Smyrna times., 1917-03-14
A HERO'S CUE
BY SYLVIA TURNER.


excitable reaction, mental, of course,
wherein the hero feels irresistibly i'm
PEELED to act in accordance with the |
exigencies of the moment"
There was a silence at the tables |
where Mrs. Bardwells paying guests
took their evening meal. But Frances !
glanced up with a little laughing
glance at Roland, and Miss Brockway
gave vent to an audible sigh. Opposite
Frances sat Williams, absorbed as US
ual in his own thoughts, and eating too
fast.
DO you agree with this, Mr.. Will
liams?" asked Miss Brockway, tact
leSSly.
"Yes," said Williams, without par
ley. 'NO man is hero who sets the
stage and acts a part. 1t is purely in
voluntary"
After dinner, as usual, he avoided
the congregation of kindred souls out
on the front steps and in the double
parlOrs. Roland always joined them,
but Williams went on up to the back
room they shared in common and went
| eANCA AAo engineering OOOhS Win a NCl-
tain savage avidity. 1t was late when
he finished, about IL 80. Roland came
up. He spoke of the new moon and Of
| Frances dancing.
"SOme girls are merely spectacular,
but she has soul and intellect" said
Roland. "She is not exactly what you'd
call beautiful, Tom, but she's tantaliz-
ing and interesting. Did you know she
was from Kentucky, too?"
Williams nodded his head imperson-
ally.
1t was far into the night when he
wakened with the muscles of his throat
taut and stinging When he opened his
eyes he faced gun-metal cOlOred mist.
Making for the window in quick dive,
he opened it wide, drew in the keen
air deeply and turned around to rouse
Roland. Williams wasted no time, but
Splashed water in his face and told him
to get out in the halls and rouse the
people, while he found the source of
the fire.
"Ring in an ALARM" he called, as he
slapped a Turkish towel out of cold
water and held it around his face and
nostrils in the dOwnrush through the
halls. And from then on until he was
fiShed out unconscious from the SUBJ
cellar by the firemen, Williams dropped
out OF mortal ken, but Roland dis
covered involuntary herOism. He was
in his pajamas with a raincOat thrown
hastily over them, going from door to
door rOusing the slumbering bOarders.
Also, he went to the corner and turned
| in the fire alarm, rather dazedly. And
when he came back he met the full
contingent of Mrs. Bardwelrs house
hold coming downstairs with their most
precious belongings clasped in their
l arms. Frances stood out on the front
steps.
"Have you seen Mr.. Williams any
, where?" she asked. "The firemen are
coming, aren't they?'
e "Oh, yes" Roland assured her, hap
i PLY. 81 have just turned in the alarm.
G 1 don't think it's dangerous yet, though.
:. Only, of course, the smoke. We might
8 all have been suffOcated."
d That's what they are saying" an
d swered Frances. 1T was good you
e wakened in time"
II Now right there was ROland's
chance, and he missed it because the
doctor Spied him and hailed him as q
5. hero. So did Miss Brockway, almost
fainting on his shoulder. So did each
e and every one of the survivors, indi
vidually and severally. He had reused
them and saved their lives. ROLAND
ID almost believed it himself.
'e Then came the engines outside anC
r the firemen. And Clarence, the coloreC
" waiter, emerged from the basement en-
y trance gasping and the bearer of It'd
IN ings.
ut "It's a boiler of clothes done got lef
n on de laundry stove" he explained
d "and Mister Williams he's down der
in de smoke right by de furnace. H
IS put de fire out all by hisself."
at Two stalwart firemen bore William
OF up out of the laundry in the subcellal
"a 1t was a bad anticlimax. He was un
es conscious and blackened, and his hand
ne were burned and his eyebrows and hal
es were singed. And while everyone wOl
st ried and tended to him Frances turne
w just once to Roland and asked:
is "And you forgot him?
be Frances, just this minute got bac
from sending in the alarm"
"This minute?" Frances eyebrow
raised. "What an instantaneous r
sponse the department gave you. 70
ce might have told someone that he we
down there, you knOw-there was tin
while they were praislng the hero"
ol And when Williams opened his eye
ny and said quite anxiously and impu
IeS sively before everyone:
~ Frances! -
LoA "Tm here, Tom" She went over
1ee the big couch where he lay and ga
ia him her hands, even with Miss BrOc
On e ways eyes upon them.
iiS Everybody safer"