The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-23

there thinking the thing over and despis- ing myself a fellow came up to me, walking some soft and talking to him. self like a child. Stranger he says, would you do me a favor?' Go on, now l says, you have had too much already That's just it. he says; sometimes I think 1 have and sometimes I think I haven't. If you will answer me Just one question it will decide it. Just look up and tell me if you see one snake or two snakes licking the mansard roof of this here theatre. Mind, l see two. If you only see one, I think I can take another drink before I go home, for have often had 'em coming one at a time
 ITO get shut of him I thought I'd look up and tell him there was at least six, but when I looked blame me if there wasn't one, and it had licked the shingles with a tongue of fire until the roof was about ready to cave in. For a second I was paralyzed, and before I could give an alarm the people from inside came rush ing out and jumping from the windows just like ants from a disturbed hill Lord, what a disgusting lot they looked in the light of the fire and the breaking day! Among them I saw Nellie come out, reel ing drunk, laughing like a crazy woman, and not sign of the baby. l caught her by the arm and tried to shake some sense into her muddled head. Stop thatn I says, and tell me where your child is. Answer quick. Where Is Sadie?' Sadie Sadie, she says, bracing up and looking at me, the stiffness all gone out of her face. Sadie, she Is upstairs sleeping on thg sofa in the wine room. What shall I do? What shall I do? I threw her from me and made a rush for the door, when a big red-shirted fireman threw his arms around me and held me back. Hold on, pardner hold on; don't you see you can't go in there?'
 Tt wasn't any time to argue the ques- ton, so I just fetched him one on the neck kinder soft like to make him let go, when he comes back at me over the head with a spanner he had for turning on the water and 1t made me feel a little dreamy for awhile. Before I could get an action on again I saw Nellie rush by us into the house. Well, what do you think of that?' says my fireman friend, sopping the blood off my face with his handkerchief. 'Ain't that just like a woman! No, you don't, he cried, catching me again as l tried to follow. One at a time is enough; you won't see her any more Just then the door began to belch black smoke and red fire, and I knew to a dead certainty that it was all up with Nellie and the kid We'll, sir I cried-I couldn't help it. After a while, as I stood there, kinder dazed and helpless like, I saw a blaclx-lookine object dart out of the door holding in its arms bundle. It fell gurgling and gasp ing at my feet bringing with it the smel of burning flesh. It was Nellie, but SC burned and blackened that for moment I hardly knew her. I stopped over and spoke to her Nellie I says, Nellie dc you know me? It's Tom-can you sec Are you hurt much? Tom she says twisting her swollen black lips into hor- rlble grin, dear old Tom! You wanted Sadie, and I brought her to you. Tell me is she all right?'
 q unrolled the smoking petticoat and found the little girl choked and singed some but unhurt. She is safe and sound