River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-01-07

ing sun, down the bay. But how should
he do it? He hadn't the least idea OF
how to bring about an event in which
to prove his bravery, and although he
chafed at the delay, he was forced TO
the conclusion that he would have TO
wait until an opportunity presented it
self. From now on his every energy
was bent to this end.
He eagerly conned the papers from
day to day for accounts of fires or
other disasters in which bravery could
be shown; and continually pictured
himself hanging from the bit CT
plunging runaway or dragging his Dat
tered form-in whose arms reposed a
fair yictim-from the debris of a rail-
road wreck.
AS he walked the streets he kept a
,, close watch upon all equines in sight,
and was ready to spring at their bril-
dies at the first suspicious move; or,
il he saw car about to go out uron
a bridge or trestle, he waited until 1t
was safely over lest the structure give
way and precipitate it to the depths
below.
Thus he waited on when, one night,
as he was returning from his club
rather late, he was startled by the sud-
den changing of gong behind him,
and in another moment an engine and
trucks had crashed by IN answer to an
alarm. Perhaps this was his oppcr-
tunity-who could tell In another
moment he was hurrying along with
the throng in the wake of the engine.
The fire proved to be in g large
building, one BALI of which was used
as a medical college. The smoke was
rolling from the windows at the far
end OF the structure in great black
clouds, occasionally lit up by d luIid
tongue of fame Standing round was
great throng, kept back by a GORDON
of police.
Pushing his way through the closely
packed mass to the front, he stood for
a moment gazing at the burning build
ing. Perhaps there yet remained some
one cut off from escape. Espying an
open door at the rear he suddenly
hurled himself from the throng, across
the open space and entered. From
the door a flight of steps led upward,
and, daShing up, he found himself in a
| long hall or corridor which was rapid
ly filling with smoke. Getting down
on his hands and knees he crept
he suddenly brought up against a door,
which, upon being pushed open, emit
ted still greater volume of smoke,
nearly choking him lie lay still for
a moment until he again caught his
breath and then pushed into the room.
He could not see, but as he crept for
ward his hand suddenly struck against
! something which, on feeling farther,
| proved to be a human form; evidently
someone overcome by the fumes and
smoke When he reached over to
grasp the unconscious form to drag ii
from the room his hand came in con-
tact with another lying close to the
first. By a superhuman effort he lift
ed one of the inanimate forms in Ills
arms and half carried, half dragged it
through the hall, down the stairs to
the street. Rushing back through the
smoke, nearly strangled, he succeeded
in reaching the other body and bear
ing it down, wnen he fell, nearly over
come.
Willing hands helped him back
across the open space to the crowd,
where he was at once buttonholed by
a reporter who inquired his name; the
rescued having been taken away in
ambulances.
Ac In cir E1r1Ny n1 how Il
some hours later he presented sorry
spectacle; his hat was gone, MS
clothes were soiled and rumpled, while
his collar hung a forlorn wreck about
his neck. But then what were appear
ances to him now? Hadn't he vindi-
Gated himself; proved his worth?
What would she say now? And his
heart leapt at the thought of his VIC
tory.
1t was late the next morning when
he arose, stiff and sore. His first
thought was what she would think of
him now when she saw the papers
the papers! With bound he was out
of bed, and partially dressed, rushed
down stairs and, Selling the mornings
paper, just brought in, feverisnfy
scanned it's columns for an account of
the fire. Yes, there it was, in big
headlines
big blaze! The Bank block nearly
destroyed by fre!"
Following this was an account of the
fire, but no mention of his part Yes
there it was, farther down:
can incident Of the fire was the ac-
ton of a young man we'll known in So
ciety who, in his excitement, rushed
into the building and, making his way
to the rooms of the Problem Medical
College, rescued two supposed victims
of suffocation, which proved to be a
pair of cadavers recently delivered to
the dissecting room of the
The papers fell from Pinkey's hand
and he fell into chair.
Maud has not yet received the proof
IT is TIME TO QUIT.