The Newark journal., 1910-09-23
The Heroic Role

It's nothing short of a miracle tha. I am spared to ny friends and reia. tives." declared Patty, with a lugubri ous air, as she proceeded to unload the millinery creation of birds and animals from her head Its a won der that my sad and sudden end"
 Why, Patty, what in the world has happened?" asked Corinne, plumping down on the hatrack seat and draw ing her caller to the place beside her.
 'I came over to tell you the whole thrilling tale" said Patty You know dear, that all my life I have longed to do something worth while-I mean to put my own powers and resources to the test 1 wanted to know just what I should do under circumstances calling for coolness and quick decision. We'll, yesterday my opportunity came
 Why, what in the world hap pened?" exclaimed Corinne Do get into your story quick, Patty and leave out the preliminaries
 No story is good without the prop CT introduction" returned Patty, re provingly, and this is just like the stories you read i'll books
 Seeing that her listener was proper ly impressed, Patty went on: T had promised Merrill that I would press out his muller so l put an iron on that little stove attached by hose to the jet near mothers dresser and then went down to the library to read, while it was heating. Only a few minutes later there came a smell of burning stuff and the room began to G1l with smoke
 Why. Patty, it was f.ei"
 Please don't interrupt, Corinne, but you guessed correctly. Instead of rushing wildly into the street or screaming for Hilda in the kitchen, l ran upstairs and by some instinct made for mothers room There the seething, roaring flames met my gaze"
 You didn't go in?" cried Corinne.
 T did declared Patty grimly, though we'll pleased with the effect of her recital upon her listener. "Of course, the fire was over in the cor ner, where Merrills mufiler, dangling from the dresser, was mass of flames. Without a cry, but with my face deadly pale-I could see myself in the mirror-I rushed into the midst of that terrible eonflagration and turned off the open gas jet. The frightful heat and smoke and odor al most oyercame me l fell back only to come on again with renewed de- termination. dragging mothers new couch. dashed the bundle with all my strength on that wicked blaze"
 Why, what if you had caught on fire?'
 Tn such moments of peril" said Patty grandly, "one must not think of ones self. Next I rushed to the telephone and told the operator that our house was burning to the ground and asked her to ring the alarm for me. In an another second or two had Merrill on the wire. To him had barely reported that our home was in flames and 1 was battling with them all alone when I heard the re- ceiver drop at his end of the line
 By this time l was faint and gid dy with tAe smoke l ran to the win. dows and threw them open just as the hook and ladder wagon came tear ing along. I waved to the driver to stop and the firemen yelled to me not to jump
 There came a horrible crashing and falling. It proved to be our front door. which they had broken down. Then the house immediately was filled with the fremen.
 'I had scarcely finished showing them the smoking debris when Mer- Till came dashing wildly into the hall, grabbed me and carried me out In his arms to the street
 T succeeded in explaining to Merrill in just a few more minutes that I. all l.naided. had quelled the blaze. As he had rushed down in taxicab. without his hat or coat, we went back into the house to get thawed out
 Honestly, after he came and was holding me I hardly swooned at all
 The fremen were all filing down the steps and every one of them was smiling and chuckling as If pleased with my heroism. Still, one herrid fireman said as be passed that it was 3 pity didn't have sense enough to thrown a glass of water on the mufiier instead of making bonfire of my mothers blankets. But the others told him to hush and Merrill said was brave, cool-headed little hero inc"
 Well, should think you werel" breathed Corinne, allowing herself to relax "If you had only called me up, too. I'm so sorry missed it."