The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-02-23

reaching for the bundle with her
other dress in it, when the head and
shoulders of the fireman appeared.
Are you afraid to walk over to
the other side? There's a fire escape
there. The wind is strong up here,
but you can't blow off. At least not
while I'm around he laughed. Nora
laughed, too. The sun was shining
on the thin layer of snow, the throb
of the engine came ever so family
to them now, and it was difficult to
realize that she had been in even the
faintest shadow of danger.
You said you used to swing in
barn loft" said the fireman. 81
knew you were from the country
when you first looked at me when you
were praying back there in the room.
Look out for that ridge near the
chimney. It's an ugly place. / met
it when [ was coming after YOU"
Did you come down from the roof
to that Window" asked the girl shud-
dering. "Of course; nothing else to
do But where / made my mistake
was in missing your window when
climbed down. You see | had counted
wrong l thought | was at your room,
when / called to you. | was some
surprised when you looked out of the
one farther on. But there was moth
ing for it then but to step across"
Suppose you had fallen cried the
, girl. Il was sure you would, that is
why I began to pray, and l promised
| the Blessed Virgin that if she kept
you safe l would go home to Uncle
and Aunt tomorrow
"Whew." said the young fireman
Nobody ever said a prayer for me
| before, except my mother! Here's the
fire escape. Now let me go first, anC
take your time"
He swung himself over the side Of
the roof and went down four step!
before he called to Nora to follow
I'm going to look right at the wall
If l look down I'll surely fall she
cried as she started down.
Look where you like: I'm here,
he treasured her, and then the lon|
descent was begun. Nora counted
forty steps and then lost track, bu
both pairs of feet went steadily down
down, until at last she felt the ent
Of the railing in her cold hand. "Thi
is all; now jump. There's plenty o
snow, so you can't get hurt" Gale
the fireman. So Nora jumped int
a drift Of snow, but was pulled on
of it by his strong hands before sh
: had more than skinned it's surface
Some day they'll make thos
) things within two feet of the grount
5 That's good jump" said the fire
man. Have you any friends in tn
city that you could stay with unit
you know whether you can go bac
here?" he asked with a most CRANE
fatherly air.
NO." said Nora. But I could g
down to the store where l used t
{ work"
Indeed you cannot. Wouldn't 20
, look nice wandering around all da!
Here, go over to this number; it
only on the next street. It's my boart
{ ing house. My mother came up her
Monday. She wants me to go bac
: to the farm with her. I've only bee
{ here a month. My names Jack DaV
son and I'm from Iowa. You tell he
you said a prayer for me and thu
you're from the country and she'll b
glad to fuss over you" He handle
| Nora a torn envelope with the hOus
t number scraw1ed across it, and wa
: gone in answer to a signal from tn
: man near the putting engine.
| What small world it is muse
= Nora as she turned away from tn
} imperiled building. How Aunt CARR
will laugh. To think that I left her an
| Uncle Henry, after all the years j
t which they cared for me, just becaus
t he said it was time [ was married an
{ that he had picked out farmer i
t the next county for me. [ WOnde
I just what it was that brought thi
farmer Jack Dawson to Chicago i
time to risk his life for mel"
: She was going up the steps of tn
| small white cottage, an uneXpecte
: sight in such a citified neighborhoot
2 when the fire apparatus changed b
! on it's way home. ITS all over" sh
+ said, as she rang the doorbell, bt
, her heart sang a different song
I Alice G. Hayde, in The New Worlt