Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1888-12-20
annarent that long before they could

come Il world be TOO lar frasl
bursts from The lips "a q fs-ss-5sLsi men.
Must they stand helpless and see this
human being burned before their eyes?
And as If this we're not enough Of the
tragic, man is seen pushing and fight
ing his way through the crowd toward
the burning building, evidently with
the wild intention of entering it. He
must be a madmanl Cries of stop
him. are heard, and some effort is made
to arrest his progress; but he pushes on,
through the crowd, past the firemen,
until he reaches the basement wall; and
then, to the establishment of every
one whose eyes are upon him,
he passes by the open door, and raising
window of the basement, sprang
through and is lost from sight in the
smoke and flames.
A shudder passes through the crowd
as he disappears "a brave, though rash,
man lost. For it seems impossible that
lie could come out safely, even at once.
Little more attention, however, is
wasted upon him now has tragedy is
over. Every eve is turned again upon
the dreadful scene which is being
brought to so terrible q close above
them. The fremen are making heroic
efforts, but in vain. No hope remains.
In sixty seconds more that lovely form
will be for the flames.
But look! THO forms are at the win
dow! Another victim for the famesl
And who is the other? Why has not
that other been there before? One is q
mans form, too. He seems to be max
ing some hurried arrangement with
her. and then the girl steps upon the
windew-sill and the man comes forth
into the light. Heavens! Can it be
possible? It is he with the coil Of rope!
In an incredibly short space of time he
has fought his way up, how, they may
never know, by staircase or elevator
way, against five stories of fire and
smoke, and he is there, and can save the
life of her who five seconds ago was
deemed beyond the power of human
aid!
On the instant there ascends such a
mighty shout as has never before greeted
the ears Of Jack Wheeler. But little
he cares for their shouts. Little he
cares now if they be curses. Does he
not know whom he is saving?
The shout Of Joy was succeeded by o
breathless silence. A new danger is
recognized. The flames are bursting
out of the third-story windows. Will
she pass them in safety?
He, too, sees the danger, and rapidly
pays out, hand over hand, the rope with
its precious human freight beneath him
trembling between life and death. She
had passed the third-story window now.
Though the flames dart out savagely
above her head, and scorch and blister
her hands and face, they cannot harm
her more. She descends more rapidly
now. Jack is letting the rope slip
through his hands. It burns and tears
them, but he heeds it not; for just below
him the spiteful flames are burning off
the cord that holds her life-holds her
life no longer! It is broken; burned off
three stories above; but Nellie Aver has
touched the ground, and falls insensi-
BILE. but safe, into the arms of stalwart
fireman.
The crowd does not cheer. Again
the tables are turned and all their in
terest centers in the mailman, the silent
brave man above. There is but one
chance; will he take it? Exhausted,
Keeling, he steps upon the windowledge,
staggers and falls backward into the
seething mass of flames that burst, like
baff1ed demons from the floor beneath!
And those same flames, as they
mount to the sky, seem to change their
character and become testimonial to
Heaven, of heart, simple indeed, but
brave and true as any that God ever
made or man despised.