The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-06-20

was tsr Question every one had been
trying 10 ask him for = week.
John stone looked firmly al his inter
lorn'or and stfaightcncd up. II never
answer impcrtincnt questions" said he.
There was . litter ~ Mr.. Wallets cx-
pcnse. The latter flushed up and re-
joined: 'Indced? That's not strange. /
suppose It's because you're afraid u an
accident. en-? Well. few people would
lil" 70 confess TO being q poltroon.r
Stone turned very pale and glanced
about him. Every one was laughing al
him now, and oven Miss jessie had her
handkerchief 70 her lips and a twinkle
IN her eyes. lie seemed about TO make
some fierce rctort. but thought better
Of IL and walked back to his high stool
in silence.
Nearly every onc had gone home.
Miss Jessie was finishing some letters
In . dim corne By q window when the
youth who had been stigmatizcd as a
p~oltroon walked over 10 her. lie took a
chair BY her and they were virtually
alone. IL was tho first time he had ever
done such a thing. and she was q little
astonished.
Miss Jessie" he began abruptly. do
you believe I'm a poltroon?s
why. Mr.. Stone, ~ She STAN
mcrcd.
because went on the young man,
II don't believe l am. and / can't bear TO
have You think SO. and I'm going to tell
you something. -Four years ago an ele-
vator on which my father and ! were
riding collapsed and went to tho bottom
Of the shaft. escaped, but nv father
was badly hurt. Now you may not believe
II, but ever since that day ! have had an
unconguerable aversion 10 elevators. /
could not enter one il my life depended
on. should die OF terror. No one
knows OF this weakness but myself. /
believe could be brave enough in the
face OF real danger. but ! am a coward
in this one respect. Some day l hope
to prove to you and the rest that l am
no pol;roon. For the present try and
induce the rest TO excuse my inirmity,
for il il the only thing ! I'm sensitive
about"
The young nan abruptly left the Of
fcc. Miss Jessie looked after him with
a puzzled expression. But she was a
little flattcrcd at being made the recip-
lent Of this confidence. Besides. no had
looked so brave. so earnest and so very
handsome while making this ridiculous
admission. II was very queer. She had
read Of the great French warrior who
always went into fits OF terror at the
sight Of a rabbit. But elevators. II
was too absurd. The young man must
be q coward after all.
Who ever heard Of q fire in an insur-
ancc onicco Yet this was precisely what
occurred the following Monday morning.
And tho tire had not blazed three min
utes before CONSERVATION reigncd in the
Office OF Fireup, Eiskit & Go.
II broke ont on the second floor below
them. and sheets Of fame were stream
ing through the windows before the
| alarm was sounded. There was a wiA
rush Of feet below. a chorus OF yells.
/, and far down below could be heard
tho shouts OF the crowds. and the thun-
der OF the engines dashing up to the
building.
Mr.. Riskit had o appeared. Mr..
Fireup ran into the hall and returned
| with q white face. Boys" he roared,
lock every thing up in the vault
every thing, mind you. books, papers
and all-and hen let's get u Of here"
Mr.. Wallet proceeded leisurely % lock
up his books. The governors in .
sweat" he murmured. with admirable
GOODNESS. Miss Jessic's face was q little
pale. but she went placidly enough 70
the place where her hat and coat hung
and put them On. She noticed that John
| Stone kept close beside her as the en-
tire clerical force OF Fireup. Riskit 4
Co. headed BY Mr.. Fireup. moved into
the hallway.
As they did so. every cheek blanched.
| The smoke was coming up with omin-
Gus thickness and the roaring Of flames
| could be heard below. The stairway"
yelled Fireup. and to the stairway they
ran. But a long strip Of flame was coll
ing itself around the banister like a
great red snake. and the heat drove
them back. Beneath was a veritablc
furnace. in which costly Office furniture
could be heard cracking as II fed the
flames 70 q greascr heat.
The fire was sapping the floor on
which they stood In a few moments
it would 60 down beneath them, and
then
Mr.. Fireup was a brave man. but his
voice trcmblcd as he calculated: Boys,
I'm afraid we're lost.'
Young Wrackct's knees knocked to-
gethcr. Mr.. Wallet stood his ground
bravely. Outside could be heard the
noarsc yells Of the fircmen, the crash
ing OF their axes and the kissing Of the
streams Of water that only seemed to
stir the fire to fierccr fury. Would help
come in time?
Miss Jessie began to sob and wiring
her hands. Somehow 10 a seemed
surprised when John Stone put his arm
about her slim waist and supported her
dropping figure. 1t seemed the most
natural thing in the world to do. When
he had done this he said. in a tone that
contained not the faintest trcmor:
Don't let's give up yet, Mr.. Fireup. Is
| xbcra nof n wav IL gain the roof"