Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-01-12


30 here
! "Dran'pa," came family once more the
child's trusting, pleading cry.
"Gran'pt's coming" he desperately re-
assured her.
Serviss began to tremble. but he did
not finch or abate his work of saliva
, ton
Two by two now the screaming, sob
bling, fainting children were being lifted
over the window ledge and handed down
| the ladder
An awful sound like the yelping of un-
| leashed dogs! The door of the kinder
garten room, mercifully closed till that
| moment, crashed inward, and the hun
CRY firehounds dashed frightfully over
1t.
Now indeed did the strong man pause,
as with one terrified piercing scream lit
tie Ducy's voice came once more to his
straning ears.
Vainly he treasured her-"One second,
Lucy, and grandpa will come" He
shouted her name necessarily as he COM
peted his work. The last child, in a
dead faint from fright, was lifted out.
The rescue of the entire 80 had occupied
but few moments To Capt. Jack 1t
had been eternity. With a brave straight
ening of the heavy shoulders and long
inhalatlo of the fresh air, he plunged
into the smoke and the flame. Horrl-
| fled voices called to him, imploring him
The shepherd was now going for his own
pet lamb. On he struggled, horribly
holding his breath, falling over tiny ia
bles and chairs-groping, clutching, fall
ing, rising. rushing on. Even If Lucy
had had strength to call him Che had pa
tiently drilled her in the little living room
| at home to call to him if she should ever
be caught jim a fire. she could not have
done it now His poor baby! She had
| remembered so well his lessons, and he
had failed her. Failed Lucy, perhaps,
but not the 30 mothers whose children
he had restored to their arms and in the
sanctuary of whose hearts he was hence
forth to be canonized Again he tripped
and fell, and again would have battled
on, but somewhere far away-it seemed
an infinite distance to the desperate man
he heard the child calling.
"Dran'pa, tum out. Use outside"
The man into whose arms she had
been thrust by Sullivan, who, hearing
her frantic scream had climbed through
| the north window and carried her out,
urged her to call. He also cried:
Captain Serviss, Lucy is here
Like drowning man who suddenly
sees a sail, but is almost powerless to
| keep his head above the waves, Serviss
struggled back fighting now for his own
life. The strength that had made of
him Hercules when saving others for
sock him. He could no longer keep his
feet He crawled painfully, gasping,
inch by inch, the fire licking at his rub
Der coat and smuggling with its hot breath
his iron-gray hair. Never on wild plain
or in trackless jungle, attacked by lion
or panther, or cougar, did man make
more desperate fight Servisss enemies
were twain-the fire and the smoke. At
length breath of the outer air car
essed his face. For an instant he OPEN
ed his eyes, saw the window above him,
stretched an arm over the ledge and fell
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
But someone had seen the lifted hand
y man mounted the ladder, leaned over
dragged Serviss across the ledge. Other
hands lifted him down. A blanket was
spread on the frozen ground. Serviss
was stretched on it. \ physician grip
ped his pulse and listened to his heart
Then he wrenched open his medicine
case, sought a slender glass capsule,
shattered it in his fingers and famed
the broken edges under the captains
nose.
Lucy and her mother, who had rushed
to the building stood as near the pros
trate form as the physician would per-
NIT. Moments slipped by, and no re-
Spouse to the powerful restorative was
visible.
Then gradually the physician observed
that the lips were trying to frame
word. He could not tell what it was
Then he saw that each time little Lucy
cried "Dranpa" (for the child could not
be kept from calling piteously to him).
| the lips would move. The physician turn
| ed and beckoned to the child. Come
Lucy, call grandpa louder" said the man
| of science.
The child obeyed, leaning over her
grandfather and calling his name in an
eager, imperious treble. Again and
| again the man endeavored to respond.
| Finally his efforts were successful AS
: a OIL hot,
| glance fell upon the little golden-h haired
| girl, whose tear-drenched rosy face bent
so anxously over him.
| Dram pa" the child exclaimed, Use
all-wight; wake up, Dranpa.'
1t was as though great shudder
| swept through the powerful frame, and
| then with a superhuman effort Captain
| Jack raised himself to a sitting posture
| and caught the child in his arms
81 heard you calling, honey, l think
was dying. but heard you, and l came
back to you, little girl
Tears rained down his rugged cheeks.
| light not of earth dawned in his face.
| He smiled, laughed, kissed her tenderly,
| Rugged her close. Then slowly getting
| to his feet and looking about him ex-
| claimed:
| well, l see the boys are just starting
back to the house. | must be going
with them"
| But. Captain serviss," expostulated
| the amazed physician. II fear you are
| not yet sufficiently strong. You had bet
| ter go home and rest"
| Strong? Why l could lift a ton! I'm
| the happiest man in the state. Sure
| can go. Thanks for all attentions, Doc.
| Wait a minute. boys" And placing the
| little girl gently down beside her moth
| er. whom he tenderly kissed, the tall,
| gaunt, gray haired hero strobe over to
| his wagon, mounted the high seat and
| turned the horses heads toward hose
| house No. Q. As he backed up to the
| door he said quietly, but with a smile
| of ineffable tenderness at Sullivan, who
| had saved the child
| well. boys, let's wash the wagon!"-
| IL. Keck Virgins, in Extension.
| State Fair Dates