Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-22

The hook and ladder truck of Company
| No. 0, with plunging horses and a furious
bell, came struggling through the frozen
| slush Of the dark side street. shot out into
| the cleaner avenue, and slowed and slid
wildly on the icy asphalt as 1t turned the
circle of the corner light. "Skatin's good.
Sergt. PIN observed.
Young Morphy-once of the Red Ink
sauad-was beside him. holding out from
the step at arms length and craning his
| long neck. PIN gripped and held him as
the man on the "tller." bringing round the
tail of the truck in the swing of game of
"crack the whip skdded the rear wheels
| into the car tracks with lurch that would
| have thrown Morphy into the street Want
to break yer crockery the stones?" PIN
grumbIed. whats wrong with yuh?'
From little Fuchs, behind them there
sounded a sarcastic smoker; and when the
truck had strengthened OUT for the gallop
down the avenue PIN looked over his Shout
der for explanation
Fuchs said, with wink and a leer: THE
blaze's down where Kitty Slogan lives"
Now PIN knew that there had been
quarrel between Fuchs and Morphy; ana
he understood, too, that they had fought
about a girl But he had thought. from
what he had heard of the truck house COS
sip, that her name was Rosie" and he
gathered now, from Fuchs manner. that
she was kitty Slogan" He did not know
that there had been two girls in the affair,
and that Fuchs had maiciousy stirred up
a jealousy between them, to the greater
misery of young Morphy.
PIN grunted and turned a disguised back
on this introduction of sentiment and
woman into the business of the fire depart
ment 1t was like such young fools as
Fuchs and Morphy to be mixing their girl
ing with the serious affairs of life. He
rot tl1njr. in III,
in his first uniform, walking the longest
way home to his meals on days when the
wind would show the red lining in his blue
coat-tails eyeing his shadow on the side
walk before him and kicking up the bot
toms of his trouser legs with swagger as
he strutted past the admiration of the pet
ticoats of the quarter. Pish! .
Then Fuchs said: Its her corner. all
right" and PIN snorted hotly. Suppose it
was her corner. Did that make any differ
ence to them? Their business was with the
fire. not with any tow-headed irish gar! that
might be in 1t.
Morphy was hanging out from the step
again bending forward now in an eager
ness that seemed TO find the progress OF the
truck too slow for him. PIN clapped
hand on his shoulder.
Look here he said, you put yer rub
bers on an atten' to business.
Morphy drew back in abashed con-
sciousness of his excitement. and began TO
busy himself with the difficulties of getting
into his rubber coat and of balancing him
self at the same time against the lurches
of the truck. 80
AN if | ketch yuh goin' anywhere with
out orders" PIN warned him. 'Ill report
yuh TO the oil man. See?"
Morphy waved a muffied arm through the
tangle of his coat, but did not answer
PIN turned to Fuchs. That's fer you
too" he added.
Fuchs laughed. I'm not dom any grand
stand stunts
See yuh don't" PIN replied. sourly-to
have the last word-and swung out 10 LOOK
down the street.
He could see the red-brick fronts OF a
block of tenement houses glowing out OF
the darkness ahead, in the footlight glare
of a blaze that was curling two tongues Oh
flames out from the sashless lower WIN
dows and licking In open insolence up the
wall A crowd in the street broke into
shout when they saw the truck.
Fuchs said.
PIN cursed at the Roadway the fire had
gained Cop asleep again" he muttered.
An there amt a line OF hose mere ye..
The driver began to draw in his horses.
Capt. Meaghan called. from his hlgh place
on the turn table," Get your twenty
footers ready boys! And they tossed back
into the truck the hooks and axes with
which they had been arming themselves
and attacked their ladder pins.
PIN and Morphy unbuckled the life net
to free their "twentyfooter, and heaVed
the half-moon of tarpaulin out on the SIDE
walk as the truck swerved into the curb
with a grinding of brakes. They hao their
ladder down before the horses had stopped
paving and slipping on the gutter ice AND
they drove 1t through the sidewalk crowd
with the aid of their fellows and raised 1t
beside the third-story window, out OF the
reach of the flames, while Capt Meaghan
was still shouting behind them at the men
that had manned the opposite SIDE OF the
truck.
PIN turned the neck guard OF his helmet
over his face and ran up the rungs' ms
head down. his shoulders high INTO the
heat 1t was his work-and that or the
man who followed-to break In the WIN
dows of the third floor and save the occu-
pants of it, If there were any smotherlng
sealing the other ladder to the same end
Cant Meaghan was running TO the DOOR
way with ak and lantern.
Young Morphy, biting his lip at the foot
OF PINS ladder looked up at the sergeant,
were and then darted away, empty-hand-
ed. after Capt. Meaghan. and caught up to
him at the door. And Fuchs. grinning and
'mischievous. followed his victim
In the gas light of the narrow hallway
group of frightened women screamed and
wept -, III,
frantic mother among them - screening.
ZACH, Mr. Morphy. safe my Rosie! Sate
my Rosie!''-caught at the private; ana pc
fore he could get himself freed from her
hvsterical clutch Fuchs and the captain
were half way up the stairs ahead of him.
She was the mother Of the Rosie OF
whom PIN had heard; and Fuchs looked
back at Morphy with a grin Whlch no
smoke could hide Morphy Redeemed and
went after him, leaping up the steps And
then there rushed out upon the landing
above them young woman, baretooteo
and wrapped in great coat; ana at sieh1
of her he stumbled and stopped short.
1t was Rosie" She gave little squeal
as she came, and threw herself faintfng
into the arms of the captain But Meaghan
had a veteran fire-fghter's knowledge of
hvsteria, and a practical, If somewhat
rough, method of trea>m ent for it. He
caught her by the collar of her coat. lifted
her to her feet and shook her back to her
senses. Now you walk down those stairs,
he ordered "or I'll throw yuh DOWN. And
he spoke in that angry blare of voice of
which PIN has said that 1t would start an
automobubble out of baulk."