Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1922-03-16


The chief had sent for John Harri.
gan. John knew why he was sum
moned. He left the are station under
the disapproving looks Of his COM
panions. Nobody spoke to him: that
was far harder than Il they had n.
preached him. Reproaches are forgot.
ten. but they had given him the silence.
The old chief turned round at bis
desk.
"Sit down. Harrigan." he said. glar-
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 coward, Johnf" asked the chief,
yet 30 mildly that Harrigan took
courage to glance up ut him.
They say" said Bethany mildly,
that at the ire 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 nrst big IRE. and the sight Of
that flaming hell had paralysed his
limbs. although his heart was brave
enough. He had only wanted some
one to lead him. some word Of en-
cournRement to do heroic deeds. But
alone. he could not take the Initiative.
"John Harrigan." said Bethany,
1--WE been on the force for seven and
thirty years. When I was . young
ster was cowart. AT my 6rst frs
hung back. Because Of that Z wou,-
an died. I've never told anyone but
you, Harrigan. because I've never met
another coward but you. John" hs
continued. go back to your company
and act like q man."
The flremen received the news q
his reinstatement badly.
Harrigan could endure their silence.
He knew that II only his chance
came, he could redeem himself. But
Mary Common. his sweetheart, was
told Of the affair By . rival. She
wrote him Z curt little note of die.
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-chIers once
He Was never allowed out again
One day he walked into Bethany
once.
"Chlef." he said, II haven't had my
chance. l have been doing . clerks
job. Give me my chance to show
that I'm q man."
Bethany looked at him, looked IN
der his beetling eyebrows clear into
his heart.
you'll have your chance now. Re.
port back for duty"
For q 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 q little fire ut nrst. but II
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 Are !;
II might ~ well have been Q chlld's
sQuirtgun for all the effect II had.
Above him--far sbove--he saw white
faces Of women ut the windows. He
heard their cries family In his ears.
A ladder was being raised. Harri-
gan sprang forward md began to a.
cend. He heard shouts beneath him.
The captain was ordering him down.
This was not for him: he was q 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 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 madiy for an outlet. One. i'm
mediately above. looked down. He
choked. II 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.
IRE over and under them. One min
ute Of life remained.
"Aary-my love-" he whispered.
pressing his lips to her cold cheek.
She opened her eyes. "John!" she
answered, smiling.
You are married, dearr'
mo. John. ] was--waiting," she
answered.
"F0r mel" he cried.
ITO show that you were . man,
John. And you have shown me-"
Shouts came to him. The men we're
bracing ladders. An elongated soake
Of wood crawled up the side Of the
wall. The fiery tongues beneath were
quenched. John felt for the ladder
tot with his feet and found II. He
placed his feet upon the topm0st
rung. supporting Mary In his arms.
and tainted in the arms OF the man
who had climbed to save him.
"Weil done. John Harrigan," q
voice was murmuring far away. He
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