Mrs. Bob: A Novel — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

“I WONDER IF YOU ARE THAT MAN.” 12 They are advancing in the right direction, but it is a question whether they will beable to get far enough to distance the broad line marked by the billows of flame that leap from tree to tree, and reduce the once proud forest to a miserable ruin, with skeleton stumps smoking and smoldering in its track. The man has meekly followed up to this time, but now he steps into the lead. He notices, with deep concern, that the girl no longer runs with the swift- ness of a fawn—she is tired. As she looks up at him she tries to smile cheerily while saying, in little gasps: “Don’t you think that we are making 1t—that our chances of escape are good ?”’ Now, Bob, aroused to the occasion, can easily see that the line of fire stretches some distance beyond, and advances rapidly—he also knows that even by changing their course so as to flee more directly from it, they will not be able to escape if their progress does not increase. ‘‘T fear that you deceive yourself—that you are also utterly worn out—you must let me help you.”’ He takes hold of her arm without as much as ‘‘by your leave,’’? and thus assists her. Fora short time a visible difference in their progress is the result, but the girl suddenly comes to a halt and looks at him fixedly. ‘Tt is no use,’’ she says, as oe as her spent breath will allow, ‘‘I can go no farther.’ “But you must,’’ he declares, casting a look over his shoulder at the advancing line of roaring fire that already burns his face. COMMICLOOKS EO im