Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-10-15

A moment later he hurried forth bear
Ing q divan pillow under each arm.
and his eyes caught the second lieu.
tenant OF Z company not only calmly
standing on the sidewalk with Miss
Wilckens. but actually wrapping his
cape around her. A moment later
the girls pretty shoulders were COW
cred with another second lieutenant's
cape, and from that time on com.
panies Il and F worked without their
junior officers.
The colonel's quarters were old, and
the puny streams OF water that were
thrown upon the blaze seemed but to
double the anger Of the flames. The
little tongue OF fire on the roof grew
In spite OF all effort to subdue It, un.
I'll the attics were seething mass.
Black clouds Of smoke poured from
the second story windows, and regi.
ment Of men stood by, anxious, will
ing. yet powerless-Company q and
Company F close to the building, each
longing for first chance at anything.
Among Miss Wilckens' possessions
was a maid, and just as the second
lieutenants Of Companies z and F
simultaneously asked to be allowed to
do omething-anything-in her be.
half, Miss Wilckens suddenly ex-
claimed:
"oh. where's Baker? Where's Bak-
err"
Miss Wilckens' maid!" chorused
the second lleutenants.
That was enough for F company,
and more than enough for q company.
With just seconds start e company
rushed again into the burning build.
ing, up the stairway, through a rain
OF water from the hose that could at
tain no greater height, to grope
through the smoke and flame for the
missing maid. Having started ahead
Of F company, they blocked the door.
way and packed the stairway so that
not a man of that hated body, except
little Dorgan, the recruit, could get
into the house.
The smoke was suffocating, and =
company gasped for breath, but man.
fully held to Its task. Flames darted
out from all parts Of the second floor,
but e company gave no thought to
its singed hairs and blackened faces
But where was the girl? Was all their
search to be in vain?
Where Is she? Which ID her
room?"
And as the flames ragged with an
ever-increaslng ferocity. the waiting
crowd of soldiers felt the premonition
Of death in their hearts.
Suddenly a cheer broke from some
one in the burning building. They
had found her! The hoarse, smoke
choked cheer ran through the men on
the stairway, swelling louder and
louder, until the outsiders caught It
and sent 1t back to the rescuers-a
roar of applause for their bravery.
Ever so gently the sweaty arms on
the stairway stretched out to receive
the unconscious form. thoughtfully
wrapped in wooden blankets; carefully
yet quickly, they passed her down.
Was she burned? Where was the
doctor? Give her air. Get her away
from that building.
And another cheer was given,
cheer for E company. And to their
lasting credit be It said that F com.
nonv ctarfed the cheer
AS the last six bearers with their |
unconscious burden reached the side
walk, Miss Wilckens glanced away |
from the fire up along the line of OF.
ficers' quarters. Then she gave lit.
tie shrek: There's Baker! She
wasn't in the fire at ALI" and prompt
ly tainted in the arms Of both second
lieutenants.
At the same moment there was Q
lively scrambling In the wooden blan.
kets. A second later, little Dorgan,
the F company recruit, was sprinting
across the parade as though the lie.
gions of Satan were after him.
Much obliged to e company" he
yelled as he ran. II knew she wasn't
in the fire! knew It all the time!
But much Obliged to E company for
carrying an F company man SO meet"
Little Dorgan got six months In the
guard house. but he is F company's
hero. A week after the fire. q tall
"cit" came out from the east. He
did not know the difference between
"fours right" and ''fours left" but he
knew how to put solitaire ring on
the proper finger Of Miss Wilckens'
pretty left hand. The second lieuten.
ants Of Companies e and F simultan-
eously applied for leaves Of absence.
A laugh Is better than all else, so
to be laughed at is worse than all
else; therefore r company came out
80 tha comnauv fotd with hvinV Nol. /