Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1921-09-09
"Bravest Man on
the Force"
BY FREDERICK CLARKE
D, 1921. Western Newspaper Union

sit down, Harrlgan, he Salu, gar
Ing at him under his bushy eyebrows.
There was tense silence. Harrigan
sat upon the edge of his chair, finger
ing his cap.
whats this | hear about your be-
ing a coward, JOhn?' asked the chief,
yet so mildly that Harrlgan took
courage to glance up at him.
''They say said Bethany mildly,
''that at the fire in Winpole street
last night you hung back instead Of
going up the ladder"
"Yes SIR said John and began
stammering out his excuses. 1t was
his first big fire, and the sight Of
that flaming hell had paralyzed his
limbs although his heart was brave
enough. He had only wanted some
one TO lead him. some word of en-
enlargement to do heroic deeds. But
alone, he could not take the initiative.
John Harrigan,' said Bethany,
ave been on the force for seven and
thirty years. When l was young
ster | was a coward. At my first fire
| hung back. Because Of that Il wom-
an died. I've never told anyone but
you, Harrigan, because I've never met
another coward but you. john he
continued, go back to your company
and act like man."
The firemen received the news Of
his reinstatement badly.
Harrigan could endure their silence.
He knew that il only his chance
came, he could redeem himself. But
Mary Conner, his sweetheart, was
told of the affair by a rival. She
wrote him a curt little note of dis
missal. Il don't want to marry
coward" she said. Soon he heard that
she was engaged to another.
And his chance never came. That
was the crown of his tragedy. He
was put on detail work, set to copy
Ing documents in the sub-chiefs office.
He was never allowed out again.
One day he walked into Bethanys
office.
"Chief," he said, II haven't had my
chance. j have been doing clerks
job. Give me my chance to show
that I'm man.
Bethany looked at him, looked I'M
der his beetling eyebrows clear into
his heart.
you'll have your chance now. Re
port back for duty"
For whole year he had seen moth
ing of Mary. Somebody told him
that she was married.
His chance did come, about three
months after his talk with Bethany.
II was little fire at first. but 1t
spread swiftly, and by the time that
the call came to his company, from
the other end Of the town, whole
block of tenement buildings was
ablaZe.
The hose was playing upon the hre;
II might as well have been q chllds
sQuirtgun for all the effect 1t had.
Above him-far abOve-he saw white
faces OF women at the windows. He
heard their cries family In his ears.
A ladder was being raised. Harri-
gan sprang forward and began to as
cend. He heard shouts beneath him.
The captain was ordering him down.
This was not for him; he was cow
ard and this was no towards work.
He swung from the ladder to the
narrow coping, just out Of the reach
OF the flames. He did not dare look
down. Above hlm-only one story
above, he saw those women's faces.
Even as he looked two disappeared.
They had run back into the room,
seeking madly for an outlet. One, Inn
mediately above, looked down. He
choked. 1t was Mary.
Now he had no more fear. In an
other moment he was on the ledge by |
Mary's side. He clasped her in his
arms.
They chung together on the ledge,
fire over and under them. One min
ute of life remained.
"Mary-my love" he whispered,
pressing his lips to her cold cheek.
She opened her eyes. "JOhn!" she
answered. smiling.
"You are married, dear7"
"No, John. | was-waiting, she
answered.
For met" he cried.
ITO show that you were a man,
John. And you have shown me-"
Shouts came to him. The men were
,racIng ladders. An elongated snake
Il wood crawled up the side Of the
vail. The fiery tongues beneath were
luenched. John felt for the ladder
op with his feet and found 1t. He
,laced his feet upon the topmost
'ung, supporting Mary in his arms,
Ind tainted In the arms of the man
Who had climbed to save him.
"Well done, John Harrigan,"
'cice was ynurmuring far away. He
lGteQed In Amugements What Was