The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-10-01
A WOMAN'S CAMPAIGN
BY HAROLD CARTER.


Public opinion was not enthusiast
tically in favor Of Raphael when he
came to live in East Kemp. Raphael
was an Armenian. and his color was
that Of the lining of ham sandwich.
OF course his nationality was not SO
much against him as the fact that he
had foreign ways.
He had peddled cheap jewelry in the
district for several years when he sur
prised everybody by buying the Drew
cottage and establishing himself there
with his wife and son, q lanky. ham,
colored lad Of thirteen. Apparently
he had amassed all the money he
needed in the peddling line, for he set
to work to raise poultry and vege-
tables, which he sold to Hiram Smith,
the grocer.
Something has got to be done
about those people," said Mrs. Daunce.
the leader of the social set in East
Kemp. We've got to draw the line
somewhere, or we'll all be black and
tan before we know where we are"
Everybody followed her lead obedi-
emily. 1t was not malice-just stu
pidity, and . sense that the Raphaels
were rather out Of their proper ele-
ment. Mrs. Daunce forbade her son
Harry to 60 to the Raphaels' house.
Harry and young Raphael-his father
had changed his oriental name to
Washington-had played together q
good deal. Harry felt badly about 1t.
But the word had gone forth that the
Raphaels we're to be ostracized.
can see Raphael now, In Hiram
Smiths store, always with smile on
his pleasant face, and a CHEEKY word.
He was the kindest-hearted fellow, and
most of the men had good word for
Raphael. II was prominently a wom-
ems crusade. inspired by the desire
to keep the aliens across the river.
Raphael joined the volunteer fire
brigade among his other activities.
The sight Of the fat. bearded man run
ming like a boy to every blaze was a
ludicrous one. When they served out
brass helmets-donated by Horace
Daunce-Raphael was the proudest Of
the proud
Harry Daunce had been i'll with
scarlet fever for three weeks when the
great fire destroyed the Daunce home.
There was no need to sound the fire.
bell. The flames lit up all East Kemp.
and within Ave minutes the engines
were out and the horses galloping
wildly toward the scene.
In the front of the crew, his face
wild with excitement, was Raphael,
in his big brass helmet. He was
shouting to the beasts as they gal
loped up the steep hill toward the
furious flames that leaped skyward
out Of the burning roof
The servants had got away, but Mr..
and Mrs. Daunce and the boy were
trapped in the burning wing: Horace
Daunce snowes that there was some
thing more than supercfnoIssas IN
him that night. He caught his wife
in his arms and crawled along the
coping. leaped q six-foot parapet with
her. and crouched among the sparks
until they got q rope to him.
The moment he had got his wife to
the ground he ran back into the
flames. He had got half way through
the hall toward the stairs when fall.
ing beam knocked him senseless. and
one OF the men ran In and rescued
him.
| Tho hoy,o ~htto Poco oppnorod NJ
an upper window. He was chip OF
the old block. He didn't scream or
cry-just sat at the window and
looked out and waited.
Half a dozen men dashed in, but
Raphael was the first. He vanished
1t seemed an eternity before he was
seen at the window beside Harry
He seized the lad in his arms and
disappeared within the room again.
Only the coiling smoke came out. A
crash followed and the whole floor OF
that room fell in. The flames shot w
above the roof tops.
We had about given up hope when
out Of the debris there appeared q
figure. the almost nude body Of q man
crowned with huge, brass, mocking
fireman's helmet. In his arms, which
we're smoldering. he carried limI
body wrapped in a blanket. He stag
gered out of the fire and smoke, which
shot forth angry tongues after him
as IL Infatuated that he had escaped
its malice.
He stood for an instant gaping va
cantly about him; then he came stag
gering down the steps, and SO Ra
phael laid the body of the boy at Hor
ace Dances feet Inside the blan
kets was Harry, half asphyxiated. bu
absolutely uninjured by smoke or fire
Raphael sat down and looked up a
US He presented a spectacle that few
of us care to think about Mrs Ra
phael, who had been revived, ran for
ward, but suddenly another woman
shouldered her away, 1t was Mrs
Daunce. She took Raphaels burnet
hand in hers and kissed it.
TT is nothing" he said in his queel
accent Il am an American now, ant
you have all been so kind, SO yer.
kind to my wife and me. And 81
Washington, he grow up amoni
friends, to be an American"
His eyes closed, and he fell back
| saw Mrs. Daunce trying to comfor