The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1921-03-24
How Halloran
Made Good
By HAZEL SMITH

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&c 1921, Western Newspaper Union)
The first loud clang Of the alarm
had hardly ceased to echo through
the quarters of the sleeping fremen
when Halloran had sprung to his feet
his eyes stlll closed with sleep, found
the thick pole and slid down to the
stable, first Of his companions. 1t twas
not his first fire, but II was his FIRST
big one. Everybody knew that it was
a big one. Why a whole block of
tenements was burning on the East
sidel
He was at his post upon the car
now, holding on grimly as the vehicle
swung from side to side.
Hallorans mind went working back
during that wild journey, He had
been a fireman only six weeks. He
was an ex-convict Nobody knew that
nobody except Chief Porter. And
Porter had believed in him and had
kept his secret faithfully After three
years in Sing Sing for a crime that
should, at most, have merited a short
period of detention in Elmira reforma-
tory, Halloran had been embittered
against society. And Porter had found
him and plucked him out Of the mud
and given him his post. Porter be-
lieyed In him.
put EU,o,, bfe vottp0 vriFa di5 not
They had been married only three
months when he had stolen a purse,
to give her those little comforts which
she needed so badly. When he came
out to freedom Eileen was gone. Her
friends could not be found. Her fam
lily had dispersed. There was no trace
Of her.
Then Porter had found Halloran
and picked him out of the mud and
made a fireman Of him. Some day he
would show Porter that he was worthy
Of his confidence.
The wild journey was ended in
front of a block Of frames that sent
up columns Of smoke and spouted fire.
All the occupants of the tenements
had been removed or fed to safety
No! Suddenly a cry went up from
the fnultirudes Far up on the sew
enth story child was leaning out Of
the window, utterlng a feeble cry. A
little brown-haired slip Of a girl, with
outsretched arms and cllnglng night
robe crying in terror as the colling
smoke surged round her. Ladders had
been run up. "TOo short % shouted
a man. That was all Halloran knew.
He was already upon the lowest part
Of the ladder and climbing steadily.
The child still hung in the midst of
the coiing smoke wreaths and he was
at the top Of the ladder, and a full
two stories beneath her.
He poised himself and sprang and
caught the sill Of the window Of the
fifth story; caught it and hung there.
Then he drew himself up, stood on the
sill for an instant and plunged into
the hell within.
Two minutes later a gasp went up
from the watchers as they saw a stag
gering. smoke-blackened figure appear
at the window of the seventh story
and drag the child upon the sill. 1t
was Hglloran. Angry tongues of fire
darted out at him, licked at his
clothes greedy for their prey
Halloran chung to the sill and looked
down. The crowd was shouting TO him
not to jump.
Slowly a ladder upreared itself I'M
I'll it reached the sill. IIalloran felt
for it through q cloud of llame-tipped
smoke in which whirIed fiery, singing
sparks, chung to 1t with his feet,
perched himself upon that swaying
thing and thrust the child into the
arms Of the steel-helmeted man who
clambered up to him. And then, when
she had passed downward along the
line, Halloran collapsed into his res
cuer's arms
At the toor of the ladder was a wom-
an who had broken through the police
lines. So tense was her face with an
guish thai they mad suffered Ter to
pass; and now she clasped the child
to her breast and laughed ana crooned
over It, oblivious Of all else. The
child was scatheless. Not a hair had
been burned. Hallorans thick coat,
scorched TO crisp, bore witness to
shat. And HallOran, a fre-blackened
ruin, with burned-off hair and sInged
eyebrows and hands that rested limp
ly in the surgeons bandages, opened
his eyes 10 find the woman kneeling
over him
He'll do wen now" exclaimed the
police surgeon.
"Sure he wlllw cried the voice of
Porter, the fire chief, and in his tones
was something that set Halloran's
doubts at rest for ever.
But 1t was not of Porter that he
thought that moment. The burned
eyes opened widely, staring into the
face Of the woman at hls side. And
he whispered:
"Elleenw
She knew hlm--had known him. She
crouched lower beside him and laid
her head upon his breast her tears
falling on his face like rain.
"Toml" She whispered. "She's ours
your child and mine. And we shall
be waiting for you, Tom dear, to make
a new home for all our lives"
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