Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-06-18

calmly.
The room seemed very dark.
The girl came closer The smoke was
getting dense.
May I-may l take your hand?" she
timidly asked.
why, yes" he answered and their
hands met in the darlnuess.
You do not tremble," said the girl.
Are you not afraid?'
Il am afraid of nothing save myself"
he murmured.
Il do not want to die said the girl
| There is my mother, you know She
would be left quite alone"
The man ground his teeth. lie turned
to the window. still holding fast to lie
slender hand. and looked iowl across
the SILL
They have run up an extension lad
der, he said. It's just beneath us
They don't dream there is anybody on
these uppet floors" He leaned far out
and gave a hoarse shout. "Hil below
therew He paused. "A fireman on the
ladder is looking up. He sees me! He
is pointing me out. They are shifting
the searchlight. The crowd sees me.
Listen" A faint roar came from the
street. THE firemen are waving their
hats to me. They mean courage
Here" he suddenly said to the girl,
take my place for moment. They
must not think ] have succumbed. Care
L
see you" Another hoarse roar came
from the street. The girl with the
searchlight faring upon her waved her
hand to the crowd below, and another
deep roar came up.
John Chalmers was dragging the coil
of rope to the window Then he dropped
it on the floor and ran to the desk. He
drew match from his pocket and light
ing it, snatched up a sheet of paper and
scrubbed half a dozen words He fast
ened his message TO the end of the rope
with rubber band and quickly paid out
the coil. He watched it with an eager
gaze. Was the rope long enough?
"Ah," he cried. 1T reaches-the fire.
man has caught it" He knotted the end
of the rope about chair leg and flung
off his coat.
The smell of burning wood was strong
in the room The smoke forced its way
about the door. There was a dull red
glare through the transom.
John caught up the rope again and
peered down.
'"They are passing up the extra hose"
he cried. There. there, they are fasten.
ing the rope to it. Hurry, lads, hurry
They are waving their hats to me. Yes,
yes, understand"
With a steady and powerful pull he
drew in the rope. Hand over hand he
drew it in. And below the ladder the
firemen passed up the hose-passed it up
with trained muscles, swiftly and steadi-
| ly.
John did not waste his strength. He
knew that the weight would Sorely tax
his back and arms. But he had been
the strong man of his class at college,
and he was glad to feel that his muscles
were gamely responding to the strain.
Heavier and heavier grew the burden.
He clenched his teeth and drew the rope
foot by foot. And as he labOred he
breathed thankful prayer that he had
unwittingly prepared himself for the
emergency, and that now he was meet
ing it like man.
His back was sorely cramped his arms
ached in their sockets, a red mist swan
before his eyes and then with a final pull
he brought the brass nozzle within reach
ing distance and clutched it and with a
mighty effort drew it across the SILL and
SO, into the room. And from the street
below came another hoarse cry.
Coughing and half strangnng, for the
smoke was getting more and more dense,
John hauled in the hose until it reached
close to the closed door. Now" he
cried to the girl, lean from the window
and wave your arms to the men below.
Make them understand that you want
the water. Make them understand
The girl obeyed
John crept to the door and flung it
open. Then he threw himself ON the
hose with a stout grasp on the nozzle
and his head close to the door and
waited
The hall was gray with smoke, and
flames were darling through the elevator
ironwork. Above the elevator shaft the
red tongues of fire were running here
and there. In a moment it seemed as if
the whole interior of the hallway might
be filled with a roaring flame.
DO they understands he cried.
The girl heard him.
Yes, yes, l think they do" she an
swered
Wave your arms again."
The girl leaned out.
do they answerY
They are shouting up to me. / can't
hear what they are saying. They are
holding the hose tightly against the lad
der. Yes, yes, the water is coming?"
john put his body upon the hose and
lying PROSTATE waited.
Then the hose suddenly stirred like a
living thing and the water gushed from
the nozzle. 1t was not powerful
| stream-the height was too great-but
! little by little the force increased. yet
not enough to imperil Johns firm grasp
| ON the nozzle.
| And now he was directing the heavy
! flow through the open doorway against
| the blazing woodwork. Round about
the hallway the torrent flew and scat
| tered and scraped. With a mighty effort
John drew the hose forward little far
Their. and elevating the nozzle swept
away the flames that Were creeping
| about the woodwork above the shaft.
! This was not done in a moment. The
| fire was stubborn and let go its hold
! slowly.
! The girl came close to John and
| dropped ON her knees beside him.
| Somehow he felt her presence.
Are you there?' he asked.
| "Yes."
| He drew a quck breath.
You're fine" he said. Not whim-
per, not tear. | didn't suppose there
/ was such girl,
do you know why 1 have been so
brave?' she asked. sit is because you
are with me- You encouraged me, you
gave me strength, you gave me hope.
! | didn't dare to be weak and foolish
| You were so cool, so quiet, so strong
| What a power for good man like you
can be!'
| There was a little silence, and the
steady stream swept about the hall and
drove river of water down the shaft.
I ssFI,ho .Jonror = r,1fta nuar I th;ply hn