ere! I guess that's better."

But they had not given them up yet. In the still unburnt rubbish at the
right, some one had wrenched an opening within a foot of Sene's face.
They clawed at the solid iron pintless like savage things. A fireman
fainted in the glow.

"Give it up!" cried the crowd from behind. "It can't be done! Fall
back!"--then hushed, awestruck.

An old man was crawling along upon his hands and knees over the heated
bricks. He was a very old man. His gray hair blew about in the wind.

"I want my little gal!" he said. "Can't anybody tell me where to find my
little gal?"

A rough-looking young fellow pointed in perfect silence through the
smoke.

"I'll have her out yet. I'm an old man, but I can help. She's my little
gal, ye see. Hand me that there dipper of water; it'll keep her from
choking, may be. Now! Keep cheery, Sene! Your old father'll get ye out.
Keep up good heart, child! That's it!"

"It's no use, father. Don't feel bad, father. I don't mind it very
much."

He hacked at the timber; he tried to laugh; he bewildered himself with
cheerful words.

"No more ye needn't, Senath, for it'll be over in a minute. Don't be
downcast yet! We'll have ye safe at home before ye know it. Drink a
little more water,--do now! They'll get at ye now, sure!"

But above the crackle and the roar a woman's voice rang out like a
bell:--

"We're going home, to die no more."

A child's notes quavered in the chorus. From sealed and unseen graves,
white young lips swelled the glad refrain,--

"We're going, going home."

The crawling smoke turned yellow, turned red. Voice after voice broke
and hushed utterly. One only sang on like silver. It flung defiance down
at death. It chimed into the lurid sky without a tremor. For one stood
beside her in the furnace, and his form was like unto the form of the
Son of God. Their eyes met. Why should not Asenath sing?

"Senath!" cried the old man out upon the burning bricks; he was scorched
now, from his gray hair to his patched boots.

The answer came triumphantly,--

"To die no more, no more, no more!"

"Sene! little Sene!"

But some one pulled him back.

Night-Watches.

Keturah wishes to state primarily that she is good-natured. She thinks
it necessary to make this statement, lest, after having heard her story,
you should, however polite you might be about it, in your heart of
hearts suspect her capable not only of allowing her angry passions to
ri