Evening star., 1925-10-18

dawn would never come. From
.aidn:aht on. he had been
walking. walking, walking-follow'
Ing the building line of his first beat
and no one had paid any attention to
him. His new shoes Squeaked. The
stiff collar had rubbed most of the
bark off his neck. The calves of his
legs were full of lead, and his back
was nearly broken from the unaccus-
toned weight of gun and cartridges
and cuffs and club and flash-l lamp and
all the rest of the police impedimentS.
He had still 80 minutes before he
could report off. and he headed up
Sanchez street eying the pedestrians
in the hope that some one would give
him friendly nod or smile in passing
But nobody seemed to realize that the
San Francisco Police Department had
been honored by the acquisition of Joe
Mulhall.
You'd think l was carryin' a small.
poX sign" he reflected, AN the cap
tain says the first duty of a new man
is to make friends with the people on
his beat. What a fine sense of humor
he's got.'
But a few minutes later the world
had taken on a more kindly aspect for
the sun came out. bathing in flood Of
pale gold the city Of ST. Francis.
A vagrant little poppy in the crevice
of a wall, was nodding under the
morning wind. nodding straight in the
direction of a young cop, who paused
to consider this phenomenon. The
poppy persisted in its friendly over
lures. Mulhall, hands clasped behind
his back, delivered himself of his first
official speech.
''Mornin' Yourself" said he. Its
been long night, ain't it? 1 suppose
you seen l vase a new cop?"
The poppy nodded
Much obliged for the nod. It's the
first friendly sign I've had since
took the job. What are you doin'
around here. anyway? Have you got
any regular abode or place of employ
ment? You haven't? Well, III have
to pick you up, then. If the wind gets
any stronger, it will blow you to
pieces, anyway. Come along. now"'
Down the street came Joe Mulhall,
golden poppy swishing in his hand, to
where Con McCarron's wrecking yard
fits into a curve on Mission street.
Up the street came Miss McCarron
to open the office where she served as
her fathers bookkeeper and pay clerk.
Give Nora the benefit of the doubt!
maybe the front door lock did sticke
AT all events, the closer the young
officer approached. the more trouble
effecting an entrance. Joe quickened
his pace.
Can / help you, miss?"
Nora looked up in pretty confusion.
"Why. thank you, l can't magine
what S wrong. The key doesn't seem
to want to turn"
Maybe somebody's been tryin' to
bust in" said Joe. "If you'll hold this
flower for me III try my luck
hn ooh fn1 n.
ed. Better give the place the once
over" he suggested. Everything look
all right to you?"
"Oh, yes" she answered. Dad never
leaves any money in the safe. There's
nothing in this office, you know, that's
of any value"
Mentally the young patrolman took
issue with that last statement, for the
morning sunshine cast halo around
the girls face and auburn hair. She
was expressing thanks again and
holding out to him his poppy.
"Oh, that's all right" he told her.
"Id be obliged if you'd stick that
flower in a little water and give 1t
chance. It's my first pinch, you know"
Il love poppies,' she told him.
DO you, now?" he marveled. We'll,
that's fine" He backed to the door.
cap in hand. The Captain said l was
to make friends on my beat" he
blurted. My names Joe Mulhall, and
I'm happy to have met you, Miss"
"McCarron," said Nora. The pleas.
ure's all mine. If / can help you get
acquainted in the district, III do my
best. | suppose you've met the boys
across the street? They're all good
friends Of mine
Mulhall turned in the direction she
had indicated and for the first time
became aware that Con McCarron's
wrecking yard was directly across the
street from firehouse, in front of
which three blue-clad figures were
furtively regarding him over the tops
of newspapers. Mulhall replaced his
cap hurriedly.
II amt met 'em yet" said he, "but
no doubt We'll get acquainted when
] rout 'em out of bed the first time.
Well, I'll be going along. miss
Goodbye, Mr.. Mulhall."
CPURRED to action by the gallantry
~ of a young harness bull, Lieut..
Otto Nelson, Chemical Truck 5, pre-
pared to uphold the honor of the Fire
Department. Otto was the depart
ment's best athlete, a blond Adonis
with nerves of steel. He presented
Nora McCarron with an insurance
calendar picturing brave fireman de-
scending a ladder with an unconscious
girl in his arms.
why, that's awfully nice Of you,
Otto" Nora acknowledged. isn't it
pretty" She hung the calendar on the
wall where officer Mulhall beheld it
the next morning. Thus the contest
began-a contest that eventually in
volved the honor and prestige of two
great departments Of civic service.
Ty,dD u 81
a fireman have much in common.
They are both sworn to the defense
of life and property and ready to lay
down their lives for one another in
the hour of danger.
But underneath the professional CO.
operation there is a very deep and
natural rivalry and nothing gives
either department quite SO much sat
isfaction as a chance to hang it on"
the other. In all things save one they
are fairly matched, but the exception
is important. So far as a large portion
of the public Is concerned, the fireman
Is always hero and the poor cop al
ways a bum.
Just why this should be is beyond
the philosophy of a hard-working Off.
Ger Of the law, but he learns to ac-
cept 1t as one Of the penalties of his
profession, and he looks upon a fire.
man as one of those lucky mortals on
whom the gods have, for no particu-
lar reason that he can see, conde.
scended to smile. Truth to tell, the
man whose occupation is to save peo.
pie has an unfair advantage over one
whose duty is to lock them up.
This is all you need to know to ap-
preciate what officer Joe Mulhall
was up against in the courtship of
Nora McCarron. But he did his best,
and after two months on the heat
he led Fireman Nelson by three
fheafar tickets nd hoy Of