noisily raised the sash and stepped in.

  What a rush of memories came over him as he looked around the familiarplace! There was the spot on which he had stood and asked for the lovethat he had valued more than life. There stood the easel on which,through Christine's gifted touch, his painted face had pleaded withscarcely less eloquence, till he blotted it out with his own hand. Inmemory of it all his heart again failed him, and he sighed, "She willnever love me."

  But there was no time for sentiment. He called loudly: "Miss Ludolph,awake! awake! for your life!"

  There was no answer. "She must be gone," he said. The front room,facing toward the west, he knew to be her sleeping-apartment. Goingthrough the passage, he knocked loudly, and called again; but in thesilence that followed he heard his own watch tick, and his heart beat.He pushed the door open with the feeling of one profaning a shrine,and looked timidly in. Even in that thrilling hour of peril and anxiety,his eye was enraptured by the beauty of the room. Not only was itfurnished with the utmost luxuriance, but everything spoke of a quaintand cultured taste, from the curious marble clock and bronze on themantel, even to the pattern of the Turkey carpet on which the glareof the fire, as it glinted through the shutters, played faintly. Oneof the most marked features, however, was an exquisite life-size statueof Diana at the foot of the bed, grasping her bow with one hand, andin the act of seizing an arrow with the other, as if aroused toself-defence. When Dennis first saw it, he was so startled by itslifelike attitude that he stepped back into the passage. But, with allthe beauty of the room, it was utterly pagan; not a single thingsuggested Christian faith or a knowledge of the true God. With theexception of its modern air, it might just as well have been theresting-place of a Greek or Roman maiden of rank.

  Reassured, he timidly advanced again, and then for the first time,between the two marble statuettes holding back the curtains of thebed, saw Christine, but looking more white and deathlike than themarble itself.

  She lay with her face toward him. Her hair of gold, unconfined, streamedover the pillow; one fair round arm, from which her night-robe hadslipped back, was clasped around her head, and a flickering ray oflight, finding access at the window, played upon her face and neckwith the strangest and most weird effect.

  So deep was her slumber that she seemed dead, and Dennis, in hisoverwrought state, thought that she was. For a moment his heart stoodstill, and his tongue was paralyzed. A distant explosion aroused him.Approaching softly he said, in an awed whisper (he seemed powerlessto speak louder), "Miss Ludolph!--Christine!"

  But the light of the coming fire played and flickered over the still,white face, that never before had seemed so strangely beautiful.

  "Miss Ludolph!--Oh, Christine, awake!" cried Dennis, louder.

  To his wonder and unbounded perplexity, he saw the hitherto motionlesslips wreathe themselves into a lovely smile, but otherwise there wasno response, and the ghostly light played and flickered on, dancingon temple, brow, and snowy throat, and clasping the white arm in wavycirclets of gold. It was all so weird and strange that he was growingsuperstitious, and losing faith in his own senses. He could not knowthat she was under the influence of an opiate, and that his voice ofall others could, like a faint echo, find access to her mind so deeplysunk in lethargy.

  But a louder and nearer explosion, like a warning voice, made himwholly desperate; and he roughly seized her hand, determining to dispelthe illusion, and learn the truth at once.

  Christine's blue eyes opened wide with a bewildered stare; a look ofthe wildest terror came into them, and she started up and shrieked,"Father! father!"

  Then turning toward the as yet unknown invader, she cried, piteously:"Oh, spare my life! Take everything; I will give you anything you ask,only spare my life."

  She evidently thought herself addressing a ruthless robber.

  Dennis retreated toward the door the moment she awakened; and thissomewhat reassured her.

  In the firm, quiet tone that always calms excitement he replied, "Ionly ask you to give me your confidence, Miss Ludolph, and to joinwith me, Dennis Fleet, in my effort to save your life."

  "Dennis Fleet! Dennis Fleet! save my life! Oh, ye gods, what does itall mean?" and she passed her hand in bewilderment across her brow,as if to brush away the wild fancies of a dr
eam.

  "Miss Ludolph, as you love your life arouse yourself and escape! Thecity is burning!"

  "I don't believe it!" she cried, in an agony of terror and anger."Leave the room! How dare you! You are not Dennis Fleet; he is a whiteman, and you are black! You are an impostor! Leave quick, or my fatherwill come and take your life! Father! father!"

  Dennis without a word stepped to the window, tore aside the curtain,threw open the shutters, and the fire filled the room with the glareof noonday. At that moment an explosion occurred which shook the veryearth. Everything rattled, and a beautiful porcelain vase fellcrashing to the floor.

  Christine shrieked and covered her face with her hands.

  Dennis approached the bedside, and said in a gentle, firm tone thatshe knew to be his: "Miss Ludolph, I _am_ Mr. Fleet. My face isblackened through smoke and dust, as is every one's out in the streetsto-night. You know something of me, and I think you know nothingdishonorable. Can you not trust me? Indeed you must; your life dependsupon it!"

  "Oh, pardon me, Mr. Fleet!" she cried, eagerly. "I am not worthy ofthis, but now that I know you, I do trust you from the depth of mysoul!"

  "Prove it then by doing just as I bid you," he replied, in a voice sofirm and prompt that it seemed almost stern. Retreating to the door,he continued: "I give you just five minutes in which to make yourtoilet and gather a light bundle of your choicest valuables. Dress inwoollen throughout, and dress warmly. I will see that the servants arearoused. Your father is on the south side, and cannot reach you. Youmust trust in God and what I can do for you."

  "I must trust to you _alone_," she said. "Please send my maid to me."

  Mr. Ludolph had sipped his wine during the evening, and his servantshad sipped, in no dainty way, something stronger, and therefore hadnot awakened readily. But the uproar in the streets had aroused them,and Dennis found them scuttling down the upper stairs in a half-cladstate, each bearing a large bundle, which had been made up withoutregard to _meum_ and _tuum_.

  "Och, murther! is the world burning up?" cried the cook.

  "Be still, ye howlin' fool," said the cool and travelled maid. "It'sonly von big fire!"

  "Go to your mistress and help her, quick!" cried Dennis.

  "Go to my meestress! I go to de street and save my life."

  "Oh, Janette!" cried Christine. "Come and help me!"

  "I am meeserable zat I cannot. I must bid mademoiselle quick adieu,"said the heartless creature, still keeping up the veneer of Frenchpoliteness.

  Dennis looked through the upper rooms and was satisfied that they wereempty. Suddenly a piercing shriek from Christine sent him flying toher room. As he ran he heard her cry, "Oh, Mr. Fleet! come! help!"

  To go back a little (for on that awful night events marched as rapidlyas the flames, and the experience of years was crowded into hours, andthat of hours into moments), Christine had sought as best she couldto obey Dennis's directions, but she was sadly helpless, having beentrained to a foolish dependence on her maid. She had accomplished butlittle when she heard a heavy step in the room. Looking up, she sawa strange man regarding her with an evil eye.

  "What do you want?" she faltered.

  "You, for one thing, and all you have got, for another," was the brutalreply.

  "Leave this room!" she cried, in a voice she vainly tried to renderfirm.

  "Not just yet," he answered, with a satanic grin. She sought to escapeby him with the loud cry that Dennis heard, but the ruffian plantedhis big grimy hand in the delicate frill of her night-robe where itclasped her throat, and with a coarse laugh said: "Not so fast, mydainty!"

  Trembling and half fainting (for she had no physical courage), shecried for Dennis, and never did knightly heart respond with more braveand loving throb to the cry of helpless woman than his. He came withalmost the impetus of a thunderbolt, and the man, startled, lookedaround, and catching a glimpse of Dennis's blazing eyes, dropped hishold on Christine, and shrank and cowered from the blow he could notavert. Before his hand could instinctively reach the pistol it sought,there was a thud, and he fell like a log to the floor. Then, springingupon him, Dennis took away his weapons, and, seizing him by the collarof his coat, dragged him backward downstairs and thrust him into thestreet. Pointing his own pistol at him, he said, "If you trouble usagain, I will shoot you like a dog!"

  The villain slunk off, and finding some kindred spirits sacking aliquor-store not far off, he joined the orgy, seeking to drown hisrage in rum, and he succeeded so effectually that he lay in the guttersoon after. The escaping multitude trampled over him, and soon thefire blotted out his miserable existence, as it did that of so manywho rendered themselves powerless by drink.

  When Dennis returned he found Christine panting helplessly on a chair.

  "Oh, dress! dress!" he cried. "We have not a moment to spare."

  The sparks and cinders were falling about the house, a perfect stormof fire. The roof was already blazing, and smoke was pouring down thestairs.

  At his suggestion she had at first laid out a heavy woollen dress andScotch plaid shawl. She nervously sought to put on the dress, but hertrembling fingers could not fasten it over her wildly throbbing bosom.Dennis saw that in the terrible emergency he must act the part of abrother or husband, and springing forward he assisted her with thedexterity he had learned in childhood.

  Just then a blazing piece of roof, borne on the wings of the gale,crashed through the window, and in a moment the apartment, that hadseemed like a beautiful casket for a still more exquisite jewel, wasin flames.

  Hastily wrapping Christine in the blanket shawl, he snatched her,crying and wringing her hands, into the street.

  Holding his hand she ran two or three blocks with all the speed herwild terror prompted; then her strength began to fail, and she pantinglycried that she could run no longer. But this rapid rush carried themout of immediate peril, and brought them into the flying throng pressingtheir way northward and westward. Wedged into the multitude they couldonly move on with it in the desperate struggle forward. But fire wasfalling about them like a meteoric shower.

  Suddenly Christine uttered a sharp cry of pain. She had stepped on aburning cinder, and then realized for the first time, in her excitement,that her feet were bare.

  "Oh, what shall I do?" she cried piteously, limping and leaning heavilyon Dennis's arm.

  "Indeed, Miss Ludolph, from my heart I pity you."

  "Can you save me? Oh, do you think you can save me?" she moaned, inan agony of fear.

  "Yes, I feel sure I can. At any rate I shall not leave you;" and takingher a little out of the jostling crowd he kneeled and bound up theburned foot with his handkerchief. A little further on they came toa shoe-store with doors open and owners gone. Almost carrying Christineinto it, for her other foot was cut and bleeding, he snatched down apair of boy's stout gaiters, and wiping with another handkerchief theblood and dust from her tender little feet, he made the handkerchiefsanswer for stockings, and drew the shoes on over them.

  In the brief moment so occupied, Christine said, with tears in hereyes: "Mr. Fleet, how kind you are! How little I deserve all this!"

  He looked up with a happy smile, and she little knew that her few wordsamply repaid him.

  There was a crash in the direction of the fire. With a cry of fear,Christine put out her hands and clung to him.

  "Oh, we shall perish! Are you not afraid?"

  "I tremble for you, Miss Ludolph."

  "Not for yourself?"

  "No! why should I? I am safe. Heaven and mother are just beyond thistempest."

  "I would give worlds for your belief.""Come, quick!" cried he, and they joined the fugitives, and for ahalf-hour pressed forward as fast as was possible through the chokedstreets, Dennis merely saying an encouraging word now and then. Suddenlyshe felt herself carried to one side, and falling to the ground withhim. In a moment he lifted her up, and she saw with sickening terroran infuriated dray-horse plunging through the crowd, striking downmen, women, and children.

 
"Are you hurt?" he asked, gently, passing his arm around her and helpingher forward, that they might not lose a single step.

  "Awful! Awful!" she said, in a low, shuddering tone.

  The dreadful scenes and the danger were beginning to overpower her.

  A little further on they reached an avenue to the northwest throughwhich Dennis hoped to escape. But they could make but little headwaythrough the dense masses of drays, carriages, and human beings, andat last everything came to a deadlock. Their only hope was to standin their place till the living mass moved on again.

  Strange, grotesque, and sad beyond measure were the scenes by whichthey were surrounded. By the side of the aristocratic Christine, nowBaroness Ludolph, stood a stout Irishwoman, hugging a grunting,squealing pig to her breast. A little in advance a hook-nosed spinstercarried in a cage a hook nosed parrot that kept discordantly crying,"Polly want a cracker." At Dennis's left a delicate lady of the highestsocial standing clasped to her bare bosom a babe that slept aspeacefully as in the luxurious nursery at home. At her side was alittle girl carrying as tenderly a large wax doll. A diamond necklacesparkled like a circlet of fire around the lady's neck. Her husbandhad gone to the south side, and she had had but time to snatch thisand her children. A crowd of obscene and profane rowdies stood justbehind them, and with brutal jest and coarse laughter they passedaround a whiskey-bottle. One of these roughs caught a glimpse of thediamond necklace, and was putting forth his blackened hand to graspit, when Dennis pointed the captured pistol at him and said, "This islaw now!"

  The fellow slunk back.

  Just before them was a dray with a corpse half covered with a blanket.The family sat around crying and wringing their hands, and the driverstood in his seat, cursing and gesticulating for those in advance tomove on. Some moments passed, but there was no progress. Dennis becamevery anxious, for the fire was rapidly approaching, and the sparkswere falling like hail. Every few moments some woman's dress was ablaze,or some one was struck by the flying brands, and shrieks for help wereheard on every side. Christine, being clad in woollen, escaped thisperil in part. She stood at Dennis's side trembling like a leaf, withher hands over her face to shut out the terrible sights.

  At last the driver, fearing for his life, jumped off his dray and leftall to their fate. But a figure took his place that thrilled Dennis'sheart with horror.

  There on the high seat stood Susie Winthrop--rather Mrs. Leonard. Thelight of insanity glowed in her eyes; her long hair swept away to thenorth, and turning toward the fiery tempest she bent forward as iflooking for some one. But after a moment she sadly shook her head, asif she had sought in vain. Suddenly she reached out her white armstoward the fire, and sang, clear and sweet above the horrid din:

  "O burning flakes of fiery snow, Bury me too, bury me deep; My lover sleeps thy banks below; Fall on me, that I may sleep!"

  At this moment a blazing brand fell upon the horses' heads; theystartled forward, and the crazed lady fell over on the corpse below.The animals being thoroughly terrified turned sharp around on thesidewalk, and tore their way right toward the fire, trampling downthose in their track, and so vanished with their strangely assortedload.

  Dennis, fearing to stay any longer where he was, determined to followin their wake and find a street leading to the north less choked, eventhough it might be nearer the fire, and so with his trembling companionhe pressed forward again.

  Two blocks below he found one comparatively clear, but in terribleproximity to the conflagration. Indeed, the houses were burning oneach side, but the street seemed clear of flame. He thought that byswiftly running they could get through. But Christine's strength wasfast failing her, and just as they reached the middle of the block atall brick building fell across the street before them! Thus theironly path of escape was blocked by a blazing mass of ruins that itwould have been death to cross.

  They seemed hemmed in on every side, and Dennis groaned in agony.

  Christine looked for a moment at the impassable fiery barrier, thenat Dennis, in whose face and manner she read unutterable sympathy forherself, and the truth flashed upon her.

  With a piercing shriek she fainted dead away in his arms.