Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-11-18
FIRE FIGHTING FOR LOVE.
An Incident of One of Chicago's Great
 Fires.

Fires.
 For many years Phelim O'Leary was with Truck No in the engine house in Cottage Grove avenue, near Twenty sixth street, and if he had his way about it he would not have gone to any other engine house, even if it were all advancement; but his reason for this was not given to his companions. When he was boy over in St Cecilia parish he knew Maggie brennan. She was such little "slip of girl'' then, but at that time had a pair of big, dark gray eyes that used to set Phelim to dreaming, though he knew not why.
 As the years would have it phelim grew up until he was as tall as any man in the fire department and as ac- tive as any. and he knew as much about the duties of a fire fighter as almost any, and, as he wanted to beia fireman, it was only natural that he became one. There were other reasons for that, too. Once he heard Maggie brennan say she thought tiremen were so brave and so grand, and he was simply living out his ambition to please her. When the Drennans moved into Twenty-sixth street he was hap py, for now and then he saw her as she passed the engine house.
 At the big fire in the Kenawbash flats Phelim O'Leary was the fireman who traversed Iintel ledge at the sixth story, going from window to window carrying fainting woman in his arms through the flames until he reached the fire escape and brought her down in safety. Marshal Horan said he was natural "born fireman" and the next week secured his transfer to Truck 13 with promotion.
 But Phelim O'Leary was lonely there. He could sit at the door of the engine house all day and never see or hope to see a sight of the little girl with the big dark grey eyes. who didn't mind having him walk part of the way and talk with her. This little airl had grown to be young woman. Her father had died The worldly af fairs of the family were found to be in such shape that Maggie must help. So she became a stenographer and found employment in one of the big buildings in Wabasla avenue.
 1t may be have been accident or it may not, but she was scarcely installed in her place when Phellm knew about it. By way of other accidents he of ten happened by the big building just as Maggie was leaving at the end of her day's work If they were lovers, no one ever heard them say so. If they ever sighed for each other when ever they were apart, no one knew it. Phelim always seemed care free and unconcerned whenever he met her., tllouGh if he were to confess it that required more heroism than sealing the great extension ladders in, the face of the leaping flames. Maggie always tried to seem as if she would just as soon meet many another whenever she met him, but her effort cost her many secret cry after she had got home.
 One day Phelim was sitting silent in the engine house thinking of what he would say to her some day. When be had it all thought out his heart began to quake with fear at the idea that she might tell him there was another for whom she cared more. He sat there racking his mind with these conflict ing thoughts when "stilr' alarm came clicking in. He sprang to his place, counting the strokes as they came over the ticker. The first num- Der was four and the second figure of the box number sounded one, two, three, four. and then it stopped.
 Forty -four," he murmured, and knit his brows as the truck went dash ing down Dearborn street, That's Wabash and Monroe. If there were q fire there-but no, it isn't there = s-
 The truck roared down Dearborn street and turned in Monroe and drew a& YaEN -. smoke rolling above the big buildings told his trained eye where the fire was burning. He sprang from the truck and rushed toward it. As he reached the front of it the flames burst out from the windows. He met some men und women as they rushed out from the building and asked them if they thought everybody was out They said they believed they were.
 sAre they all off the fifth floor?'' he asked
 ''Yes, I'm from the fifth foor,. ex- claimed a young woman excitedly, 'sno. no, where's Maggie?''
 Without waiting to hear Phelim ran into the building. A man at the door yelled to him to come back, but he dis appeared in the smoke
 @A0SSlCs AAASSlE,. uC NliCu. itS uSs sprang up the steps. Flight after flight he ascended Maggie, Maggie" he cried. as he went through the hot, blinding smoke.
 The people in the street were watch ing the windows with anxious eyes. Word was running through the crowd that girl had been burned to death and that fireman who had gone to her rescue had also perished
 The blackened face of a man was seen just then over the ledge of a fifth story window. The. firemen in the street were running up a ladder. The face disappeared and an instant later the man could be seen again through the smoke letting himself out over the ledoe. As he swung out the crowd could see he held woman. The peo- pie below thought he intended to drop IA %Tan II IL .Z-. --