Refining Fire

by Tracie Peterson

  Cunningham nodded and began to lead the team away. “I’ll secure the omnibus in the carriage house, as well.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Cunningham,” Mrs. Madison called from the porch.

  Wade followed her into the house. Glancing around, he wondered where everyone had gotten off to. “Seems awfully quiet in here. I’ve never known that to happen too often.”

  “Oh, the girls are out in back decorating the gardens and tables. We are ahead of schedule, I’m happy to say. Having Mr. Cunningham around has proven quite useful.”

  “How is Abrianna adjusting to the idea of having her father here?”

  They entered the tiny room that Mrs. Madison used for an office. “She seems happy enough. Of course, only time will tell. Mr. Cunningham seems to be the good sort, and I haven’t any complaint except for his lack of proper clothing. Sister suggested we take him shopping, but I find it an uncomfortable situation.”

  “I could take him if you fear he’ll run off with the money or not buy something appropriate.”

  “That might be a wise way of handling it. After all, you would have better knowledge of the shops that might carry the appropriate clothing. That way he need never know there was any mistrust.” She sat down to her desk and drew out her cashbox. “I had thought to give you a draft, but since we were out to the bank yesterday, I decided to get the money for you.”

  “That was very considerate, Mrs. Madison, though I’ve never known any of you ladies to be otherwise.”

  She counted out a large sum in twenty-dollar bills. “This is the balance of our agreed-upon price.”

  Wade didn’t tell her that he’d quoted her a price nearly half of what most people would pay. He knew the old ladies had no idea what the cost of such things would be, and he liked sharing his talents with them. They had been good to him over the years, especially after his parents moved to California. Even so, with all they had given and done for him, they wouldn’t like thinking he was giving them charity.

  “Thank you. Could I impose upon you to hold the money for me in your safe for the time being? I really have never trusted banks.”

  “But of course.” She wrote him out a receipt and then put the money in an envelope and sealed it. She added his name to the envelope and then stood. “It will be here whenever you need it.” Moving to a small safe in the corner of the room, she quickly maneuvered the lock and opened the door. “As safe as the bank but not as large. Although Abrianna said it is a great risk to have one these days.”

  “I hadn’t considered it, but I suppose she’s right. Should anyone learn that you have a safe, they might be compelled to steal it.”

  “I had thought of that.” Mrs. Madison closed the safe. “Abrianna said if we were to have one, we should install one of those wall units so that a thief couldn’t just load it up and take it away. I suppose I should have you build me one.”

  Wade considered it a for moment. “It wouldn’t be that hard to do. It would require I cut into the wall, but I think we could manage it. Speaking of Abrianna, did she and Militine get back safely?”

  “Goodness, I’d all but forgotten about them. I’ve been so busy. My guess is that they would be in the garden with the others.” She paused a moment. “You care very much for Abrianna, don’t you?”

  Wade knew there was no use denying it. “I do.”

  “I would even venture to say that you . . . love her.”

  He nodded. “I do. I suppose I should have realized it sooner. I guess it just seemed she was always there and underfoot like an annoying little sister. But now . . .”

  “Now you’re in love with her and consider her in a completely different light.”

  “Yes,” Wade admitted. “Am I that obvious?”

  She smiled. “Not to everyone, but I’ve seen it coming for some time. I knew, however, that if it were meant to be, God would bring it about.”

  “But now she’s courting Welby.”

  Mrs. Madison laughed heartily. “And you intend to sit by and just let that happen? If so, you’re not half the man I believe you to be.”

  Matt slid down the chute without trouble. “I’m here, Miss Abrianna, but we’re gonna have to hurry. There’s some big fire going on around here. The air is smoky, and bells are ringing out all over town.”

  “I know. It won’t take you but a moment,” Abrianna said, leading him to the locked room. “I’ll keep watch.” She leaned against the door and spoke to the girls. “We’re back and we’re going to get you out. Don’t make any noise.”

  “We be quiet” came the same voice from earlier.

  Abrianna maneuvered herself so she could watch the basement door. The stairs were clear across the large basement, and there was plenty to hide behind should someone start down. Even so, her heart raced.

  Matt had no trouble with the lock. It popped open, and he hurried to free it from the door. Abrianna left her perch and came to help the victims. To her amazement there were several small Chinese women—very young and obviously terrified—all stuffed into the tiny enclosure. The smell of urine almost overwhelmed her. She motioned to them to come out and asked who could speak English.

  “Please to be sorry, I speak very bad,” a girl who looked to be maybe as old as fifteen answered.

  “That’s all right. How many of you are in here?”

  “Ten.”

  “Ten? Oh my goodness.” She took a brief moment to gather her thoughts.

  “Tell the others that we’re going to get them out, and they need to follow us and be very quiet.” The others barely moved from their places.

  “We not eat. We not drink but sometimes, and then it taste very bad and make us sleep.”

  They had been drugged. No doubt to keep them quiet, but why were they here? Her rage began to burn at the injustice. Was this Priam Welby’s doing or that of his man, Carl? She would get to the bottom of it, no matter what.

  “Matt, they’re going to need our help. You take one and I’ll take another. Let’s get them all to the boiler room, and then we can help them outside.”

  “We’re gonna need help, Miss Abrianna. They’re little enough, but I don’t know that we can get them up that chute.”

  She nodded. “I’ll have Militine go fetch Thane and Wade.”

  Abrianna hurried to the boiler room and called out for her friend. “You must get Wade and Thane. There are ten Chinese girls down here, and they are too weak to move on their own. We’ll have to have help to get them out.”

  “Thane may be busy with the fire,” Militine said. “There must be a big blaze nearby, because the air is getting thick with smoke.”

  She hadn’t considered that they might be in peril from the fire until that moment. “You have to hurry then. If the fire spreads, we might be trapped.”

  “I’ll run,” Militine promised. “I’m good at running.”

  Abrianna turned as Matt brought the first of the girls into the boiler room. It was the one who could speak a little English. Abrianna went to her and pulled her over to the chute. “Stay here. We have help coming, but there’s a fire outside, and we don’t know how close it is.”

  “Fire here?” the girl questioned, her eyes growing wide.

  “I hope not.” Abrianna didn’t want to frighten the poor child any more than she had. She smiled. “Stay right here. Do you understand?” The girl nodded.

  Matt and Abrianna worked together to get all the girls into the boiler room. She had no idea when Militine might return or how bad things might be outside, but Abrianna knew they couldn’t wait. Even if the fire proved to be no threat, they could still be discovered.

  “Matt, I think I will be better at pushing than pulling. You climb back out, and then lie on your belly. I’ll help each girl get up to the chute flap and then you pull them out. Agreed?”

  “Sure, Miss Abrianna. I can do that.” He scurried up the pile of coal and then the metal chute as if it were no more difficult than climbing over a chair. Once he was in position he called back. “Miss Abrian
na, I think the fire must be close. I can’t even see down the alley if someone is coming.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll get out of here quick enough.” She looked at the ten souls who were watching her and waiting for their salvation. No matter what it took, she would see these girls to safety.

  “Has Militine returned?”

  “I don’t see her,” Matt replied. “Come on, hurry up. We gotta get out of here.”

  Abrianna motioned to the smallest girl. “We’ll start with you.” The girl looked at her with large black eyes. She had no idea what she was to do, so Abrianna took hold of her hand and smiled. She pointed to the chute and Matt. “You go up there. I will help.” She looked at the girl who had acted as interpreter. “Can you tell them what we’re doing?”

  “Some I can talk for. Some I cannot.”

  Abrianna frowned. She hadn’t thought about all the different dialects of Chinese. She knew a little of Liang’s language and tried it on for size.

  “We will go now,” she said, hoping that the words were correct. Three of the girls perked up and nodded. They understood. At least it was a start.

  She pulled the small girl up from the floor and all but carried her up the coal and to the slide. Abrianna put her hands together and motioned the girl to step into them. The girl did so, though it seemed to take forever because of her weakness. Abrianna began to hoist her up, and the girl finally seemed to understand and took hold of the metal to pull herself upward. At the top, Matt took hold of her and quickly pulled her through to freedom.

  Abrianna sighed. Only nine more to go.

  Wade grew worried when he saw that Abrianna and Militine weren’t back. It was clear there was a major fire somewhere in town. He climbed to the top floor of the bridal school and could see great billows of smoke. It looked to be in the area of his shop.

  “I’m going to go back to my shop and see what’s going on,” he told Mrs. Madison. He didn’t want to mention that he would also look for Abrianna and Militine.

  He didn’t need to. “Will you find the girls? I’m sure they’re delayed due to the trolley, but I would rather they be safe at home.”

  “I will,” he promised. He made a run for the carriage house, where Mr. Cunningham was still currying one of the horses.

  “There’s a fire downtown, and Abrianna and Militine haven’t returned. I don’t like the looks of it.” He took up the rope that Cunningham had used to tie up the horse and jumped on the gelding’s bare back.

  “I’ll come, too,” the older man declared.

  “No. Stay here. The ladies here may need you. I’m sure it’s not all that bad of a situation, but you know Abrianna. She’s probably standing with the bucket brigade to help douse the flames.”

  Cunningham laughed. “I’m sure she is.”

  But Wade didn’t laugh. Instead, he shook his head and urged the horse toward the road. “Oh, Abrianna, where are you and what have you gotten yourself into now?”

  21

  Out of breath and feeling light-headed from the smoke, Militine found Wade at his shop. At first he didn’t seem to notice her. He was busy throwing his tools and belongings into the back of a wagon. And she didn’t have enough air to say anything. But if she didn’t hurry, what would happen to those girls? And Abrianna?

  “Wade!” Her voice pushed through heavy breaths.

  He stopped and glanced around. “Where’s Abrianna?”

  “I’m sorry, but we need your help.”

  His shoulders slumped. “I was afraid of that when I couldn’t readily find you. What’s she done this time?”

  “She’s trying to rescue a bunch of Chinese girls from the basement of the Madison Building. We don’t have time. Please, we need your help.”

  “What? That’s not far from the fire.” He moved toward her.

  She choked back a sob. What would she do without Abrianna? What if some awful person caught her in that basement? And to think she had to bear such news to a man so obviously in love with her friend. “We went there for the costume trunk, but they wouldn’t let us in. She went down the coal chute and found these girls locked up.” She took hold of his arm. “We have to hurry. Even if the fire doesn’t cause trouble for her, they could be discovered.”

  “Welby ought to be hanged for this.” Wade pushed her toward the wagon. “Come on.”

  Wade attempted to maneuver the wagon out from behind his shop and onto the street. The borrowed gelding wanted no part of the chaos that had become Front Street.

  “I was supposed to get Thane, too,” she said and then tried to explain further above the noise.

  “He’s probably at the fire. Look, I don’t know if I can get to the Madison Building with this wagon. Let’s leave it on the docks and come back for it. Hopefully folks will be too busy to start looting it.” He set the brake and jumped down. He pulled Militine to the ground. “Now, where did you leave them?”

  “The alley behind the Madison Building.”

  Just then a man broke from the stream of people and joined them. “Thane! Glad to see you.”

  Militine rushed to him. “Are you all right?”

  “It’s a bad one. The whole block is burning.” He put his arm around Militine. “I thought you and Abrianna would already be home by now.”

  “Abrianna apparently is on one of her fool crusades,” Wade told him.

  “It’s not foolish at all. We went to the Madison Building to get that trunk Mrs. Madison wanted, and when they wouldn’t let us in”—Militine barely took time to breathe—“Abrianna decided to go down the coal chute.”

  Thane rolled his eyes. “Of course she did. Is she stuck?”

  “No! Listen to me. Both of you need to come with me. Abrianna and one of her young orphan friends are trying to rescue ten Chinese girls who were locked up in the basement. We don’t know why they are there or who put them there.” Steam whistles from the waterfront began to blast along with the ongoing clang of bells.

  “But we can guess it was Welby, since it’s his building,” Wade replied sarcastically and in a barely audible voice.

  They kept step with Militine, although it was becoming more difficult to work their way against the flow of people. Militine feared for their lives as people, animals, and wagons flooded the streets. It seemed everyone had the same idea—get their possessions to the docks for safekeeping.

  “Fire’s outta control,” one man yelled as he passed them. “Better not go that way.”

  “We pulled the Gould steamer to the wharf,” Thane said, “but it’s low tide, so we can’t get water to pump. That’s going to limit them to the water mains and hydrants, and we already know those don’t have the capacity we’re going to need to put out this blaze.”

  Militine coughed and ducked her face into the top of her blouse. Thane handed her a handkerchief. “Use this. It won’t do much but ought to help a bit.”

  They rounded the corner where the Madison Building stood. Militine quickly pulled them out of sight. Numerous people were carrying crates out of the front door of the building, and she didn’t wish to be questioned. “They may already be on to Abrianna. Hurry.”

  They skirted around to the alley and found Abrianna and Matt with the Chinese girls. One by one they were moving them away from the building.

  “I’m sure glad to see you,” Abrianna declared. “We’re in a pickle here.”

  “When aren’t you in a pickle?” Wade asked. He took hold of the girl Abrianna was trying to move.

  “They’re really weak from lack of food and being drugged. I think if we each take two, we can get them out of here and down to your place,” Abrianna said, looking to Wade and then Thane.

  “That’s not going to help,” Thane told her. “The fire is spreading that way.”

  Abrianna coughed and wiped her eyes. “Then we can at least get them to the wharf.”

  “That’s probably all we can do,” Wade admitted. He went to help another girl to her feet and wrapped his arms around two of them. Thane did likewise
with two of the larger girls, while Matt took up two that were closer to his size. Militine and Abrianna followed suit. It wasn’t going to be easy, but Militine knew that if they didn’t try, those girls would die.

  “Let’s just head down the alley,” Thane suggested. “I don’t see any flames, so we ought to be okay.” He stumbled and quickly righted himself. “Smoke alone can kill, though, so keep moving and try to stay low.”

  Militine lost sight of Abrianna. They were staying close to the wall, but the smoke worsened, and it was impossible to see much but their own feet.

  God, I know I haven’t always been faithful, but Thane and I are trying hard to trust in you, and right now we need you more than ever.

  Her prayer seemed like such an ineffectual thing, but Militine remembered Abrianna saying that God heard every prayer. She didn’t have to have flowery words or know all sorts of Scripture in order to pray.

  As they came to the end of the alley, Thane called back to them. “Let’s meet at my shop if we get separated. It’s a little farther from the immediate path of the fire.”

  Militine saw a rush of people moving like a tidal wave toward the docks. Most were carrying possessions and store stock. Some were crying, many were cursing, and others looked stunned out of their wits.

  The smoke had risen in this area, and Militine could see a bit better. Down the street the fire brigade was prying up planks from the sidewalk at the north end of the block. Without warning, flames burst from the open area and drove the firemen backward.

  “It’s spreading from building to building,” Thane declared, “via the basements. So many are connected by thin wood walls.”

  Even as he announced this, flames began to break through the wooden structures and explode out open windows. The warm breeze fanned the blaze.

  “We gotta get out of here,” Wade yelled. “I’ve got the wagon and horse at the dock just outside my place. Provided they’re both still there.”

  “Sounds good. Let’s go.”

  The group worked into the flow of people on Front Street. Screams and cries mingled with the smoke and flames. Never had Militine seen such pandemonium. It was like watching the city come apart at the seams. This, along with the cacophony of bells and whistles, made it all so surreal.