The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-05-29


three boys, forgetting their jack
stones, were off, running like the wind.
At the end of hundred yards Dick
Todd stopped short. They had forgot
ten their promise to wait for the lady!
Robert and Billy looked back. Hurry,
Dick!" they shouted. And then they
dashed out of sight round corner.
1t seemed to Dick that he must fol-
low them. People were hurrying past
him toward the cloud of black smoke
that was rolling up into the sky. He
had to stamp his feet hard to keep
them from carrying him with the
crowd
A man who was passing refined in
his horse long enough to shout, Jump
in with me, Dick, and Pll take you
to the fire."
Dick only shook his head; he felt
unable to utter word. Presently he
turned in the opposite direction, so
that he could not see the smoke; but
that did not work. He kept imagining
that the cloud of smoke was growing
bigger and that red flames were prick
ing through. So he turned back to
look. Sure enough, he could see
flames darling through:
"Oh, if that lady would only GOMEZ"
Dick said to himself. He jumped up
and down with impatience
Fifteen minutes went by, but to
Dick it seemed like an hour. He won
dered where the fire was; Beebe's big
hardware store, he guessed, from the
position of the smoke He imagined
he could see long line of men reach
ing from the burning building to the
river and buckets of water passing
down the line. Another line, made up
of boys, was passing the empty buck
cts to be reflled. If only the lady
would hurry and come, he might still
get there in time to help.
Then he saw her. She came hurry
ing toward him with troubled look
on her face.
why, where's the carr" she said
Dick lost no time in telling her the
way to the garage. "Do you think you
can find it alone?" he asked. because
if you can, Pll-I'n be going to the
fire"
The lady was sure she could, and
Dick was off like an arrow from a bow
The fire was still burning when he
elbowed his way through the crowd
to the line of boys who were pass
ing back the empty buckets. 1t was
Beebe's store, part of it was gone, but
the larger wing could be saved. Dick
pulled off his coat and was soon work
ing like beaver.
Five minutes later an automobile
came to stop at the point in the line
where Dick was working
There he u.s." said woman's voice.
THE boy in the blue suit"
One of the soldiers got out of the
automobile and walked up to Dick.
There was a friendly twinkle in his
eyes as he laid his big hand on the
boys shoulder. $50 you stuck to your
job, did you?" he said
Dick caught the oncoming bucket,
passed it along, and twinkled back at
the man. Il said I'd stay there" he
replied.
Nearly missed the fire, didn't your
'~''Well,a not quite" said Dick. -ssIve
passed along more than a dozen buck
cts already, and the job isn't finished
yet
Then the soldier took something
out of his pocket and held it in his
closed hand
IF you were old enough to be in
the army and had done something as
hard as this, think you'd have had
a reward" he said.
Dicks face grew red. The other
| boys were looking on, full of curl
oSity
Il haven't a medal for you," the
soldier continued, "but here's some
thing that's little like one" He
slipped a small object into Dicks
breast pocket "a brave soldier that
| l knew carried this coin through the
| war; once in battle it was denied by
a bullet. AS long as that soldier lived
boy, he stuck to his post
| Then the stranger gave Dick 3
smart salute and was gone.
| When the car was out of sight anC
| the bucket line was breaking, Dick
pulled the piece of money out ant
examined it curiously. 1t was for
eign coin, and on one side Of it he
traced the mark of spent bullet. Rob
ert and Billy looked at him with re
spectful eyes.
Dick slipped the coin back into his
breast pocket and went home. He wa:
very thoughtful all the way back
Staying away from a fire and being il
the thick of battle seemed very, yer!
different; but all the same he was glat
he had stuck to his post.