St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-04-30
HIS LAST ASSIGNMENT.


fame shot into the night, and the clang
of hurrying engines rose sharply from
the gathering streets below.
Great Jehoshaphat! That's a big
fire, Chester close too. Who's got it?'
The city editor came to the window,
CODY in hand, and flattened his nose
against the pane.
"She is roarer, isn't she? I sent
young Stanley out ON that. l didn't
know it was going to be a big thing or
ia sent some one else. Looks like
more than he can handle, I'm afraid"
The sporting editor ceased his tap
ping on the window and turned to the
speaker
Say, Ches, what's the matter with
the youngster anyway? From the way
he shaped up at first l thought he was
going to make a top notcher, but Eddy
Rice Of The News and Tim Barnes Of
The Reporter skin him alive whenever
they're out on the same assignments.
[ don't understand it. And he was such
a big help to me last winter with that
football stuff too; knew all the team
like a book; played on one Of 'em year
before last if you remember He's as
steady as a clock and as willing as a
boy can be, yet every time he gets a
chance to do something big he goes up
in the air"
81 know that" said the city editor.
"This is strictly on the q. t., but the
old man sent for me only last night to
talk to me about that very thing. He
says the boy hasn't shown any natural
aptitude for newspaper work, and I'M
less he makes good he'll have to be
dropped" And the city editor went
back to his blue pencil again.
From down the smoky street came
the mutfled roar of human voices. The
sporting editor threw up the window
and leaned out.
Cheering, by George Hear 'em,
Chester? There must be something do
ing down there; fireman making
grand stand play most likely. l can
see your scare head tomorrow Our
Brave Fire Ladies' HeyT
Ten minutes later one of the office
boys dashed in, breathless and excited.
"Say, Mr. Chester, you otter been
down tn street. There's three women
up on tn top floor of tn building
what's afire, an everybody thinks
they're gOners, cause tn streets is
tore up wit sewers, an tn tiremen
can't get in there wit tn towers. A
man gets through tn ropes an runs
across tn street wit his coat over his
head, an before they could nab him in
he goes at tn front door. Tn next we
saw of him he was up on tn roof
a-lettin' down a piece of rope to tn
window where tn women was. TIL
rope was only a short one, an so he
hauls 'em up on tn roof where he is,
an then we sees what he is goin' to do.
You know tn three story brick what's
next door? Well, they's a wire runs
from tn top of tn big buildn' down to
tn brick on a slant, about So" And
here Bobby indicated an angle of about
45 degrees. HE bitches tn llttlest wo-
man on to this wire wit piece of
rope an cuts her loose. didn't watch,
because | was scared it wouldn't hold
her, but it did, an she got down all
right. Then he sends tn next one
down. Nobody said a word. We was
lust holdin' our breath. While he was
TWIN on tn last woman tn whole in
sides of tn buildin' caves in, an |
thought they was both gone for sure,
but when tn smoke clears away there
he is way on tn edge Of tn wall, wi
fire all around him, and tn last woman
| is half way down. Tn rest of tn rope
| he was savin' for himself must have
| went down into tn fire, for he looks
around for it just once an then swings
| out an comes down that wire hand
over hand like circus actor When
tn crowd saw that he was a-goin' to
make it all right, they cut loose, an |
bet you could have heard 'em over in
Jersey. They swarms around tn brick
| buildin' to meet him when he comes
down, but somehow he makes a clean
getaway, an there don't nobody know
who he is nor nothin'."
And Bobby paused for breath, much
abashed to find that every one had
drawn near to listen.
The city editor threw up his hands
and groaned.
"Now, isn't it just my luck to send
Stanley out OH a story like that? Why,
Billy Kimball would have got three
columns out Of that, besides a signed
interview with this unknown person
and maybe a picture of him thrown in.
Dexter, you 90 out and get what you
can of this, will you"
An hour afterward a tall, broad
shouldered young fellow came quietly
into the room and laid bunch of copy
on the city EDITORS desk. Chester look
ed up and nodded a greeting his prac-
ticed fingers already sorting the pencil
ed sheets.
Looks a little sloppy, don't it," said
he. "What's this-bloodW
The young man dived his hands into
his coat pockets and replied hurriedly
Eyes, Pm afraid it does look a little
that way, but l cut my hand down
there, and | haven't had time yet tC
l.