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

"Clang! Clang -clangi Clang-cla
clangl" struck the brass gong of hose
house No Q.
Instantly the two black horses were
under harness Armstrong and Foreman
at their heads and Captain Serviss seat
ed in the drivers place, tense with ex-
element. Sullivan, who had been in
tent on the running code fastened to the
wall had barely time to swing onto the
tail of the red wagon as II ratified into
the street
Not a moment had been lost. Serviss
bareheaded, his ron-gray locks cutting
the lev air. drove like man possessed.
The call was from the signal box of the
school, attended by his tiny grand-daugh-
ter, 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 l was
alone in its district.
Sullivan, in the wagon at Serviss's
back, lurched forward and crushed a red
rubber helmet on his head He paid no
heed A dog fell beneath the tearing
horses feet. and with a piercing 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 flame
and bilowing banners of blue black
smoke mingled with the Stars and
Stripes that topped its cupola.
The captains face was set His blue
eyes, naturally soft and gentle were
glttering balls of chilled steel His
mouth. so genial ordinarily, was a
straight purple line. His nostrils work
ed frightfully. His right foot trembled
on the brake and his hand gripped the
reins till they cut into his palm.
He WAS ohsessed by one idea-he must
save his daughters child Since her
widowhood she had depended upon her
father for the protection women need.
A vision of her in her black gown, which
served to accentuate her girlish pretti-
ness and make even more pathetic the
wistful expression of her great blue eyes,
rose before him. He must not fail her
now
The brake was thrown, the hose toss
ed out in writing hawsers on the snow,
waterbutt cap wrenched off, the great
worm of the hose screwed on and Com
pany / had made its record run.
Kindergarten for you, Serviss," cried
the chiefs deputy, whose electric runa-
bout had arrived but second before
Company Is truck.
THANK Cod" murmured Capt Jack.
Duty was leading him straight to Lucy.
The schoolhouse was a squat, one-story
square brick, whose walls formed a hol-
the four doorways. When fire had been
suspected the teachers of the three high
err grades had organized the children for
the fire drill" and marched them out
to safety. The kindergarten teacher had
been called from her post a moment be-
fore 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 impossible.
AS Capt. Jack approached the kinder
garten 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 in
termingling of gentleness and authority
which compels obedience, but precludes
fear, and the little group of babies re-
coded.
Crash! and the great hose nozzle had
opened a way for Captain Jacks hand.
He turned the catch, raised the sash and
lifted the nearest child out and down.
Thirty pale baby faces appealed 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 a
partition wall between the child and the
awful Moloch of the fire!
Run to the window, Lucy.'
Me tan't-tables hodin' me; tum
here, dranpa""
Serviss's face agonized. Could he
reach her? Yes, by sacrificing 20 other
habies whose only chance of salvation
lay in his powerful hands He half turn
ed to step down and change his ladder
to the other window, that he might have
straight course to her, but as he did
so a mother cried:
For Gods sake, Captain, save Fred
de- Another, girl-mother, looked at
him with such a prayer in her uplifted
eyes as the Blessed Virgin might have
made to those who were about to cru
city her Son.
God save our baby" the man pray