The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-12-19
Continued from Page 81
A GREEN CHRISTMAS.


The tiny sparks from the burning
branch caught the paper festoons. In
an instant the tree was a terrible
spiders web of burning paper. The
fire shot up the streamers, caught in
the tissue rosettes and began to mush-
room against the ceiling. Ellen ran
to the tree to tear down the burning
decorations. The two nails that formed
it's uncertain fastening to the floor
pulled out and the whole fell thudding
down. A sheet of curling fire leapt
upwards, catching the lace curtains
and running up the woodwork of the
windows. There was no hope of saw
ing the tree; they must run for their
lives. Grasping eight-yearsold James
by the hand, his mother and her two
sisters raced for outdoors.
1t was no longer a deserted street
they ran into. Passersby had seen the
smoke and fire in the upper room and
had turned in fire alarm In another
part of town bell rang furiously. Al
ready the crowd about the house mum
bered a hundred. The sisters and
James stood, covering with fright,
against tree trunk watching the lurid
flames play against the closed win.
dows of the front chamber.
A woman's shrek rang out.
Little David! He is asleep in the
back room. What shall I do?"
It was Grace, the married Stannard
sister, who stood apart from the
others, stretching her arms toward the
house. 20
Cant you save him?" she turned
pleadingly toward Deacon Post
Every whisper and uneasy move
ment of the crowd stopped. Absolute
silence, broken only by the distant
changing of the fre-beI. The towns
linen listened to catch the Deacon's
answer. It came in shaking tones.
can't, Grace. / have-I have a
wife and family to think Of
Not a stir in the crowd! Not one
volunteer! The minister of the Con.
gregational church stood with bowed
head and clasped hands. The superin
tendent of the Sunday-school was
rooted to his place.
Suddenly into the silence came a
voice. A dark-haired young man
pushed through the inner circle of on
lockers and stood near the frantic
mother. ta
rs the boy up-stairs?"
He's in the back ROOM" -
Jack Egan! The whole town recog
nized him. Gathering up his strength
las a runner waiting for the signal
.Egan turned toward the burning
house. To get in by the front dool
| was impossible. Already the flames
were creeping along the ceiling of the
downstairs hall and curling in rec
ribbons out of the open door.
"The back way?" he snapped out.
| There's chance" 1t was Prudence
who answered. "The Kitchens only
one-story. His window opens upon the
root The grape trellis runs to the
ewes. You might climb in"
Egan did not wait for more. Throw
ing off his coat as he ran, he darted
for the back of the house. A few Of
the younger men in the crowd fol
lowed. Others turned toward the
street where the village fire-engine
was clattering into sight. The three
sisters, colorless from fright, made nc
move.
After a, moment, which the watchers
anguish multiplied a hundredfold
came the crash Of smashing glass In
the rear. Jack Egan had reached the
roof of the back kitchen and had
broken into David's room.
The noise of the breaking window
panes, carrying with it an assurance
that escape was near for the little boy
snapped the tension of the crowd
Men and women broke from theil
places in front and streamed toward
the rear. Some, suddenly stirred into
Eactiyity, ran for the approaching fire
apparatus, eager to lend what aid they
could to the town volunteer force.
+ Apart from the villagers stood Pru
dence and Ellen Stannard, SUPPORTING
their married sister. They did moi
run. The suddenness of the tragedy
the nearness of death, had flooded
their placid, narrow lives, sweeping
away the fiiTnsy foundations of theil
philosophy. Benumbed, they stood mo
tionless.
From their position they could mo-
see Jack Egan climb through the win
| dow into the smoke-filled room OF
| catch the anxious looks of tn,
watchers during the long seconds tha
he was out of view. Nor did their lin,
/ of vision include the scene when Ega1
reappeared bearing the child, and thu
hands outstretched to aid him dow1
the trellis to safety.
What they saw was the man as b,
rounded the corner of the house
blood dripping from wounded hant
/ the glass had cut him deeply-car
rying in his arms the half-awakeneC
David.
He hadn't eKen walked up" Jacl
smiled as he handed the bewildereC
youngster to his trembling mother.
Il