The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-13
LOVE IN TWO KEYS.
BY DOROTHY DIX.

I enemy in battle. or does something
| grand, and spectacular like rescuing
| a beautiful maiden from the brigands,
or something like that you know"
Il know" said Mickey, like de hero
does down at de ten-twent- thirt
teaty.'
That's it," agreed Allison. Mickey
was silent for a momen, and then he
! sighed, too.
Say. boss he said, Il guess women
! is all cut off de same bolt of calico
wedder dey lives up on FIT avenue or
down on Avenue A. Your goilI passes
you de icy mitt because she's got goin
bout some crazy notion, an Maggie
whut's de bunch of goods 1 been savin
me plunks to tie up wild, hands me de
cold deal cause l amt got de stoi
and de dude langwidge like de Lord
| ReSinalds an de fly mugs whut she's
readin' bout in dem dream books
whut she gets up to de Settlement.
Mickey. she says. yer nothin' but
a skate. Yer wouldn't die for me-
Forget it, says 1. I'll do somethin
better than croak. I'll bring yer my
| pay envelope ev'ry Saturday night;
but she wouldn't stand for il, an, say.
it gimme de hurt here in my heart. an
! OATS whut made me wise TO you
I'VE are both in the same boat" AL
/ lison replied, and then by way of COM
/
! qulvering with emotion, he added.
But We can stand up and take our
! punishment like men, Mickey; without
whining"
That's me-" responded Mickey, and
! as Allison rose the lad held his coat
for him, and together they stepped
| out into the hall and made their way
! towards the elevator. AS they turned
/ the sharp angle of a corridor they both
stopped, rigid with horror. A great
| binding swirl of smoke had caught
| them, and over the transom of door
at the further end of the passa geway
a long tongue of flame was licking
The building was on fire. At the in
/ slant the elevator dashed by them at
lightning speed, refusing to stop. Up
and down the shaft rang a fusillade
or bells, out the great steel ropes were
still, and no answer came.
i Curse him for coward" cried Al
| llSon, the cur has abandoned his ele-
vator and left the people to die like
rats in a trap"
Boss said Mickey, his face white
and set, Il used to run an elevator be-
fore L came to you, an'-an' I'm goin'
10 run dis dump wagon for all she's
| worth Tiff | gets it in de neck, you'll
look after Maggie, cause she's"
m with you on this; we'll fight
and live or die together, my. boy. But
| hurry; there's not moment to lose"
| Allison cried, a queer note of deter
mination in his voice. and together
they sped down stairway to where
| the abandoned elevator had been left
useless on a lower floor
Let her 60" Mickey whispered, as
he sprung to the lever. Up and up
the car shot to a floor where group
of efaced people, their only es-
| cape cut off by the flames. were hud-
| died nv tho al tnc CHI x,~l,
crowded into the elevator with hys-
terical words of gratitude
Cut it out" cried Mickey: "you
! amt de only pebble on de beach Dere
are odders." He dropped them to the
ground floor, and again and again sent
the elevator up on its life-saving mis-
sion. The heat grew intenser with
each succeeding trip, for the flames
We're sucking to the elevator shaft.
Once he reeled and almost swooned,
but Allison sprung to his place and
the work of rescue went on.
THANK Cod" said Allison, as he
gathered in the last of the terror
stricken people, Everybody is saved at
last But even as he spoke there
came a wild wall that cut the heavy
smoke-laden air like a knife.
What is it?" asked Allison.
Its the little crippled sewing girl
that works in the dressmaking estab-
lishment on the top floor We crowd
ed past her and forgot her." cried a
pale girl, with white lips
Allison and Mickey looked at each
other. To attempt to make the ascent
through that hell of flames again was
almost certain death, but they hardly
| paused.
up she goes!" cried Mickey, and
the car started once more Smoke
stifled them; the flames licked about
them. Mickey swayed at his lever like
a drunken man, but in the darkness.
her hands grasping the door of the
elevator, Allison found the little sew
ing girl. With a last wave of con-
seriousness Mickey threw on all the
I power, and the great cage fell crush
ing to the floor, where strong hands
bore the poor, burned, bruised bodies
out to safety, their work done.
1t was many months of pain and suf-
fering for them both, before Allison
and Mickey again sat in his office and
took up the thread of their former
conversation.
And So" said Allison, Maggie
thinks now that you are in the same
class of heroes with Lord Reginald.
and you're to be married"
That's right" replied Mickey, and
then, he added, shyly;. but l didn't
run that elevator to square meself
with no goil. l did it because some
thing here seemed to say: Mickey.
God made you a man. Don't WEIGH on
the job"
Same here" responded Allison
But you and de loidy what's de good
looker?" inquired Mickey.
Il made good, too" answered ALI
son, with radiant smile
Dorothy Dix.