The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-01-21
A cRUcIBLE OF DUTY.

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"Clang! Clang-clang! Clang-clang-
clang!" struck the brass gong Of
Hose House Number Nine.
Instantly the two black horses were
under harness, Armstrong and Fore
man at their heads and Captain Ser
viss seated in the drivers place, tense
with excitement. Sullivan, who had
been intent on the running-code fast
ened to the wall, had barely time to
swing onto the tail of the red wagon
as it ratified into the street.
Not moment had been lost. Ser
viss, bareheaded, his iron-gray locks
cutting the icy air, drove like man.
possessed. The call was from the
signal-box of the school attended by
his tiny granddaughter, Lucy Parks,
He knew that his crew of four would
have to make the fight of the flames
alone. Two great fires were raging in
the town and Company I was alone in
it's district.
Sullivan, in the wagon at Serviss'
back, lurched forward and crushed a
red rubber helmet on his head. He
paid no heed A dog fell beneath the
horses tearing feet, and with pierre
ing cry stretched dead upon the
ground. cap. Jack" the friend and
protector of all dumb and helpless
creatures, did not see him, did not
hear his frantic yelp.
Straight down the street before
them was the schoolhouse remnants
of fame and billowing banners of
blue-black smoke mingled with the
stars and stripes that topped it's
cupola.
The captains face was set. His
blue eyes, naturally soft and gentle,
were glittering balls of chilled steel
His mouth, so genial ordinarily, was a
straight, purple line. His nostrils
worked frightfully. His right foot
trembled on the brake and his hand
gripped the reins till they cut into
his palm. He was obsessed by one
idea-he must save his daughters
child. Since her widowhood she had
depended upon her father for the pro-
lection women need. A vision of her
in her black gown which served to
accentuate her girlish prettiness and
make even more pathetic the wistful
expression of her great blue eyes, rose
UO1OlS u1ll 1lS 1uuSI 4OL Icl1l ACl
now!
TIL brake was thrown, the hose
tossed out in writhing hawsers on the
snow, a water-butt cap wrenched off,
the great worm of the hose screwed
on, and Company I had made it's rec
ord run!
Kindergarten for you, serviss, -
cried the chiefs deputy, whose electric
runabout had arrived but a second
before Company rs trucks.
THANK God" murmured Cap. Jack.
Duty was leading him straight to Lucy.
The schoolhouse was a squat, one
story square brick, whose walls formed
a hollow cross. At the ends of the
cross were the four doorways. When
fire had been suspected, the teachers
of the three higher grades had or
gained the children for the fire
drill" and marched them out to safety.
The Kindergarten teacher had been
called from her post moment before
the explosion which soon followed the
smell of burning paper. So rapid had
been the rush of the flames up the
cellar stairway and into the hollow
cross, that her return had been i'm
possible. fss
AS Cap. Jack approached the kind.
ergarten, dragging a length of hose
after him, he saw a cluster of tiny
heads at the window nearest the inner
wall. "Lucy will be among them, God
give me strength now" he gasped, as
he flung his short ladder against the
ledge.
The window was locked!
Back" he cried with that potent
intermingling of gentleness and au
thority which compels obedience but
precludes fear, and the little GROUP
of babies receded.
Crash! and the great hose-nozzle
had opened way for Cap. Jacks hand
He turned the catch, raised the sash
and lifted the nearest child out and
down Thirty pale baby faces ap
pealed to him. AS he began lifting
them out, he cried:
where are you, Lucy?"
God in Heaven! Her reply came
from the opposite side of the room
Only partition wall between the
child and the awful Moloch of the fire
run to the window, LUCY"
"Me tan't-table's holdin' me; tun
here, Dran'pa!"
Serviss' face agonized. Could he
reach her? Yes, by sacrificing twenty
other babies whose only chance of sal
walton lay in his powerful hands. HI
half turned to step down and change
his ladder to the other window tina
he might have straight course tx
her, but as he did SO a mother cried
For Gods sake, Captain, save
/ Freddie" Another, a girlmother
looked at him with such a prayer il
her uplifted eyes as the Blessed Vir
| gin might have made to those wht
were about to cruelty her Son.
God save our baby" the mar
prayed through clenched teeth
There are thirty here"
"Dran'pa," came family once NOR,
the child's trusting, pleading cry.