Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-26

| voice.
Bessie Borden, who had seen the In
cident from the steps where she had
come in search of Benny. hurried to
him, and presently she was bearing the
sobbing child in her arms and min
Cling with his tears Of terror her own
tears of gratitude. Beyond barked
knee Benny was none the worse for his
experience.
That night Benjy's father went down
to the fire house to discover the name
of the man who had saved the boy.
and after that Lieutenant Curley was
a frequent visitor at the Borden home.
Mrs. Borden could not do enough for
him, and it was at her suggestion that
he boarded with them. taking his meals
there in his three Swings" and spend
ing the remainder of his liberty with
Bessie Borden. while Benny gazed sol
EMMY and admiringly at his hero.
Curley's days of. too. were devoted
. to Bessie. He had neither kith nor kin
in the city, and he was glad indeed to
find so pleasant a way of spending his
, time. AS regularly as his day of lib
erty came around it was a vaudeville
performance in the afternoon with a
melodrama in the evening except In
summer, VIXEN the delights of the sub
urban resorts proved more tempting.
But Bessie was not minded TO be so
easily won. In the fall. when the dane
ing classes opened and Dick CurIey
, had begun TO put on airs Of owner
, ship. Pete Bracy came to trouble the
, hitherto smoothly running course of
, true love.
, Dancing classes. as Pete and Bessie
understood such things. were balls
! without the refreshments and without
: the necessity for such elaborate dress.
:. Before the weather grew so cool that
/! the doors Of the fire house were shut
Pete used to escort Bessie past the
house in the hope. that they would
meet Curley. Often they did. but he
scarcely gave heed to them as he
went about his work. He would not
let Bessie see how hurt he was. and
she, womanlike. was the more demon
strative toward Pete because Curley
would not show his anger or regret.
Dick Curley gritted his teeth and
tried to meet his disappointment like a
man, but there were nights when he
lay awake in quarters and longed for
the call that would take him out to a
fire where he could forget his own
troubles in the fierce battle with the
flames. The ride on the tender through
the cool night air always steadied his
nerves. and his unrest found ease in
action.
So he lay one night trying to forget
that a couple of hours earlier he had
/ he
on their way to dance. 1t had been a
hard day for Thirteen, and the men
had turned in early. most of them
praying that they would be able to
sleep undisturbed. But the clock had
just struck the half hour after ~
when the big gong began to count out
its dread signal.
In an instant the room was In order
IN ly confusion. The men sprang from
their beds into their night boots. pull
J. ing their trousers up over the legs of
the boots as they ran toward the poles.
IL The man on the desk and one or two
. others who had not yet turned in had
ii the horses hitchcd. and as the great
doors swung back and Quinn grasped
!" the trip to release the harness hangers
?, the captain called out:
IL MAKE it In a hurry" he shouted.
u That's the box nearest the Orpheum.
If the fire is there
s. The rest was drowned in the clang
IL Of the tender bell as it followed the
= steamer from the house
e The dance hall was af1ame Some OF
Is the hangings had caught fire when the
e electric plant had failed and recourse
Il " tn
le could cover the three short blocks the
Fl flames were bursting through the win
-, dows and mounting to the roof
The owners of the place reported
that all had left the building before
the fire had become serious, but even
as they spoke a woman's form was
silhouetted against the background OF
angry red flame, and dash was made
lg to the truck for the longest ladder
Almost before it was against the
mr. building Curley had showed aside the
% ladder man, who stood ready to mount
and pushed up the ladder ahead OF
III him. He had recognized Bessie
er The ladder was short by a dozer
On feet, but Dick snapped his hook int
the topmost rung and called to tn,
la girl to drop into his arms.
re "I'm afraid was the trembling re
ply, but Dick calledsagain.
all Its me-" he assured eagerly. Don
Dr. be afraid. Bess; l won't let you drop"
,ir "Dick. 1t is your There were re
of lief and hope in the tones, and Curle,
is braced himself for the shock of he
jump.
Slowly Bessie edged to the sill and
for moment stood there; then sht
shot downward into the waiting arms
and, slipping his hook, Curley begar
the descent
as ''This is one thing Pete cannot do.
Oh be said as he slowly descended.
ne "Pete's only good for taking me {,
10 dancing class" said Bess contemptu
Is, ously. There's a whole lot of thing
iiu he can't do"
IN Like what, for instancer demand
ny ed Curley.