The Portland daily press., 1896-06-13
A FIREMAN'S WIFE.
A Pretty Little Romance That Ended
the Right Way.

| Nob So very long ago a Sun reporter at
tended the wedding of New York fire.
man whom he had known since his (the
reporter's) boyhood. This fireman was
about IS years Of age and was making his
first venture in matrimony, his bride being
handsome widow, 90 years his junior
| During the reception which followed the
ceremony the happy groom got short
spell off and adjourned up stairs with the
boys for smoke and a talk.
| "Do you know he said, slapping the
reporter on the back in highly hilarious
manner, "that I saved my wife from a
| flre?'
| There hasn't been any fire tonight has
| there?" inquired the reporter
No But there have been fires on other
nights
But you haven't been a married man
| on any other nights?'' commended the re-
porter. @
"That's all right. But you give me a
| chance, will you, and I'll explain" said
she fireman.
The opportunity was given to him on a
salver, on which there were also several
glasses and decanter
zone night, IS years ago." he said,
there was a fire in row of three story
brick houses in my district, and our en-
gine broke for it at 40 miles a second, but
when we got there the whole first floor Of
the house in the end of the row was blaz-
ing. Some of the people had got out, but
up at the third story young girl was
leaning out yelling for the men with the
ladder to be in a hurry. There wasn't any
| need of her yelling, for we were hurrying
as fast as we knew how, but you know
women are kind of funny about some
things. Well, it was my business to do the
ladder act, and as soon as we had it placed
Invent up it like a monkey, the girl watch
ing me with much interest. When was
at the window and about to reach for her,
she darted into the room, and T thought
she had gone crazy with fright or some
thing, and l made break into the room
after her and caught her ten feet from the
window. Then I noticed that she was on
ly slip of girl, about 10 years old, and
as pretty as picture
"'Hold on Z said I, grabbing her. You
come with me, and I'll take you down the
ladder all right
"'Don't worry about me- said she as
pert as you please. You get grandma.
She's sick over in that bed and can help
herself
81 was dumsquizzled by the nerve of
the kid and couldn't do thing except to
follow her directions. She bundled
blanket around the old lady, ordered me
to pick her up, and then trotted along be-
hind me as / hustled for the window with
granny in my arms By this time the room
was full of smoke, and the smoke was Gov
ering the whole front of the house from
the windows below. took an extra hold
on my burden and started down the ladder
through the smoke.
Wait right here close to the window
said to the kid as I started and some
body will be after you in minute AndI
was going to be that somebody, for was
stuck on the kid, she was SO cool and COM
manding.
"And do you know what she said to
me? Not word-just laughed.
What wife for fireman you'd
makeP said as I went down the ladder
and she laughed again.
''At the bottom / dropped the old lady
into the hands of the men there and turn
ed to go back after the little girl, but the
first step up I made bumped into sorne-
thing soft, and, by the tapers of mud, if it
wasn't the kid.
" Look out below!' says She I'm COM
ing
" Seems to me you've done come, says
I, grabbing her up and carrying her out
of the way, and the boys gave her cheer
that walked up all the neighborhood that
hadn't come out to the fire.
She wasn't scared bit either, though
all the rest of her people were historical
and mighty near having fits
E A hot J,x5+ boJn
about the youngster, and when it was
about time for the house to be fixed up, or
rather rebuilt, for the entire inside of it
had burned out, went around one after
noon to see how the folks were getting
along. 1t wasn't any of my business, and
1 really didn't care a continental, but I
wanted to see the little girl and hear her
laugh. The neighbors told me the family
had moved over to Brooklyn, but couldn't
give me any address, and, of course, I
couldn't write any letters or do anything
like. that when it was only 10-year- old
girl, SO had to let up on it. But when
ever l had chance | kind Of made in
quiries, and once found her mighty near,
but she moved before got there, and lost
her again. This run the time up to six or
seven years, and it was getting to be kind
VI q Ohalioy IeOSs oaSS, Win inc girl g6U-
ting older every day--and me, too, for that
matter-but | never would forget her.
$50 it went along and along until two
years ago, when four or five of us went
down to Philadelphia to fireman's ball.
was spry ON my legs as fireman has to
be, and when the music got going was
ready for dance. Everybody was nice to
the visitors from the metropolis, and all
we had to do to meet lady was simply to
say SO and the thing was DONE After I
had been whirling, the giddy for two hours
l got hold OF a young lady that rather
liked better than any had met, and we
went into tho supper room and talked.
She told me that her folks lived in Brook
Ign, but since her husband died, four years
before, she had been living in Philadel-
phia, and that she had fondness for fire.
mon because of an early experience of hers
which she told me Of, and, by crackey, 1
got right up and shook hands with her in
such way that she thought had gone
crazy and was about to shake the life out
of her. Then told her what l knew Of
the same story, and the way the two yarns
Tailed was something beautiful. She was
a little girl and hadn't been thinking Of
me like / had beea thinking of ier, and