Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1908-12-17
iction
his LAST ASSIGNMENT.
BY CHARLES E. VAN LOAN.

dow and drummed on the sash with
his pencil. Three blocks away, over
the roofs of Newspaper row, column
of flame shot into the night, and the
clang of hurrying engines rose sharp
ly from the clattering streets below.
Great Jehoshaphat! That's a big
fire, Chester; close too. Who's got itf''
The city editor came to the window,
copy in hand, and hattened his nose
against the pane.
..She Is d roaTeT, isn't she? I sent
young Stanley out on that. l didn't
know it was going to be big thing or
I'd have sent some one else. Looks like
more than he can handle. I'm afraid"
The sporting editor ceased his tap
ping ON the window and turned to the
speaker.
Say, Ches, what's the matter with
the youngster anyway? From the way
he shaped up at first thought he was
going to make a top notcher, but Eddy
Rice and the News and Tim Barnes of
the Reporter skin him alive whenever
they're out on the same assignments.
/ don't understand It. And he was
such big help to me last winter with
that football stuff, too; knew all the
team like book; played on one of 'em
year before last, if you remember.
He's as steady as a clock and as will
ing as a boy can be, yet every time
ae gets & chance 20 do something big
he goes up in the air."
II know that" said the city editor.
This is strictly on the q. t., but the
old man sent for me only last night to
talk to me about that very thing. He
says the boy hasn't shown any nat
ural aptitude for newspaper work and
unless he makes good he'll have to be
dropped" And the city editor went
back to his blue pencil again.
From down the smoky street came
the muffled roar Of human voices The
sporting editor threw up the window
and leaned out.
Cheering, by George! Hear 'em,
Chester? There must be something
doing down there; fireman making
grand stand play most likely. can
see your scare head tomorrow, Our
Brave Fire Laddies.' Hey?"
Ten minutes later one of the Office
boys dashed in, breathless and excited.
"Say, Mr.. Chester, you otter been
down tn street There's three women
up on tn top floor of tn building
what's afre, an everybody thinks
they're goners, cause tn streets is tore
up wit sewers, an tn firemen can't
get in there wit tn towers. A man
gets through tn ropes an runs across
tn street wit his coat over his head,
an before they could nab him In he
goes at tn front door Th next we
saw of him he was up on tn roof
a-lettin' down a piece of rope to tn
window where tn women was. Th
rope was only a short one, an so he
haulS 'em up on tn roof where he is,
an then we sees what he is goin' to
do. You know tn three story brick
what's next door? Well, they's a wire
runs from tn top of tn big buildin'
down to tn brick on a slant, about
So" And here Bobby indicated an
angle of about forty-ive degrees. "He
bitches tn littlest woman on to this
wire wit piece of rope an cuts her
loose. / didn't watch, because / was
scared 1t wouldn't hold her. but it did
an she got down all right Then he
sends tn next one down Nobody said
a word. We was just holdin' our
breath. While he was tyin' on tn last
woman tn whole insides of tn build
In caves in, an | thought they was
both gone for sure, but when tn smoke
clears away there he is way. on tn
edge of tn wall, wi fire all around
him, an tn last woman is halfway
down. Th' rest of tn rope he was
saCin' for himself must have went \
down into tA' fire, for he looks around
for 1t just once an then swings out an
comes down that wire hand over hand
like circus actor. When tn crowd
saw that he was a-goin' to make it all
right they cut loose, an | bet you
could have heard 'em over in Jersey.
They swarms around tn brick buildin
to meet him when he comes down, but
somehow be makes a clean getaway
an there don't nobody know who he
is nor nothin'."
And Bobby paused for breath, much
abashed to find that every one had
drawn near to listen.
The city editor threw up his hands
and groaned.
''Now, isn't it just my luck to send
stahle, out on story like that? why,
Billy Kimbali would have got three
columns out of that, besides a signed
Interview with this unknown person
and maybe a picture Of him thrown in
Dexter you go out and get what you
can Of this, will your
An hour afterward a tall, broad
Dhouldered young fellow came quietly
into the room and laid a bunch OF
copy on the city editors desk. Ches-
ter looked up and nodded a greeting
ME ,,poctiood HpVnrc already sorting