The Heatherford Fortune Part 21

"I am going to my room now, Squire Talford," he said when these arrangements were completed, "but if you should need me before morning and can arouse any one, you can send for me, and I will gladly come to you. I will drop in anyway after breakfast, to see how you are."

The man nodded, but did not unclose his eyes, and Clifford, after turning the gas low, went quietly out, taking care to close the door softly after him.

The next morning on inquiring at the door regarding the squire's condition before going to his business, he was told by the landlady that he had slept but little, and was suffering very much, both from the sprain and a high fever, for he had evidently taken a severe cold.

Clifford went up to his room and tried to persuade him to have medical advice, but the man curtly refused to do so; and after doing what little he could for his comfort, he was obliged to leave him to himself.

He found him even worse on his return at night, and he spent most of the evening with him, bathing the injured ankle, rubbing it thoroughly with a liniment which he had procured of a druggist, and afterward rebandaging it as deftly as if he were accustomed to such duties. He also bathed the man's fevered face and hands, and he seemed much refreshed afterward.

The squire did not submit to these operations with a very good grace at first, but Clifford had a.s.sumed a masterful air, and went straight ahead as if he had a perfect right to do so, and was so gentle and handy that before he was through he could see that the squire's antagonism to his presence was merging into a sort of helpless reliance upon him.

He had brought some lemons with him, and with these he made a small pitcher of lemonade, some of which the sufferer drank with thirsty relish, the remainder being left where he could easily reach it.

Clifford felt very reluctant to leave him alone, for he saw that he was very ill; but the squire bade him go, saying that he was all right, and he felt obliged to obey him.

He did not feel wearied or like sleeping after reaching his own room, and, having a new book, he read until very late, retiring just as the clock in a room below struck the half-hour after twelve.

He fell asleep almost immediately; but suddenly--it seemed as if he could hardly have lost himself--he was aroused by hearing the rapid "chug-chug" of a steam fire-engine close by and a perfect babel of voices in the street below him.

He sprang from his bed and rushed to a window, and was appalled to see smoke and flame issuing from both the door and windows of the adjoining house, which he had left only a few hours previous. His first thought was for Squire Talford, who was on the third floor, and who, in his crippled condition, would find it very difficult to get out of the burning building.

He hurriedly threw on some clothing; then dashed down-stairs and out of doors. The entire lower floor of the burning house was in flames. The fire had started in the bas.e.m.e.nt, and had gained great headway before it was discovered.

The stairway leading to the second story was also on fire, and thus rendered impa.s.sable, and the family and servants were being taken out of the second-floor windows by the firemen when Clifford appeared upon the scene.

"Where is Squire Talford?" he demanded of the landlady, as soon as he could find her.

"Merciful heavens, sir! I'm sure I don't know. He must be up-stairs in his room. With so many other things on my mind I haven't thought of him till this minute!" cried the almost distracted woman, wringing her hands in terror.

Clifford turned suddenly white with a terrible fear. One sweeping glance aloft told him that the man would shortly be suffocated by smoke, even if the flames had not already reached him. He knew that he could not put his injured foot to the floor; that he was almost as helpless as an infant; and unless he had immediate a.s.sistance the chances in his favor were very small indeed.

It was too late to try to save him by getting him out of the windows on the front of the house, for some of the firemen had been burned while making their last trip down the ladder with their burdens, and the flames were now pouring out of them.

Without saying a word to any one, he dashed back into his own house, bounded up three flights of stairs, and made his way out upon the roof, through a skylight, and ran across to the one on the roof of the fated building.

It was fastened; but with one blow of his heel he smashed a pane of gla.s.s, and reaching inside, unhooked it, throwing it open with a force that nearly tore it from its hinges. The next moment he was making his way down the stairs; but the whole place was black with smoke so dense that he could scarcely see or breathe.

He sprang into the squire's room, to find the man lying crossway of the bed, his face downward, panting for breath and moaning piteously. He had tried to get up to escape, wrenched his ankle, and fallen back again half-fainting from the pain, from fear, and a horrible sense of his own helplessness.

"Courage, Squire Talford!" cried Clifford, in forceful tones. "I will have you out of this very shortly. Now think quick--have you any papers and valuables that you want to take with you?"

"Yes--a package of doc.u.ments in my trunk--my watch and wallet are under my pillow," the man feebly responded, though he had lifted his head eagerly the instant he caught the sound of the familiar, encouraging voice.

Clifford had the wallet and watch in his pocket almost before he ceased speaking; then he flew to the trunk--fortunately it was not locked--found the papers, and thrust them into his pocket. The next moment he was bending over the squire.

"Here, let me help you up," he said; "you must not mind if you are hurt a little--put your arms around my neck and give yourself up to me, and I will save you."

The man rolled over, and with Clifford's help stood upon his well foot, though a groan burst from him in making the effort. He clasped his hands about the young man's neck, as he was bidden, and Clifford lifted him in his arms, bore him from the room, through the volume of smoke that was now rolling up through the aperture above, up the stairs to the roof, and across it to the next house.

Here he deposited his burden upon the upper step of the flight of stairs leading below, while the fresh, frosty air had done much toward reviving the almost suffocated man.

"Now," said Clifford, "if you can manage to get inside out of the cold by yourself, I will go back and see if I can save some of your clothing.

Can you?"

"Yes, I will try; but don't run any risk for the clothes, Cliff," the squire replied as he began to ease himself down the stairs; for he was s.h.i.+vering with cold and excitement.

In spite of the gravity of the situation, a smile flashed over Clifford's face as he noted the change in the man's tone when he p.r.o.nounced his name, and marked the consideration expressed for him. He darted back and down into the room which he had only just left, although now the flames smote him as he went, for they were rolling up from below with devouring force.

He s.n.a.t.c.hed a sheet from the bed, and, without making a false movement or step, piled upon it everything belonging to the squire that he could lay his hands on, emptying both trunk and closet; then gathering it up by the four corners, he knotted them, swung the pack over his head, and a moment later was again on the roof of the house, and this time getting a thorough drenching from the stream of water which had been directed to the column of smoke that was pouring out of the skylight.

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 his pack through the roof of his own dwelling, he quickly followed it, to find the squire s.h.i.+vering in the hall below.

He a.s.sisted him down the next flight to the room he occupied, which was a large square apartment in the front of the house, and made him get into his own bed.

The man was a little inclined to rebel against this arrangement, for he seemed to think that they were still in danger from the fire; but Cliff a.s.sured him that the department were getting the flames under control, and they were in no danger, as the walls between the houses were fireproof.

As soon as he had made him comfortable, he went up-stairs again to bring down the clothing he had saved, and arranged it neatly in his closet and an empty trunk of his own; after which he had a bath and put on dry garments.

Although the engines continued to play for more than an hour after this, the worst was over, no lives had been lost, although much personal property was destroyed, and the excitement soon subsided.

But when morning broke Squire Talford was raving in the delirium of fever. Clifford felt it his duty to act upon his own responsibility, and immediately called a physician, 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 illness. Knowing the squire's horror of incurring heavy expenses, Clifford did not quite like to send him to a hospital, while the cost of a trained nurse in the house, with her board to be paid, would very soon amount to an appalling sum.

The man was in no condition to plan for himself, and so, after thinking the matter over seriously, and consulting with his landlady, who was a kind-hearted, sensible woman, Clifford decided to send for Maria Kimberly to come and take care of her master.

Mrs. Woodruff, the owner of the house, had a couple of empty rooms which she was very glad to rent--one on the same floor and another above--and Clifford said he would take one and Maria could have the other.

So, about the middle of the forenoon, while Mrs. Kimberly was ironing the last parlor curtain--which, after it was hung, would complete her house-cleaning for that season--a messenger-boy appeared at the door with a telegram for her.

It was Cliff's message, briefly telling of the squire's illness, and bidding her come to nurse him. She was to take the earliest possible train for New York, wire Clifford when she reached that city what hour she would leave for Was.h.i.+ngton, and he would meet her upon her arrival.

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 through twice, her mind began to act vigorously.

"Goodness gracious me!" she e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed as she drew a long breath. "It's come like a clap of thunder! But of course I've got to go. Yes, and--I'm sure it's another dispensation of Providence--I shall take that box belonging to Cliff along with me."

CHAPTER XVIII.

MARIA SPEAKS HER MIND.

After Maria had settled the question of duty, she went very systematically to work to prepare for her journey. She calmly finished ironing her curtain, hung it nicely in its place, and then swept a satisfied look around the neatly arranged and immaculate room before closing and locking the door to keep out all intruders during her absence.

Then she rolled up her sleeves, and for the next three hours baked and boiled and fried until her pantry was well stocked with substantial and toothsome provisions for the hired man and ch.o.r.e-boy.

"This'll last you nigh onto two weeks, with what you can cook for yourselves," she said to Pat, as she showed him the result of her labors. "There's plenty of salt pork in the barrel that you can fry when you want a change from corned beef and ham, and there's all kinds of veg'tables in the cellar. I guess you can manage some way till I come back, and if you get out of bread you can ask Miss Barnes to bake you some, or you can buy it of the baker."

Her cooking out of the way and everything about the house left in the most tidy manner imaginable, Maria packed her small trunk, arrayed herself in a good, serviceable gown for traveling, and was driven into New Haven in ample time to catch her train.