Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 46: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Flying brands were seething through the air in every direction, threatening destruction at all points —a fire-fiend was literally ruling the city likea tyrant, and man was powerless beneath him, | Mr. Earlescourt dressed himself hurriedly, then going to his trunk, took out several packages of im- portant papers, aud disposed of them about his per- son. He also equipped himself with a silver-mounted revolver, which was loaded in every barrel, “The rest must burn,’ he muttered, as he dropped the lid of the trunk; then, seizing an overcoat, he hurried from the room, He found the whdle hotel in a strate of wildest con- fusion. Men, women, and children were hastening from the building, their arms filed with bundles of clothing, and sueh treasures as they valued most sacred. It was a fearful scene; all were escaping for their lives, and one could only think of the de- struction of Sodom, As Adrien Earlescourt stepped out upon the pave- ment he was horrifled to see the extent of the ravages | of the fire-fiend. All the houses in that section of the | city seerfied to be imperiled. | “The tire never will be staid until it has consumed everything to the borders of the lake,” Mr. Earlseourt said to himself, a nameless horror clutching at his heart as he thought of Emelie Graham in her ‘stately home, with no one on whom to depend save her serv- ants, who would perhaps heartlessly desert her and leave her to her fate in this hour of peril. He knew there was no time to lose. She might even now be safe, but he could not take if for grant- ed that she was—he must lmow for hiniself, He darted through the nearest streets to Michigan avenue, along which he sped at his fleetest cait, feel- ing as if those cruel flames were hurrying after him with lightning-like rapidity. He reached the Graham mansion, but it was in darkness, save for one solitary light in one of the chaminbers, and no one seemed to be stirring within it. He rang the ailver-toued bell a furious peal, and a moment later the door o vened, and Mrs, Grabam her- self atood on the threshold. “Oh, I thoughtit mightbe you! Isn’t thisdreadful?” she said, as ae put out her white hand and grasped his, in a clinging way, that made his prose pal thee gh joy, and told “him how trustfilly she reveauesons