t it was
that hour of the night, or rather morning, when sleep is heaviest, and
the watchful senses off their guard. The teamsters, who slept in their
wagons, were the first to be aroused; but they, seeing the peril which
might come to their teams, and destruction to their property, kept by
their own. The inhabitants of the dwellings awoke more slowly, and came
pouring into the street only in time to see the roof of the Traveler's
Rest falling in, although the lower story was not yet consumed.

Nobody knew much about the details of the scene that ensued. The current
of heated air produced the usual rush of cold wind, which spread and fed
the flames, until, in half an hour, all hope of saving any part of the
principal street in the Bar was abandoned, and people were flying for
safety to the outskirts of the town.

On a little eminence, overlooking the burning buildings, together stood
Gentleman Bill and a young woman he had rescued from smoke and flame
just in time to save her from suffocation. Together they looked down
upon the conflagration, and together listened to the horrible medley of
sounds proceeding from it.

"If I could only know that my father is safe!" was the repeated moan of
Anne Matheny, as she gazed intently upon the scene of distress.

Seeing the fright and trouble in her eyes, her companion cunningly
diverted her attention for one moment to the weird landscape stretching
away toward the western mountains. It was the same scene she had beheld
for the first time with such interest twelve hours before; but in what
a different aspect! The murky heavens reflected the red glare of the
flames upon every object for miles around, tinging each with a lurid
gleam like nothing in nature. The dark neutrals of the far-off
mountains, the gray-green of the pines, the sere colors of the parched
valley, the dark dull-green of the oaks, garlanded with hoary moss, and
the gay foliage of the wild grape; all came out distinctly in this
furnace-glow, but with quite new effects. In the strong and strange
fascination of the scene, both these young people, so singularly
situated, forgot for three minutes their mutual anxiety. Longer it
would be impossible to forget it.

"Do not you think I might go to look for my father now, Mr. ----?"

"Randolph"--supplied that gentleman.

"Oh, thank you!--Mr. Randolph?"

"I do not see how you could, really;" and, without intending it in the
least, but simply through his embarrassment,