The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-12-05
TIE DAILY
SHORT Story
Hero Mine.
pwR RAY BAKER.

1SEQ Gu6s
ByR RAY pA<ER.
ssTrIEnt 1913, Dy the MccIuro
I5spaper Syndicata)
rPFTA PoAGERoX had<I mania
-. - Iii marry the man who
SsSr5EfI.I5 fifo, water blood and
49, vas tEo way she e1-
- afany there we're who
nwfiIingto 90 through water,
Il MS not too deeps and
eh blood, a. 1onS as It was
~ own OF Of their sheadtngS
= ire and trou-Wen, the for-
little too much 70 expect
latter was difficult.
Una. had waited q few years
nd have exper1enced no dhtt-
a finding hero for herself.
are plentiful nowadays, but they
SARGE when Verna vas twenty
md the pretty stenog IN Jones
B1nSs real estate office on the
ffoor Of the Ashton building
mehoT Verna figured that Dan
1lsSiiiaiis. was destined 70 be the man.
- zFas 4 fireman In the station house
5fee blocks down the street, ana ne
eI1ne rather heroicaIIy, she thouSnI.
< flie red suEZeEnaut that roared ana
eeched paSt the ashton on an aver
- Of at least four times day. There
US nan who " oul6 at least 90
through drs, and certainly through
S-ater. and probably meet the other
IscnireInentSA He was a stzappine
5Iord young man, with strength rip
65fne through every muscle, and he
80 very good for hero worShiper TO
Iook At
Some day hen prove to be my
er5. she had decided on the day Dan
followed his pet maltese cat IN Its
s4anderings from the station house
cross the street to the Pomeroy resi-
sence, where Vienna happened 20 be
seated on the porch reading Brave
8Een HSye Net"
That's the way they got acquainted,
and since then Dan had wooed Verna
through the fourth floor window every
week day and in the parlor OF her
home every night he got time on
When the siren Of the ladder truck
give vent 10 its mournful shrek YER
IA always would look up from her
i.ypeWrfter. and exchange wave OF
"a hand with Dan as the red demon
dashed past.
But Dan was not the only one who
Wooed Verna through the window.
Ben vincent rode past the Ashton
building twelve time day. His face
vas NOT go swift as his rivals, how
ever because his vehicle was street
CIR. When he Approached Verna'S win
dow he always stood on the rear plat
8orm and waved one OF his hands while
Tie other rang up fares.
Berra liked Ben fully as wei as
but his life was so prosa:c it OF
- "a few heroic possibilities. He had
fI.,l,S ils4r and eyes and his face was
s5I5ffsetfre. but he failed to cone up
% the fireman's shoulder and there
TSas no noticeable bulge just above the
elbow.
Hs acquaintance, she had formed
sTnen she moved to a residence N the
suburbs and WAS obliged to use troll
w car twice each day.
Ben's dark complexion was anotner
fasdicap Yerna had hair that she
liked TO hear called raven LOCKS a1e
Ter eyes were Of a similar hue anu
10 had read that person should
marry an opposite.
That's the way things stood when
me rivals met one night half block
rom the Pomeroy home. The conduc-
tor had been calling on Verna and the
fireman knew It and was waiting 1or
him. They both happened to be on
.ilfty. 3fout Ben had been the first TO ask
neI EoF an engagement
u "a been waiting for you an hour
Dan announced IS he stepped out from
the tree against which he had been
isning. you have been In Miss Pom
eroyss parlor altogether too long
,tastand for that"
Ben had no relish for fight-not
TN those six feet of muscle-So he
Sspt his temper in leash.
Sorry I don't please you" he re-
oIfed with sarcasm-spr1nkled coolneSs.
91didn.t know Miss Pomeroy and you
F6e fireman knitted his B7Ows into
ssxage scoWI and looked disdainfully
1oWn q the pebble In his htShwzy OF
wen We aren't" he declared.
There S no engagement yet, but there
iSoine to be- She wants man, and
it-see? She isn't going to tie up
With q shrimp Like you, so you better
ISiSe yourself scarce around her. I'm
rSe warning you, that's AL"
boat this time Fate decided to
1isa hand IN the MAR. So janitor
snt 10 sleep In the basement of the
Shtoa building late one afternoon
cigarette dropped from his
1o1th into barrel OF excelsior The
iEos WIS 3 frame relic OF past archt-
set1faI grandeur and the flames ate
40 4 Is = famished lion eats into =
hunk % red beetsteaf-
The janitor aWoke, choked with
r1cEe. and staggered to safety. The
ec1pants OF the building dashed peIl-
ieII % the street by means OF the
tIrRxy and the meager fire escape
eitieG. The elevator boy deserted
y post and lied with the rest
E,ernass bosses we're playtnG golf and