The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-19
Fire Fighting for Love.


For many years Phelim O'Leary was
with Truck No. 9, in the engine-house
in Cottage Grove avenue, near Twenty
sixth street, and if ne had his way about
it he would not have gone TO another
engine-house, even il it. were an advance
ment, but his reason for this was not
given to his companions. When he was
a boy over in St. Cecelia's parish he knew
Maggie Drenan. She was such little
slip of girl then, but at that time she
had a pair of big dark eyes that used 20
set Phelim to deaning. though he knew
not why.
As the years would have it Phelim grew
up until he was as tail as any man on the
fire department and as active as any and
he knew as much about the duties of a
fire fighter as almost any, and, as he
wanted TO be a fireman, 1t was only
natural that he became one. There were
other reasons for that, too. Once he
heard Maggie brennan say she thought
firemen were so brave and so grand. and
he was simply living out his ambition to
please her. When the Drennans moved
into Twenty-sixth street and he was sta
toned with Truck No. he was happy,
ed the engine-house.
At the big fire in the Kenawbash fats
Phelim O'Leary was the fireman who
traversed a Intel ledge at the sixth story,
going from window to window carrying
fainting woman in his arms through the
flames until he reached the fire escape
and brought her down in safety. Marshal
Koran said ne was natural born fire.
man. and the next week secured his
transfer to Truck 13, with promition.
But Phelim OLeary was lonely there.
He could sit at the door of the engine
house all day and never see or hope to
see a sight of the little girl with the big
dark gray eyes, who didn't mind having
him walk part of the way and talk with
her. This little girl had grown to be a
young woman. Her father had died.
The worldly affairs Of the family were
found to be in such shape that Maggie
must help So she became a steno-
grapher and found employment In one Of
the big buildings in Wabash avenue.
1t may have been by accident or It may
not but she was scarcely installed in her
place when Phelim knew about IT. BY
way of other accidents ne often happen
ed by the big building, just az Maggie
was leaving at the end of her days work.
If they were lovers, no one ever heard
them say so. If they ever sighed for each
other when they were apart, no one knew
It. Phelim always seemed care free and
unconcerned whenever ne met her, though
if he were to confess 1t that required
more heroism than scaling the great ex-
tension ladders in the face of the leaping
flames. Maggie always tried ito seem as
if she would just as soon meet many an
other whenever she met him, but the ef-
fort cost her many a secret cry after she
lad got home.
One day Phelim was sitting silent IN the
engine-room thinking of what he would
say to her some day. When he had II all
thought out his heart began to quake with
fear at the idea that she might tell him
there was another for whom she cared
far more. He sat there racking his mind
with these conflicting thoughts when a
Still alarm come clicking in. He sprang
to his place counting the strokes as they
came over the ticker. The first number
was four and the second figure Of the box
number sounder one,-two, three, four, and
then 1t stopped.
"Forty-four," he murmured and knit. his
brows as the truck went dashing down
Dearborn street. That's Wabash and
Monroe. If there were a fire there-but
no. it isn't there"
i ne ITuCk TOdreQ DOWN Dearborn street
and turned in Monroe and drew up at
Wabash avenue. A cloud of smoke roll
ing above the big building told his train
ed eyes where the fire was burning He
sprang from the truck and rushed toward
it. AS ne reached the front of it the
flames burst from the windows. He met
some men and women as they rushed out
of the building and asked them if they
thought everybody was out. They said
they believed they were
Are they all of the fifth foor?" ne
asked.
Eyes, I'm from the fifth floor" ex-
claimed a young woman excitedly, mo-
no, where's Maggie?"
Without waiting to hear more Phelim
ran into the building. man at the
door yelled to him to come back, but he
in the smoke.
Maggie. Maggie" he cried as he sprang
up the steps. Flight after fight he as
cended. Maggie, Maggie he cried as he
went through the hot. binding smoke.
The people in the street were watch
ing the windows with anxious eyes. Word
was running through the crowd that a
girl had been burned to death and that
fireman who had gone to her rescue had
also persisted.
1 ne DtdChtucU race OA d man was seen
just then over the ledge OF q fifth story
window. The firemen IN the street were
running up a ladder. The face disap-
peared and an instant later the man could
be seen again through the smoke letting
himself out over the ledge. Ae he swung
out the crowd could see he held a wo-
man. The people below thought he in
tended to drop 10 the pavement and a
cry of warning was raised from a thous-
and throats. The man let himself down
from the ledge holding the woman with
his left arm, while the fingers Of his right
hand clutched the window ledge above.
They could then see II was a fireman. He
had swung down into the perilous post
ton to enable the woman to get some
fresh air lest she die of suffocation.
Before his strength failed him the top
rung Of the ladder was under his feet,
and. refusing aid. he descended to the
ground with his burden.
Maggie" He whispered the name this
time as he held her clasped tightly in his
arms.
He alone heard what she whispered 70
him, for the air was still ringing with the
cheers OF the people who were acclaim
ing him hero.-Chicago Tribune.