The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-10-17

{ HIS LAST
! ASSIGNMENT;
By Charles Z. Van Loan
I Copyright, 1901, by
Charles L. Van Loan

/ pencil Three blocks away, over the
roofs of Newspaper row, a column of
flame 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,
copy in hand. and flattened his nose
against the pane.
she is a roarer, isn't she? sent
young Stanley out on that. l didn't
know it was going to be a big thing or
I'd 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 ut first | thought lie was
| going TO make Il top notcher, but Eddy
/ Rice of The News and Tim Barnes of
1 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 book; played on one of EN- year
| before last if you remember. He's as
steady as clock and as willing as a
/ boy can bc, yet every time he gets Il
chance to do something big he goes up
in the air.
Il know that" said the city editor.
This is strictly on the O. t., but the
old man sent for me only last night 10
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 mutiled 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 a
grand stand play most likely. | can
see your scare head tomorrow, Our
Brave Fire Ladies' Hey?"
Ten minutes later one of the office
boys dashed in, breathless and excited.
Say, Mr.. Chester, you otter been
down til street. There's three women
up on tn top floor of tn building
what's atire an everybody thinks
they're goncrs. cause tn streets is
tore up wit sewers, an TIL tiremen
can't get in there wit tn towers. \
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-lettn' down n 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 til top of tn big buildin' down to
tn brick on slant, about So And
here Bobby indicated an angle Of about
man on to this wire wit Il 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
just hOldin' our breath. While he was
tyin' 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 til wall wi
fire all around him, and tn last woman
Is half way down. Til 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 a 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 n 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
lrawn near to listen.
The city editor threw up his hands
and groaned.
"Now, isn't it just my luck to send
Stanley out on 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 4 picture of him thrown in.
Dexter, you 20 out and get what you
can of this, will you?"
An hour afterward Il tall, broad
shouldered young fellow came quietly
into the room and laid a bunch of copy
on the city EDITORS desk. Chester look
ed up and nodded Il greeting, his prac-
ticed fingers already sorting the pencil
ed sheets.
Looks a little sloppy, don't it?' said
he. whats this-blood?
The young man dlved his hands into
his coat pockets and replied hurriedly,
ayes, I'm afraid it does look little
that way, but | cut my hand down
there, and | haven't had time yet to
have it fixed up"
Chester had reached the bottom
sheet, and when he spoke again his
voice came like the click of steel
trap.
"How does this happen, Stanley?