Catoctin clarion., 1921-10-20
"Bravest Man on
the Force"
By FREDERICK CLARKE


inoned. He left the fire station under
the disappearing looks Of his com
paniOns. Nobody spoke 10 him; that
was far harder Than Ii they had re-
preached him. ReprOaches are forgot
ten, but they had given him the silence.
desk.
"Sit down, Harrigan," he said, glar-
ing at him under his bushy eyebrows.
There was tense silence. Harrigan
sat upon the edge Of Ms chair, finger
Ing his cap.
whats this hear about your be-
Ing q coward, John?" asked the chief,
yet SO mildly that Harrigan took
courage to glance UP al 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 paraiyzed his
limbs, although his heart was brave
enough. He had only wanted some
one to lead him, some word Of en-
courageMent TO do heroic deeds. But
alone, he could not take the Initiative.
John harrigan,"' said bethany.
"Tve been on the force for seven and
thirty years. When l was young
ster l was coward. At my first fire
l hung back. Because of that wonl-
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 Ikea man."
The flremen 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 Connor. his sweetheart, was
told of the affair by rival. She
wrote him curt little note Of dis
missal. II don't want to marry a
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-chief's office.
He was never allowed ont again.
One day he walked into Bethany's
office.
"Chief," he said, II haven't had my
chance. ] have been doing clerks
Job. Give me my chance to show
that I'm q man."
Bethany looked at him, looked un-
der his beetling eyebrows clear into
his heart.
you'll have your chance now. Re-
port back for duty"
For a 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.
1t was little fire at first, but It
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 fire !;
1t might as well have been child's
sauirtgun 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 cOward's 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 him-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, I'M
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
Marys side. He clasped her In his
arms.
They clung 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, dear"
mo. John. l was-waiting," she
answered.
"For me7" he cried.
''TO show that you were man.
John. And you have shown me-"
Shouts came to him. The men were
bracing ladders, An elongated snake
of wood crawled up the side Of the
wall. The fiery tongues beneath We're
quenched. John felt for the ladder
top with his feet and found 1t. He
placed his feet upon the topmost
rung, supporting Mary in his arms,
and tainted In the arms Of the man
who had climbed to save him.
"Well done, John Harrigan," a
voice was murmuring far away. He
listened In amusement. What was
the voice saying--"Bravest man on
the fire force" He opened his eyes.
He locked into the keen blue eyes
beneath the thick eyebrows Of Fire
rhiaS pothanv