HEROINE OF THE AMERICAN WAR
AIMEE LADOINSKI AND THE RETREAT
LADY SALE AND AN AFGHAN CAPTIVITY
ETHEL ST. CLAIR GRIMWOOD AND THE ESCAPE FROM MANIPUR
THREE SOLDIERS' WIVES IN SOUTH AFRICA

IV. BRAVE DEEDS OF SELF-SACRIFICE AND DEVOTION

ELIZABETH ZANE, A FRONTIER HEROINE
NELLIE AMOS, A FRIEND IN NEED
ANNA GURNEY, THE FRIEND OF THE SHIPWRECKED
GRIZEL HUME, THE DEVOTED DAUGHTER
LUCY HUTCHINSON, A BRAVE WIFE
LADY BAKER, AN EXPLORER'S COMPANION

I

BRAVE DEEDS OF RESCUE BY WOMEN

ALICE AYRES AND THE UNION STREET FIRE

'FIRE! FIRE!'

It was two o'clock in the morning when this cry was heard in Union
Street, Borough, London, and the people who ran to the spot saw an oil
shop in flames, and at a window above it a servant girl, Alice Ayres,
screaming for help. Some rushed off to summon the fire-brigade, but
those who remained feared that before it could arrive the place would
be gutted.

'Jump! jump!' they shouted, and stretched out their coats to break her
fall. But instead of jumping Alice Ayres disappeared from the window.
There were other people in the house, and she was determined not to
seek safety for herself until she had made an attempt to save their
lives.

Hurrying to the room where her master, mistress, and one child slept,
she battered at the door, and awakening them warned them of their
danger. Then through smoke and flames she sped back to her own room,
where three children slept in her charge. She gave one look out of the
window, but the firemen were not yet on the scene.

'Jump! jump!' the crowd shouted.

But Alice Ayres ignored the entreaties, for she had determined to save
the children or die in the attempt. Her first idea was to tie two
sheets together and lower the children one by one; but, finding that
the sheets would not bear their weight, she dragged a feather bed to
the window and dropped it into the street. Willing hands seized it and
held it out, expecting her to jump; but she disappeared again,
returning, however, a moment or two later, with a little white-robed
child in her arms. Holding her at arms' length out of the window, she
glanced down at the bed, and seeing that it was ready, dropped her. A
tremendous cheer from the crowd told her that the little one was safe.

Then she snatched up the second little girl, but the poor mite was
terrified, and throwing her arms around Alice's neck cried piteously,
'Don't throw me out of window!' So tigh