davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1915-09-12

The fire itself might be anywhere in
two-hundred-foot labyrinth of connecting
passageways and store and service rooms.
1t was after seven, and all were empty.
Engine $40 was covering the front. 1t
was for 347 to stretch in and find fire from
the rear. Traubel and Johnny Canavan
and the two O'Haras had begun to throw
off and couple up. Skates and Tinker
and Meehan and Billy Swope caught the
first hose lengths and rushed them back
through the alley. AS Kerrigan started
after them, Big followed directly at
his heels. And few members of 347
Company were thinking of either fire or
cellar.
The supporting truck company had al
ready smashed away the area gratings
and rammed in that rear basement door.
The hot smoke was coming out in swirls
and eddies. The Captain crooked his
hand at Swope and Meehan to take the
nozzle. He knew that Big was there He
saw, he felt him there. He was trying not
to see him.
But fifty-pound nozzle pressure alone
means "pull-back" of hundred and
thirty pounds. And every ten feet of 4
water-filled "212' adds its sixty pounds
more in dead weight. For long carry-in,
such as big cellar fire will almost always
give you, the men at the nozzle can be
only the vanguard. To "lghten up" at
the end of the first fifty-foot length there
must be at least two more. Next behind
Big were Skates and Tinker. And them
Kerrigan had to take. Seeing himself
thus disregarded, Big set his teeth and
chose a position midway between. That
also the Captain saw. And, "By-the-
Lord!' he began. But, again, all private
matters must be left till afterward And
Kerrigan jammed his helmet down and
plunged in with his nozzlemen.
ALMOST any big, smoky cellar fire NAV,
for the fireman, be a nasty one Be-
cause of the lack of outside light he must
work in almost pitchy darkness. And the
low ceiling and absence of ventilation
force him to "eat the smoke" from the
start. But, in the smoke-eaters own
phrase, "the line will take you in" The
spreading stream will, for time, sweep
the worst of the heat and smoke before it.
And, with prickling eye-balls, nozzlemen
Swope and Meehan, their Captain beside
them and Big few PAGES behind, drove
their way up this passage and down that,
through this door and back again through
the next, till at last they began to make
out, high and to the right, the red flush
and glow that they were seeking.
With gasp, they put the stream at it.
Instead of a sudden kissing blackness
where the red had been, there came q
douche of water in their faces. 1t was
their own, thrown back by an unseen par
tition dead ahead. And because that
partition did not reach to the ceiling, the
fire showed above and behind it.
"There'd ought to be door to it, said
Meehan, "in back of us somewheres."
And bearing away first to the right in
that smoke-choking maze, and then to the
left, they set out to find it.
But, just about then, something queer
began to happen to those two men at the
nozzle. Their line began to be great
deal heavier than it had been before And
while, now, they did not feel the heat and
smoke so much, both began to feel oddly
sleepy.
At which moment Kerrigan began to
hava tho Sama SapSo flows A,J IL, -,
Evening star., 1915-09-12
SUNDAY MAGAZINE for September 12, 1915

Hearing his steps, Kerrigan halted and
swung around. But he, Big, knew what
was due the uniform. The street was no
place for Department argument. More
than that, all he sought-but that he was
going to have-was those socks. Shut
ting his ears to all invitations to advance
farther, he waited till the Captain was
ready to go on again.
AS they were returning along the other
side of the block, again the Captain in
furiatedly halted. But again Big waited
doggedly till he started on again.
And if, in theory, Captain William Ker-
rigan returned to his engine-house know
ing exactly what he knew when he left it,
in point of fact he had the feeling that he
had nothing more of Importance to learn
whatever.
EVERY second man in the company
was now, without any apparent rea-
son, standing or sitting about near the
foot of the stairs.
"Gettin' colder, Cap" said Jimmy
Tinker.
"By heaven" he answered, "if it's you
two that have had your hands in this"
Lord, Cap said Jimmy, IL don't
know what you mean
But to his Captain the final and con-
elusive proof was that no one asked. And
his anger had now mounted to the point
when man begins to talk to himself in
kind of whimper.
He plunged into his room again. "Sure
sure! And could you beat it?" He got
out the poem, and again he looked at it.
"That's me. I'm the Heaven-sent sucker,
all right! And swallowed it, hook, line,
and sinker! That name, that name, is
Kerrigan!"
He tore the paper across, doubled it to-
gether, and tore it again.
II won't send them up to Headquar-
ters. I'll take them down cellar. And
I'll take them one by one!"
Again he doubled the pieces of paper
together and again he tore them across
mo, by George, I'll take them all
together!"
1t was then that Big once more pushed
the door open and came firmly in.
Gap" he said, "where l come from,
one gent wouldn't wear another gents
socks. But I've got my respect. There's
no officer in the Department I'd follow
SooHeI du IuTueF, I'LL L We lOOk GlIlle 10
think this thing out, your side an mine.
But, any way can figger it, when it
comes down to socks it's man to man.
I've come peaceable, an if you're willin'
to take them off yourself"
Kerrigan could not speak; he could
only make pass at him.
Gap" began Big again. But this
time he was allowed to get no further.
Yet, even then, in the very moment of
combat, he still gave proof that he desired
only to avoid all needless violence. He
did not strike, and he dived low. His
business was merely with those socks.
And as he and his Captain rolled on the
floor, he got the first shoelace undone.
"I'm here peaceable," he painted, "but
I've been waitin long time to get this
chance. An now, by-y gee"
Clang!-Clang! clang!
The gong circuit had begun to register.
And in a fire-house the gong stops every
thing. "1-1-2-1-2-3-34 rolled"
And the combatants came down the brass
pole almost on top of each other. For a
moment they still clung together. Then
they jumped to their respective riding
Evening star., 1915-09-12

With trouser ends drawn aside, he was
still contemplating them with soft and
amorous pleasure, when, to report for
door duty, Big himself came in.
When Big saw those socks he recog-
nized them. And, for further confrma-
ton, there was the Captain instant flood
ing color, and the almost galvanic jerk
with which he swung both feet around and
thrust them under his desk.
Certain things, however, even when
plainly beheld, still remain incredible.
And, in point Of fact, it was the Captain
who found his voice first. One would
have said, too, that he was trying to as
sumo the tone of one who has never heard
of such thing as socks-who, indeed,
does not wear them.
"Well?" he said lightly-"well?"
"Cap,' said Big, breathing on it, @I've
got my respect. know my Department
rules. And there's no officer in this De-
partment that I'd follow sooner an fur
der"
"Well," said Kerrigan. "Get to it, get
to it.
"Them socks!" cried Big. "Them
socks!"
If the Captains movement before had
been galvanic it was now convulsive.
"What? What do you mean, socks?"
(Which was exactly what they'd all said.)
Gap, you know mighty we'll what l
mean. l didn't expect to find you wearin'
them, though guess by now you'd be the
only man in the house that amt. But
know my own socks-yes, an even when
you've sprinkled perfume on them. An,
by gee"
Over the face of Kerrigan there had
come species of pallor.
"See here" he said. "Lsten to me. 1
don't know what you're talkin' about, see?
And, if I've got to tell you, these socks I'm
wearing were a present to me-a present
from lady"
ayes, betcha they were-I betcha!
An l know fourteen more of the same
stripe! An if you'll just tell me which
particular lady it was, got a punch here
for her kisser that'll drive her whiskers-"
"Get out of here!" cried Kerrigan.
"Get out, see? Get out"
And he thrust Big through the door.
THE Captain had thrust Big out. But,
at best, that could be only a postpone
ment. There are incidents which show
at once that they have merely opened.
He locked the door. And first he ex-
amined the socks. They were the same,
and yet, somehow, they were not the
same. He opened the drawer, took out
the poem, and read it again. Somehow,
somewhere, there was note in it he had
not felt before. He put the paper to his
nose and smelled of it. What before had
been perfume seemed now to have be-
come scent-and strong scent. Much
more, while fre-house with fifteen men
in it will, normally, put into circulation
at least a certain amount of sound,
throughout all 347 there was absolute
silence-one would have said the silence
of listening and expectancy.
He felt a middle hollowness, and with
it need of air, of outside air, if it was
only so much as might be had by swing
around the block. And, getting into his
shoes and coat and uniform hat, he started
for the stairs.
Big was keeping a fixed watch and
ward at the bunk-room door.
Cap" he began, "I've got my respect,
an all l ask"
Evening star., 1915-09-12

HS udIut-DTdNe ldIHe-S N II.
Oh, sweet the thought in dangers hour,
When fearful death doth round us lower,
To know that, whatsoeer the deed,
One-one strong heart will to it speed.
How sweet the toll for such man!
His name-that name-is X K......n.
The Captain read, and read again. And
as he read he felt an inward glow.
The lines about the rescue of the child
were plainly an allusion to the act that
had won him his meritorious-service med
al. And the glow increased. AS for the
poetry itself, we'll, he didn't pretend, of
course, to be any professional judge of
that; but, if this wasn't the real thing,
he had never read any that was.
He turned again to the socks.
A woman of the ordinary sort would
have sent silk ones, with fancy-work en-
broidery. These socks came from
woman who used her head. She had re-
membered that she was providing for
man and fireman. She had asked her.
self what would be his greatest need. And
she had hit it. No one could have hit it
closer.
Another thing: She had knit those socks
herself. The words, "How sweet the toll
for such man," proved that And not
less clearly did the box and the note
paper show that she herself was the sort
of woman who wears silk ones. The
Captain had his feminine ideal; and, if
he had never put it into so many words,
he realized now, almost with start, how
nearly you would come to it by saying it
would be the kind of woman who could
write poem like that, and with the same
hands knit such pair of socks. She
might be old, of course; but neither box
nor note-paper looked like it. More than
all, when woman has come to feel as the
poem showed she felt toward man, be-
fore she has even had chance to speak
to him
He examined poem and box and wrap
ping-paper for any possible clue to an ad-
dress. There was none. But, in all prob
ability, she would write again. Once more
he read the poem. And then, carefully
putting back the socks into their hello
represented nest, with the poem on top
of them, he locked everything away in his
private drawer.
IN such January weather as New York
was then experiencing, had he been like
many men he would have put those socks
on when next, in Big's phrase for it, he
"changed his feet" But it seemed to him
that to do so would be kind of sacrilege.
"Oh, sweet the thought in dangers
hour Like Heaven-sent succor from
the skies One dauntless man:
his name-brave name-is K .... n"
During the three days following, as he
answered alarms, lines from that poem
came into his thoughts hundred times.
He had sense, too, of her watching him
at small fire in the West Side apart
ment district he could almost feel her eyes
upon him. If they were, very likely she
was looking to see if he was wearing those
socks. Yet, somehow, he still could not
bring himself to put them on.
And, when he did, it was not of his own
volition. But on Wednesday five "wet" I"
fires came in succession. This meant a
draft on wardrobes to which even fire.
house facilities for the washing and drying
of socks were unequal. For instance, Big
now gloweringly walking the bunk-room
with his hand against every man-was
reduced to pair through which his toes
Evening star., 1915-09-12

to equal them. As for the poem, not one
man in five hundred thousand has ever
had poetry written to him; and what
Captain Kerrigan read was the following:
FROM AN UNKNOWN, ACCOMPANY
ING A SMALL TOKEN OF
REGARD.
The alarm bell strikes, the engine flies
Like Heaven-sent succor from the skies!
The mother shrieks and throws her child,
Ah hear her cries of anguish wild!
There's one to help, one dauntless man:
His name-brave name-is X ...n.
Oh, sweet the thought in dangers hour,
When fearful death doth round us lower,
To know that, whatsoe'er the deed,
One-one strong heart will to it speed.
How sweet the toll for such man!
His name-that name-is X IN.
Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-25
BY GARRETT p. sERvIss.

raise a voice for the generally de-
spised toad. The toad is, personally, no
favorite OF mine, but / speak for him
under a sense of plain justice, because
the facts in his case. officially accum-
ulated by the Department of Agriculture,
appear to establish beyond question his
right to be treated as a friend and ally
of man in the struggle for existence.
This being true. the we'll known and cure
less ugliness OF the toad can no longer
furnish an excuse for the contempt and
dislike with which he Is almost univers-
ally regarded. The blemishes OF a friend,
says an old philosopher, are comely TO
the eye OF affection.
There Is, perhaps. no other OF mans
animal contemporaries that has been the
object OF so many baseless calumnies
and supertitous notions as the toad. He
has been denounced as a poisoner Of chill
dren with his breath; as a producer Of
warts on all hands that touch or APP
proach him: as a bringer Of untirnely
rain; as a wanderer of the brute world
who cannot die. though imprisoned for
ages In solid rock; as a natural magi-
clan, carrying a necromantic stone in
his head with which mystical cures can
be performed.
This last is referred TO in Shakespeare
line: The toad. ugly and venomous.
wears yet a precious jewel in his head. "
Or. Brewer. in his Dictionary OF Phrase
and Fable" quotes an old English writer
as saying: There is TO be found in the
heads Of all old and great toads stone
they call boraX. or stelon. which. being
used as rings. gives forewarning against
venom"
These tabled toad-stones, for no ma
turslist OF today will grant that any such
thing really exists. were said TO bear
always a figure resembling toad on
/ their surface. and II was believed that
a touch OF a toAd-stone cured the bites
OF venomous animals In a collection
OF antiquities at Londesborough there
is . silver ring with reputed toad-stone
set in Il, and the legend connected with
this ring AYERS that the stone "sweats''
and changes color when any poison is
brought near It,
But, while most Of the strange beliefs
have only a fancIful foundation, that
which concerns the remarkable longevity
OF the toad and its ability to resist star
walton and close confinement derives a
little support from scientific experiments
IN III NJ. HerIisant imbed ed I rec toad
In plaster, and placed them for safe
Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-25
Our Ugly Ally, the Toad

and twenty-three years, res e tive y.
The widespread belief that little toads
sometimes rain down fr m the sky Is
based, Mr.. kirkland thinks. on the fact
that young toads have Ian concealed
gnder stones. rubbish and leaves during
the sunshny hoars will suddenly come
forth by hundreds when an unexpected
shower occurs
But now for the evidence that the toad
is really an ally OF man In his war
against noNious insects. This depends
entirely upon examinations Of the food
that toads consume. as shown by inspe,
ton of the stomach. They are decidedly
'carnivorous," since no less than 9S per
cent OF their food Is Of animal origin and
consists mostly Of insects noxious to man.
II remains TO tell how he gets them,
since most OF them are alert and lively
fellows The secret of his success is i'm
his tongue. which Is long. and, what Is
even more to the purpose. Is hung at the
inner instead OF the outer end. Conse
quently 1t acts like a lasso, which he
filings with lightning speed and unerring
aim.
Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-25
The Locked Out Children

one-half the world doesn't know how the
other half lives"
What is the story"
The congressman's young wife felt the
turning Of key in the lock. The door
or her heart was opening a little.
It happened in one Of the rear tone
ments. The woman Is a widow She has
two children. q little girl. aged 4, and
another little girl OF G She has 10 go
out every day 70 work She is afraid
that II the children are left In their mis-
cradle home something may happen To
them. The house might he burned CT
some heavy piece OF furniture might IAN
upon them. She f. a poor. shy thing.
who doesn't know her neighbors. she
doesn't speak their language. The kin
dergarten In the neighborhood Is fuI
So she did what she thought was best
She locked the little ones out. neigh
Dor found them crying I'm the hall IN tho
evening at o'clock. They had been
staying In that dark hall with a sand
wich apiece since 7 o'clock that morning.
The door Of the listeners heart swung
wide.
Something must be done" she said.
Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-25

keeping in the archives OF the French
Academy Of Sciences. After eighteen
months. when the plaster was broken
open, two OF them were still living The
English geologist, William Buck and, i'm
INJURED a number Of toads in cavities in
sandstone and limestone Those in the
sandstone were found dead after thir-
teen months. while those shut up in the
limestone lived nearly two years. Popu-
lar stories Of toads jumping out OF rocks
that have been blasted open. and in which
they must have been enclos d for cen
turtles, are common, but scientifically un-
authenticated Still. there is no doubt
that toads are Iong-lived and very re-
sistant to ordinary causes of death other
than violence.
One fact which gives them a certain
title TO human sympathy Is that they are
great lovers Of home. Where they were
born they stay, II they can. M A II
Kirkland OF Boston, who is one OF the
chief champions OF the toad as a useful
animal. says that he has convincing evil
dence that two toads have occupied door
yards in two different towns for twelve
Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-25
BY ADA PATTERSON.

Have you a locked in heart? Whether
or not you are sure about II, let me
tell you the story Of the locked out chill
dTen.
congressman's wife was suffering one
morning from the locked in condition OF
the heart, which some Of US call worry,
and which others call self-centredness.
At all events. there are moods in which
we are apt to lock the world out and
ourselves In and brood upon these things
which are not as we would have them.
And the last state Is worse than the first.
for no good ever comes OF such brood
ing. The locked In condition u always
bad one. Our spirits. like our physical
selves. need air and wide spaces and
freedom Of movement. and the eve OF
the soul need to look outward rather
than inward. friend called. bringing
in with him fine Whit Of bracins outer
air and told a story.
such an unpleasant thing happened in
the neighborhOod. Not two blocks away
from either o. US. Just half way be-
tween your home and mine. It's true that
Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-25

tween, from 10 in the morning until 8
at night.
A Christmas tree and playground and
sand piles and warm luncheons and com
Portable fires will be provided for the
locked out children and their kind.
The week will be ono sreAt throbbing
Joy to the children who would otherwise
7 be Christmasless and joyless.
Isn't that the way. | wonder, 10 unlock
the locked in heartl Isn't the key Of II
"A little childs craving for JOY?
The chamber OF the heart may be
Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-25

gloom-filled, The key may be rusty.
But why not let some little child turn
that key?
What II you have a quarrel with life
What though its conditions are not wha
you would have them? Try TO get som
childs feet upon a happier path Let
turn the grating key. You will be sur
prised at the strength OF its weak ht,l
fingers. So strong are they It may b
that they will make you forget why &C,
locked that door.
Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-25
In-Shoots

Be sure you are right and then prepare
for a lot OF knocks.
The man who takes himself too seri-
oUsly is counting unhappiness.
As a rule ths wealthy man never gets
credit fer the honesty in his makeup.
Until an emergency is faced no man
knows whether he is a coward OF not.
A fair exchange is no robbery. But
what's the use OF trading without profit?
1t is well a he forgiving, but do not
lick the hand that smites. unless you are
a dog.
Occasionally the male with deep voice
can shoot out a lot of falsetto nom
sense,
II wicked man cannot sprout wings he
should at least try to cover up his
tracks.
The philosopher is usually the fellow
who provided don't worry' rules for
the rest Of us.
Unless a paid member OF the band,
don't waste time footing the horn for
the other fellow,
- The scandal mOnger. like the skunk.
can for a time poison the atmosphere.
But the odor soon blows away.
There Is no conceit like that Of the
chap who imagines he can win the affec-
ton OF a girl by simply toasting his
shins before the old mans fire every
night.
Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-25

And the best time to DO It will be dur
ing Christmas week"
Sho empted her heart OF other con
s'dcration. She filled every chamber Of
/. with the little locked out children
There were many Of them in her dis
trict that her husband represented. she
found She set to work She cncrgzed
tremendously upon that problem.
The result Is that a huge new armory
building in that quarter OF Greater New
York will he open on Christmas and
New Years day and all the days be-
Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-25

Phone Douglas 1874 ana our
salesman will call. Cali or write
for oataioR NO. eos.
open todAy-OhF4Stmaa nay
and tomorrow and every
evening during Holiday week.
Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-25
OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY
CLEARANCE SALES BEGIN

today and continue to and in
Guiding New Years Day. These
great Holiday Sales are the
event OF the year. and afford you
an opportunity to obtain a fine
Diamond. Watch or other artistic
jewelry at 26 to 40 per cent be-
low actual value. Confidential
credit terms 20 all
The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1915-07-01

that time he had barred his soul to the
smirking Buddha and, receiving no
consolation from the SNUG image, had
violently cursed the thing. Since then
he had waited-he had waited for
many things to happen. He knew all
that took place below stairs. He knew
when Lydia came and he denied him.
self to her. The coming OF the police,
the nurses and the anesthetlcian. and
later on, Mrs. John Desmond and the
reporters-all this he had known, for
he had listened at crack in the open
door. And he had heard his wife's
calm, authoritative voice In the hall be
low, giving directions. Now for the
first time he looked about him and felt
himself attended by ghosts. In that
instant he came to hate this once-loved
room, this cherished retreat, and all
that It contained He would never set
his foot Inside Of its four walls again
It was filed with ghosts!
On the corner OF the table lay O
great heap Of manuscript--the story Of
his life up to the escape from Lhasa!
The sheets of paper had been scat
tered over the floor by the ruthless
hand OF the surgeon. but now they
we're back in perfect order. replaced
by another hand. He thought Of the
final chapter that would have to be
written II he went on with the journal.
1t would have to be written. for It was
the true story OF his life. He strode