Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-07-10
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THE DUKES
VICTORY
Louise Robinson Rhodes
Copyright. 1902, by the

Q Copyright, 1902. by the
. 5. ). Mcclure Company
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Who is she:" asked Harry Mathews
as woman came down the steps Of
The Echo building and passed them,
with a bright nod at Tom.
Tom watched the diminutive figure
cut of sight and bestowed an envious
glance upon the young man who was
doing escort duty before he replied:
The Duke, with her arms full Of
flowers, as usual"
The Duke:' repeated Harry. "Is
she-ah-niceT'
"Scc here. my young friend, II you
don't want all Newspaper row on your
ceryix don't put any question mark aft
or nice when you speak or the Duke"
replied Tom, his eyes flashing angrily,
as If he We're inclined to begin hOstiil-
ties without waiting for the rest of the
row
Harry put The Times bulletin be
tween them before he stammered: Il
didn't mean anything disagreeable,
Tom. don't know her, but | wish
did"
Groups of men came struggling out
of the Offices Of The Times, Herald and
Echo Just then and, joining forces,
made their way TO restaurant around
the corner.
When hunger had been satisfied and
cigars lighted, Tom mOtioned toward
r.. tlgrnfG n follow
who doesn't know the Duke and never
worked OF The Echo"
Just then Billy Holiday came in, and
some one shouted, Say, Billy. here's
a fellow who doesn't know the Duke"
"Tell him, Billy" called another, and
every man settled into his customary
attitude for listening TO favorite sto-
ry. Billy sank into a chair with every
appearance Of extreme exhaustion. Ap-
propriating whatever delicacies the 9th
ers had not appreciated, he consumed
them while waiting for his own order
to be served.
When the clamor for the story be
came uproarious, Billy began: Once a
society editor surprised the row by get
ting married. Then Bessie Wellington
appeared on The Echo. She was such
a little slip OF thing and had such a
pathetically frightened look in the eyes
that the boys began to call her the Iron
Duke, and the Duke she's been ever
since.
at was her first job, and she was
eager for work. Land knows, she got
enough of IT, The typewriter bothered
her, and punctuation was pitfall. She
did her work over and over again, try
Ing to please Knap, who wouldn't
have been satisfied with an angel from
heaven. 1t used to seem to me he rang
her bell every ten minutes. She would
come flying down the hall TO the local
room, her dimples turned inside out
and her mouth shut hard 80 II wouldn't
quiver. Then she'd go back pink to
the ears, and the boys would pound
their typewritcrs fit to break. We used
TO sneak bits of copy to her all ready
to go up. fell into the habit OF col
lecting personals and club notes and
even wedding now and then, and
Larry, there. was taken for society
reporter for quite awhile"
Larry SHE'D a crust Of bread at Billy,
who deftly caught 1t and returned the
compliment before he continued.
zone Friday night, when she was get
ting up her Sunday page, ! passed the
door just as Knap bounded into her
room His beard looked as If he had
been clawlng out handfuls See here!
he yelled Didn't / tell you TO get in
the Tubyillc social before midnigbtT
It's almost ready said the Duke and
bent over her typewriter In little
heap.
After the Tubville was In and work
Stacked up q bit ] carried In a sand
wich and made her eat II while ]
ground out some rcwrtc for her. While
! was working the fire gong sounded an
alarm, but the presses were going, and
| never tried 10 count It. Anyhow,
Bobby always did fires alone unless
they were very big ones.
After awhile Knap bolted into the
room. Ills face was white as chalk
His mouth opened once or twice. but
he couldn't speak. At last he gaspcd:
We're cut Off! The fires up to the
third story I jumped to the window
and there the street was filed with en-
gincs and trucks. and we had never
heard n thing.
miss Wellington turned pretty
white, but her voice was steady MS she
asked. Are there many Of us up hgeY
"Three in the telegraph room and
four or five I'm the local said KNAPP
moistcning his lips. we didn't think
It was serious, and / forgot your being
here
"Wc all went down the hall 10 the
local room. The fire was belching from
the fourth story windows now, and the
smoke was getting thick. One OF the
telegraph men kept his desk and was
actually sending an account Of the fire
over the Associated Press wire. We
wandered from window TO window for
hours, It seemed TO me, but IT could not
really have been for many minutes.
The smoke was coming In clouds. and
we could hear the FIRE now.
at last the crowd in the street saw
us | hope III never hear that ,ound
again. My Cod / wake up sometimes
now with that moan In my ears, and II
nearly drives me mad. It seemed the
essence Of human misery and made us
realize what was before us We had
been stunned before, but then Dedlam
broke loose. Some moaned and cried.
Some ehrickcd and Bworc. And still
the man Mt the key clicked out his mes
sage, giving our names, We found aft
erward. He had pistol lying beside
his hand.
"Knap raced from one end OF tue
building 10 the other. shrleking for
help, but even we could not hcnr him
In the increasing roar Of the fire. The
sixth story was u mass Of flames, ana
we were on the eighth.
"All at once the little Duke began
dragging at our sleeves. At last we
understood that she wanted uS 10 fol
low her. She thought she had chance.
We followed her, all but the telegraph
man. who shook his head hopclcssly
and held up the revolver.
"The Duke ran 10 her room and
threw open the window. Beyond and
extendlng 70 the end Of the building
WAS the art room. which had no win
GoWs, but was above n corner Of the
building not yet reached by the fire.
taI