The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-01-08
had not hurt him very much. since he

aad nut NUT Till very muCu, S1uCS ne
so soon forgot, which was exactly
Grantley's purpose. But from that mo.
ment he hated the padded stomach
and the false hair which were his
bread and butter.
He made no attempt to reopen the
discussion, and the weeks went past
rapidly with no apparent change. in
their friendly relations. Nettie did not
dream that beneath his fun Grantley
nursed the sorrow she had caused and
that only in the watches of the night
did he give way to feelings none the
less poignant because so successfully
concealed.
Then came the lesson the girl needed
They were playing a small theater in
a week Of one night stands. At the
matinee some gas tanks used for color
effects thrown up from beneath the
stage in the last act exploded as the
operator tried to start them up. He
was the company's electrician and un.
accustomed to handling calcium lights.
An incorrect mixture of the gases, fol.
lowed by momentary panic of the
man, and the damage was done.
Flames burst through the traps to the
stage, the dust on the freproofed
scenery carried the fire to the rigging
aloft, and the place was ablaze. 1t
only remained for the stage hands to
drop the fire curtain, cut the skylight
ropes and then make for safety.
Once the skylights were opened the
draft drew the flames up to the roof
and away from the auditorium; but,
though this saved the audience, 1t
meant death for the girls who were
dressing on the top floor. The small
theater was insufficiently supplied
with dressing rooms, and the chorus
was herded in an unfinished loft above
the auditorium, usually given over to
the storage of odds and ends. With
the skylights open they were trapped.
With no thought for himself, Grant
ley sped up the narrow iron stairway
leading to the loft. Behind him the
stage was a mass Of flames. SO he
drove back the few girls who were
trying to make their way down the
terrified to attempt to escape, but as
Grantley burst into the room they rose
to their feet, wild with hysteria.
"The roofs the only chancev' cried
Grantley as he pointed to the iron lad
der leading to the skylight. Until
front Of the building. Hurry up, girls!'
He drove them up the narrow pas
sageway, and as he stood at the foot
of the ladder he encouraged them with
his voice, relieving the tension by jok-
ing. He was the last through the sky
him through.
Already the rear of the roof was
blazing, but the front was still safe,
and on one side there was q drop of
q dozen feet to the roof of an adjoin-
ing building. Leaning over the edge,
Grantley swung the girls down one by
one, and at last he dropped to the roof
himself just as the flames burst
through the front Of the theater roof,
and stream OF water drenched him
to the skin.
"Close CALI" he commented as he
glanced up and rubbed his aching
arms. I'D like to find the fellows who
turned the hose on me-"
at was from the street They could
not see YOU" explained Nettie. I'm
glad they did it. Dick"
She pointed TO the painted tin of the
roof, where his wig and beard lay wet
and draggled. IT'S washed the men,
DRY out" she explained. And the light
Of understanding came into Grantley's
eyes as he bent and kissed her white
face, to him sweeter than ever in the
awakening of love.