The Press., 1919-05-08
Through Fire
Copyright. 1919. by Western Newspaper U'
By ALvAH JORDAN GARTH

Copyright. 1919. by Western Newspaper ooaon1
 If ever two model people existed, nearly every one In Walden consid- cred that Miss Esther March and Roger Brill were entitled to the distinction. In a modest way they lived amid the retirement of a quiet street, they were courteous toward their neighbors, their comings and goings were we'll or dered, and altogether they were es- teemed and respected as helpful and welcome residents of Walden.
 Miss March was just past thirty. She was a reserved being, but not to any extreme of primness. Roger Brill, bachelor, was shy and retiring, but always came forward in any move ment for general good and did not shrink neighborly or community re responsibilities.
 "She's better looking than she was ten years ago." declared Judge Adams, the wiseacre of the village, "but some how she's let her chances of marriage slip by and now fancies she's old enough to be laid on the shelf"
 Roger Brill had lived in Walden for few months only. A relative had left him coal and feed business. and the cottage half a square down the street from the March home. There he had installed himself. the place all ready for housekeeping when he inherited it. Without wife, chick or thild. however, he got most his own rreals and existed quite by himself.
 Brill was great lover of flowers, and after he had settled down in the village he sent to friend In his old home town to ship him some rose bushes of a bewilderingly beautiful species, always favorites with him. The order was filled in a profuse man. ner and Brill was prodigal In distribut- ing the surplus. Everybody in the block received a donation. Brill had placed a bundle of the bushes on the porch of the March place, and was anxious to get away without being discovered, bashful man that he was, when Miss March came around the corner of the house. Brill flushed red as peony and fairly stammered amid his embarrassment.
 "A few rose slips" he lamely e1- pIained. "Friend sent me great overplus. Was glad to pass them along"
 "Why, thank you," responded Miss March brightly. I love roses and shall value your kind gift very much. I presume you are going to keep up the garden at the old Wilder place."
 1l,I ,ho1l "Wherever I have lived I have al- ways had a lot of flowers" and he was hacking away in culpritlike fashion when a remark of his neat appearing, pleasant faced hostess halted him: "I wonder if you would have time and patience to make bed of petu' nias?" she submitted. Mine are quite too plentiful, and shall have to thin them out. I don't like to throw the extra growth away"
 Brill expressed positive delight al | the offering and fluttered like some l modest schoOlboy at the graciousness l of this charming neighbor. After tha' | he never met Miss March that he die rot receive a smiling, friendly greet ing, and 1t came to be not unusual fol her to be in the garden when he pass | ed to and fro from his bushes: 1 place In the town.
 1 Late one afternoon Miss March | half dOzing in hammock, reused uI | at a sudden commotion. Confused | sounds, a taint of smoke in the all | caused her to look across lots tt | observe that the third house dowr | the block from her own had flame. | shooting through its roof. Then new l variation of the usual dullness of thu l neighborhOod attracted her. Leapinf | the fence of back yards and just theI | crossing her own was MT. Brill. Alp | parently he had been called into ac | tion by the blaze He recklessly tram l pied flower bed intent only on reach ing the direct scene of the fire He did not notice Miss Brill. She hur | ried from the garden down the street Outside of the burning house a crowt was gathering. In their midst was al gonized woman who they had to holt
 back by sheer force.
 My child-my Dorothy!" she wa
 screaming. "She Is asleep in the up
 per back rOOm!"
 One or two of the bravest anon
 the crowd ventured to approach tn
 open lower door, but they were IT
 stantly driven back by smoke and cin
 ders. The entire front of the hous
 was a roaring mass of flames.
 Miss March shuddered as she mad
 out Roger Brill. He had not waite
 to ask questions, nor for a ladder a
 distance some one had gone fol
 He was up post of the veranda, agil as young college athlete. A quic pallor overspread the face of Mis-
 March and she shuddered and gaspe as, reaching the roof above, Brill dis , appeared past blazing curtain int
 a flame-deluged room. Then ther
 was commanding cry at the real
 and thither half dozen arms reacf
 ed out to catch the little child droI
 per from the window by her ht
 roic rescuer. After that, feebl!
 weakly, Brill came to the ground an
 staggered and fell senseless.
 "Take him to my home and send fo
 a doctor at once," directed Mis-
 March, as she noted where the flame
 had scared his face and hands.
 And through the after hours and fo
 week her gentle presence filled tn
 sick room, and the flame of love gre
 to fervor in her admiring soul. Ant
 with recuperating strength, Roger Bri Il F; ho