Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1901-06-07

water could have prevailed against II.
At 10 o'clock single extinguisher.
wisely welded, could have subdued 1t.
At II o'clock 1t still was afraid to be
seen. So slowly and SO craftlly was 1t
eating into the Granny leading between
the walls.
But at IL o'clock 1t had arrived to
its manhood, 1t had established its
stronghold. and 1t was ready to Haunt
the red banner Of defiance In the face
of thousand people.
Therefore 1t rocked not that during
the midnight hour the engineer. tar
Oily traversing the corridor, smelt
smoke, and peering In saw fire, and,
awakening the elevator boys as he
ran, rushed to the alarm box and
pulled the lever.
Fast as sped the elevator boys from
story to story, summoning the tenants,
faster sped the flames. The fine apart
house. with its convenient Railways,
It's unique furnishings of maple, Its
vanished floors, its tastefully tinted
ceilings, was after all a very fiimsy
structure. The contractors deemed
that they were the only ones to know
this-but fire long had been In posses
sion of the secret.
John Peck, sleeping the sound slum-
Der Of perfectly healthy man, at the
end OF an inside hall, with the Mos
rises absent for the night, and no one
near to arouse him. and Miss Halo
well, slightly deaf. also asleep at the
end Of an inside hall opposite him, did
not comprehend the situation until
their rooms were thick with smoke
and the blaze was seeking for them.
When they leaped from their beds they
found the floor hot to their feet.
The man and the woman emerged
from their apartments simultaneously,
and met face to face on the landing.
No thought now Of outward semblance
of lady and gentleman.
The elevator shaft was fue up
which whirled gusts Of resinous smoke,
glowing clnders and bursts of torrid
air, while from stairs beneath little
flames spouted eagerly. The draft
caused the doors to slam behind the
two. The elevator cage was some
where below and descending.
"Quick-try the back wayw cried
John. Through our apartment
hurry"
ooh, I can't, can'tw walled Miss
Hallowell, frantically. II can't move.
My knees are so weakw
But you mustr' appealed John.
"Give me your hand-give 1t to me, /
sayw Her collapse irrltated him.
"Get up! I'll carry you, bnt you must
try to walk"
mo. no. I can't" she answered,
with a sob. "Go on. Don't you dare
to touch me! I'd rather die here than
get caught in that long corridor"
Then the fire-escape in 'front.'" he
urged. 'Ill help YOU"
mo, no" she protested Historically,
raising her hands to keep him at a
distance. Don't touch me! don't touch
me! II stay here. You go!'
20 thunder" calculated John, with
sudden lapse into his fOrceful West
ern speech. "l'm shore not goin' to
leave you here all alone"
"You jest get under this, and I'll
make a try for that blamed elevator"
he said, as lightly as he could, and he
clapped on her head his sombrero,
which through habit he had snatched
as he was boiling through his room.
For a second time while In her COM
pany he was wearing 1t.
He pressed the electric button, but
already the elevator was crawling up
ward, after its last load-clutched at
by the hungry flames as 1t brushed
them IN passing.
From landing to landing 1t came,
taking on in ones and twos persons
who like Miss Hallowell, had been I'M
able to help themselves, or who, like
John, had remained to help others.
None would wait for the downward
trip, for who could tell what might
happen between minutes?
The heat now was intense, and the
cage was in the midst of greedy,
roaring furnace. Fire from the stairs
curled into the sides of the elevator
and when it had swept painfully by
licked its retreating floor. It's load
was In torture. Men and women alike