The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-06

of wounded dignity. while Rose Gordon,
who sat across the aisle from him put
on several pretty little airs for his
benefit. Nell kept her eyes on her
book her lips drawn together in firm
red line, and Ralph seemed distressed
by the pointed glances that were sent
his way. but his eyes filled with a look
of gratitude when they wandered
across where Nell's curly brown head
bent over her desk.
A TEST OF COURAGE.
But the novelty of this little sensa-
ton was wearing away, and the accus-
toned humdrum air ives beginning to
settle in the schoolroom, when Tom
Potter was sent to the hallwayNon an
errand, and found smoke oozing from
the crevices of the door that led to the
cloak room and cupola above. Throw
ing it open a cloud of white. suffocating
smoke rolled out into his face, fright
ening him so completely that he lost
all presence of mind and rushed madly
down the stairway. His wild screams
of fire. startling the scholars in
every room on the lower floors, and
throwing the whole building into
panic. The furnaces were in the cellar,
and no fire had been needed for several
days, so this burst of smoke from the
roof startled the teachers as well as
the pupils. That the fire might have
been started from a faulty pipe, far
below, and. during several days had
crept uD between the walls until 1t
reached the air in the attic before IT
made itself manifest, was not thought
Almost at the same time that Tom
had raised the alarm little puffs of
smoke could be seen creeping through
crevices in the plastered ceiling and
from the registers in the room, as well
as surging from the caves without.
Twelve hundred children beneath the
roof that even now must be ablaZe
from belowl The teachers strove in
vain to quiet the children who had al
most simultaneously rushed for the
doors and were crowded there in a
screaming, struggling mass. To the
confusion of this wild rush was now
added the clang of the great bell, rung
by the janitor from below, effectually
drowning the voices of the teachers,
who sickened at the thought of the
lives that would be lost by trampling
or suffocation.
Just then. above all the din, arose
the familiar tattoo of the drum. 1t be-
gan at the head of the upper stair. but
the children all over the building heard
and needed. Mechanically they dropped
into orderly lines and followed the
drums beat. The smoke surged about
them until they could not see and
could scarcely breathe; but, choking
and coughing. they chung to the stair
rail, and, the rear of the ranks guarded
by the teachers. they followed the
sound of the drum. Leisurely was the
march of the leader, and the rat-tat-tat
was as calm as though the drummer
stood on the playground calling the
children to lessons. On the second floor
they passed the last of the files from
the rooms there and took up the march
after them, according to their CUSTOM
Half way down the next fight the
smoke was not so thick, breathing was
easier. and they could see the fright
out of the great hall door they passed
the drummer on the outer platform
still Justify sounding his roll.
Il was not the brave and handsome
Tom Potter. but a slender. gray-eyed
boy, with a twisted foot. who bore such
noble look of courageous determine
ton on his face that his schoolmates
marveled that they had never seen the
lad before.
He had been the first TO spring from
his seat but not with thought of his
own safety. If he could but reach the
drum. to which they had kept step all
by it he had that day kept the shadow
of death from many a home
Just as the last of the scholars filed
out Of the burning building the tire en-
gines Numbered into the yard, and at
the same time, from nowhere in par
ticular. Tom Potter appeared He ap-
preached the teachers, who were
grouped about Ralph Clark, with a sort
of shan1efacad bravado.
Thought I'd better go after the
fire engines" he said, uttering his lame