A fire in a country village is a great event. There is but one other
attraction that approaches it in importance, and that is the annual
circus.
Both bring out the entire village, but the fire draws the better of the
two. It is a free show, while the circus is not, and here it has an
immense advantage over the latter--an advantage that can hardly be
overcome by the clowns and menagerie. It gives the men, the boys too, a
chance to be brave--to do daring deeds and a large number of foolish
ones. Then there is the mystery of how it caught, and whether it was the
work of an incendiary or not. Why, a good sized fire in a village will
often serve for months as a theme for discussion when other subjects are
scarce.
This particular fire was the largest Mapleton had ever known. Every one
had hurriedly dressed, and rushed down the street to see John Rexford's
store burn. Women and children insufficiently wrapped for the chilly air
of this cold November night stood there watching the angry flames as
they shot high in the air, fed by barrels of oil and lard. It was a
grand sight to witness, as the blackness of the night made the flames
doubly brilliant.
Nothing could be done to save the store, and the men directed their
efforts to keeping the flames from spreading. In this they did a good
work. John Rexford did not arrive at the scene until the building was a
sheet of flame and the roof had fallen in. The sight almost crazed him.
He flew at the door as if to enter amid the burning goods and secure
certain valuables, but the fierce flames drove him back. He reluctantly
yielded, and in his helplessness seemed the picture of despair as he saw
before him his store--his idol--a mass of blazing timbers and half
burned goods.
He was now without a store, even as Fred was without a clerkship, and
could perhaps realize to some extent how the latter felt at being
suddenly thrown out of his chosen vocation.
Fred was there too. He stood a little back from the front of the crowd,
and at one side, intently watching the progress of the flames, and
seemingly wrapped in thought. Finally he turned his head, and a little
to the right of him saw Nellie and her mother. Nellie was looking
directly at him, evidently studying his face. When his eyes met hers and
she found that she was discovered, a blush, plainly visible by the
light of the flames, covered her pretty face.
Fred felt his heart beat faster. He longed to speak with her and learn
her thoughts, and yet he did not dare approach her. The peculiar look
she gave him, and that vivid blush--what did it mean? He could not make
up his mind upon these points, and yet there was a fascination in
studying them, for he sometimes persuaded himself that they meant one
thing, and then again perhaps its very opposite.
Presently she and her mother returned home, and Fred saw no more of
them.
The fire was now under control. All danger of its spreading was passed,
and the crowd returned to their several homes well nigh chilled through.
A few men remained to watch the fire as it died away, and to see that no
sparks were carried to other buildings by the strong east wind.
Among those who remained was John Rexford. He was pale and haggard, and
shivered, while the cold wind seemed to penetrate his very bones, yet he
clung to the spot as if he would pluck the mystery--the cause of the
fire--from the burning mass before him. Finally he approached Mr.
Coombs, the sheriff, and said:
"Who was the first to discover this fire?"
"I was," replied the sheriff proudly, with a feeling that he must be
looked upon as something of a hero.
"Did you see it from your house?"
"No; I saw it just as I turned the corner, coming toward the stable."
"Coming which way?" asked the merchant, trying to learn something that
might give him a clew to work upon.
"Coming from the Falls, of course, where I had been attending court."
"What time was that?"
"Nigh on to eleven o'clock."
"And you saw no one here?"
"No."
"Nor any one on the street?"
"Not a soul stirring, except Jim, the stable boy."
"Where was he?"
"Sound asleep."
"He couldn't have been stirring very much then," said the merchant, with
a show of disgust.
"Well, I mean he was the only one about, and I had to wake him up."
"And you raised the alarm?"
"I should think I did."
"Then you didn't come directly here?"
"Yes, I did, but I yelled fire pretty lively all the same, and started
the stable boy up the street to wake everybody up."
"Where was the fire burning then?"
"On the back end of the store. A blaze was just starting up through the
roof."
"It was on the back end, you say?"
"Yes; and just as I got here the back windows burst out, and the way the
flames rolled up was a caution."
"Was there no fire in the front store then?"
"No, there didn't seem to be when I first got here, but after I went
round to the rear end to see how it was there, and came back, the flames
had come through, and everything was ablaze. I tell you what, I never
saw anything burn like it."
"It must have started in the back store, then," said Mr. Rexford
thoughtfully.
"No doubt of it," returned officer Coombs.
"This is important evidence," said the merchant, after a pause.
The sheriff brightened up at this, and his eyes snapped with delight.
Here was a case for official service.
"To be sure it is, sir," he replied.
"There is some mystery about this."
"'Pears to me so."
"We had no stove in the back store."
"I know it--that's so, Mr. Rexford. It looks bad."
"And I closed up the store myself tonight, and went into the back room,
as usual, to see that everything was all right."
"I dare say it was. You are a careful man."
"Yes, it was all right. I'm certain of that."
"Good evidence, too. Capital evidence, Mr. Rexford," said the officer,
rubbing his hands together with evident delight.
"You are sure there was no fire in the front room when you first got
here?"
"I am positive there was none."
"I may want your testimony."
"I hope so, sir, for crime should be punished."
"I hope it will, in this case, at least," said the merchant; "for I
believe this store has been fired, and perhaps robbed."
"Shouldn't wonder if it had been robbed--more than likely it was, now I
think of it."
"But as everything is burned up, it will be almost impossible to find
this out, as I can't really miss anything."
"There will be a chance for some pretty sharp detective work, I should
say."
"You are good at that, I believe," said the merchant.
"Well, I fancy they can't fool me much, if I do say it."
"Then I want you to go to work on this case."
"I will commence at once, Mr. Rexford. The guilty party can't escape me
when I give my whole mind to it."
"I hope you will put your whole mind on it, then."
"I shall indeed, sir. I will go home now and form my theory. I have the
facts to work on. Early in the morning I will see you, and we will
compare notes and get ready for business--active business, I assure
you."