Evening star., 1935-06-16
lis warning of fire at the top of his

his warning of fire at the top of his
lungs.
The Ruth cottage was broad. one
story building. Hicky was unable to
bear the heat of the flames on the
porch. He staggered out and raced
around to the back door. 1t was locked.
He raised his foot and kicked at the
lock, then flung the weight Of his body
against the door. 1t crashed in.
He heard frantic voices inside the
cottage. As he entered the kitchen,
an elderly woman with robe clutched
about her, stumbled through from the
front of the house. She was carrying
a little boy of about 6 years in her
arns.
MY dsughter!" she screamed. And
my granddaughter!
I'm get them!" Hicky cried. He
knew that this woman was Mrs. Ruth's
mother. Mrs. Ruth and her little girl,
Grace, were evidently still in the
front of the house. He plunged
through the thickening smoke into the
dining room. The glare of the rising
flames gave him some light, but the
smoke made his eyes smart, and he
could naruIy see,
THE dining room opened into a
= larger room, and beyond it Hicky
dimiy made out the porch, now a
mass of roaring flames. Already the
fire had eaten through the fiimsy front
wall of the house. and the heat in the
living room was intense. He dropped
to his knees and scrambled across the
floor toward the bed rooms on the
other side of the house
The first one he entered was empty.
BY the time he came out, the living
room was a furnace, and the smoke
was choking He started into the
second bed room. Just inside the door
he stumbled over a huddled form. It
was Mrs Ruth.
He slammed the bed room door be-
hind him to keep out part of the
smoke. Bending down. he caught the
woman in his arms and picked her
up. He stumbled to the open win
dow.
There was screen in it. Hicky
laid the woman on the bed and kicked
the screen out with two mighty kicks.
Then he heard shouts outside the
window. He saw dim forms running
toward him. Eager nands reached up
as he passed the woman's inert body
out.
"The little girls still in here!" he
said hoarSely. "In get her."
When he opened the door to the
hall blast of soaring air struck him.
He gasped and dropped to the floor.
1t was raging hot to his hands, but
he crawled along the hall to still an
other and smaller room beyond. AS
he entered it, his eyes straining
through the choking smoke, he heard
q whimper.
LIE DIMLY made out small bed
In one corner of the room. He
plunged toward the window, kicked
out the screen, then gathered the
little girl in the bed in his arms. She
was crying softly in ner fright. Some
body reached up to the window and
took her from him. Then Hicky
threw a leg over the sill and dropped
to the cool ground outside.
For moment he lay gasping, while
figures bent above him anxiously.
Then he sat up.
I'm all right" he breathed. "Just
q little smoke in my throat. Are
they all out?"
"Yes!" somebody cried Everybody
Is safe"
Hicky got to his feet. The cottage
was a roaring mass of flames now.
Only a small part of the building
at the back door was still clear.
People we're dashing excitedly about.
They had started carrying water from
the lake. but almost Immediately saw
that it was hopeless.
Hicky started toward the rear Of
the cottage. Then suddenly Emily
dashed up to him, her eyes wide with
terror.
%Hicky!" she gasped. Where's
Herb? Ronnie is around back, but
can't find Herb. Is he around here2"
"I haven't seen him." Hicky cried.