The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-01-25

the outside and Inside Of the building
and smoke seeped through the noors
There's lots of time" she told her
self. and kept rummaging for one yer!
important document she had been un
able to locate She finally discovered
it on a file on the Junior partners
desk. Tossing it into the safe. she
slammed the iron door, turned the
knob and hurried into her coat and
hat.
AS she opened the office door wave
of heat and smoke rolled in upon her
She cOughed and drew back for mo-
ment, then dashed for the stairway.
But the flames had been there first
time she was really excited. She ran
to the elevator entrance and pushed
| frantically and vainly On the bell. Baf-
fled. she stood in Gaze in the midst
Of sitting fumes which were becoming
more dense with every minute that
passed.
| Dan Will save me" she cried. and
she struggled to her feet and ran
| back into the office, throwing open q
window. Indfstinctly through the
smoke she made out crowd as
| sembfed across the street. Bells were
changing as fire apparatus darted up
and down the thoroughfare.
-Dan!" she cried, with all the pow
ser of her lungs. Repeatedly she called
the name, while flames stole closer
and closer to the fourth floor.
Presently she heard an answering
shout, and a huge, lfght-haired fire
man stood out in the center Of the
street and waved hand at her the
same as he had waved it countless
times from his red demon.
He disappeared from her view. The
heat grew more intense and the smoke
got thicker The flames were having
feast; they were gorgilg them
selves.
Suddenly she saw something rising
before her-an extension ladder. 1t
wabbled and Quivered before the Win
dow and then slowly the ends settled
against the ledge. She looked down,
and thera he was-the man-fighting
his way up, inch by inch, through a
shroud of yellow flames and black
ness.
In few moments he would be at
the window and she would be saved.
A dense cloud reached out, envel-
oped the ladder and blotted out the
fireman from sight. When it rolled
away there was Dan on the ladder
falterIng. AS she watched he shook
his head, pointed at the flames above
him, and slowly began to descend.
Ferna tainted.
The next sensation she experienced
was one of being jolted. She opened
her eyes and discovered she was in
street car which was humping swiftly
over the rails. She was half reclining
on a seat-and she was the only pas
Senger.
There was step in the aisle and
she saw bedraggled figure in blue
uniform standing over her. 1t was
Ben.
How'd 1 get here?' was her first
question after silent moment of con-
temptation and wonder.
Il put you there" he responded
simply. "Tm taking you home as fast
as l can. My machine Che laughed
dryly) was stopped by the fire. l saw
you at the window and went after
YOU"
She took long breath of relief or
two to get her lungs full of air or
something. Then she noticed that
about his forehead was bloody hand
kerchief that his cap could not en-.
tirely conceal.
"Where'd you get that blOOd?" she
demanded, shuddering.
He fumbled with his transfer
punch.
1T wasn't much of hurt" he said,
although it did bleed lot. You see,
l was able to reach you by running
the elevator, which l found standing
open. There was regular blanket Of
fire in the shaft, but 1 guess the soak
ing I got from hose when 1 made
the run for the building helped to keep
me from burning up. 1 got the blood
when l rammed my head into the iron
gate at the fourth landing, thinking it
was open. The blow sort of daZed me,
but I managed to open the gate,
picked you up in the Office and beat it
back down the elevator with you.
bet made an awful dent in that gate
My head feels like it had busted right
through the iron"
Verna reached up and clasped one
of his hands.
"Ben," she said. edo you know you
have all the qualities Of regular
hero?"