Show c i. i O. O o c CC C Ck ii O- O G f O v OC C Q t i C C- C Sr j k i Ja Jane Bane e and H Her fir g t Firefighter l' l 6 v 1 A By H. H LOUIS RA c cT cm c. c o T oo 0 J I m Copyright 1 A A NOTHER THER fire oil ou Bald Peak 1 Jane from her bungalow veran- veran da tin watched the menacing spiral of of at smoke rising above c the blotch of oC pines on the distant mountain Probably the tho ranger had bad long ago detected It and called caBell out his firefighters Valiant men who labored hard for board and anda 3 a dollar a n da day and m l yet Jet over whom just now hovered u a cloud of ot suspicion suspicion sus sus- like HI that white smoke now set set- settling thing upon old Bald uld P Peaks Peak's aks ak's slope For FOI three weeks not a drop of rain had fallen follen Everywhere g re time tile woods were tinder dry r And in fn spite of ot posted warnings one fire after another another an an- other othel had blazed blared out omit to be conquered only after the tile most arduous efforts Already people c were beginning to tosa sa say Are re th the ices fires being set set SetT And If they were ere what was was the object 1 1 There were comparatively few men nen available in this tills part of time tile c country jaro Jane ran Inn them over o In fn her mind t 4 A A j Sudden snapping of oC a 1 branch startled her She turned to see a n stranger coming up time tho path A tall tali fellow In disreputable sweater patched t trousers shoes that were gr gray bray y with dust Just A mop of tow colored hair surmounted surmounted sur sur- mounted ted a n. n pair pall of handsome gray glay eyes Wonder if H you ou could give gI-e me a n littie lit lit- tie tic tle Information he drawled drawled lIil l d. d Where do iJo I go to join joi up imp with ith the fire firc brigade 1 Jane loo looked ed at nt him a 0 moment curiously curl curl- oh Jy before ini Then she said saida snida a funny thing considering time tile nee needy y appearance of t the the youth before her lIer They only pay a dollar a day and bO board fl There are ale times when that is a fortune Jane shrugged her shoulders Oh she said wen Well you go do down n to the fire wardens warden's next to the post office Likely hell he'll be glad to sign on another man Then she turned away but for fOl the rest of the day duy she found herself curiously disturbed Suppose that he was the man who bad had been setting the fires firc I l' l For or several da days s 's she heard no more Of him Then at the supper table her brother for whom she same kept house remarked casually I understand they think they've they found the firebug Some new fellow just come to town That r night fann fanned d by a n northwest wind Ind a whirlwind of ot flames names swept Bald Bahl ald Peak Teak At midnight the church hurch bells bens were rere started ringing the fire siren shen screeched automobiles c collect collect- iJ n f term t fir rg UP un 1111 down own time the 1 J t hf hastily tily donning flannel shirt knickers and heavy y boots insisted on climbing In beside her brother Do DoI I let t I ne mue e go she said and because Bill nill had no time to waste in argument she had I Ir T way All night I In Ing UK the thc lines hues of grimy stained smoke sm kc irn In labored d digging tr trencher tranche h building backfires lugging water And Anil side by s' s j with them beam toiled Jane herself grimy and stained smoke but thrilled to her Inmost Inmost inmost In In- most bean being b by the time excite nt of it A And lid most most of the time tinge beside lle her worked Hl the gla gray eyed eyed stranger who was the lie le object of so many suspicious glances Yet Yet- he lie seemed to vork more easil easily than nay any of them whistling cheerfully cheerfully cheer cheer- I fully and occasionally breaking into I snatches of gay song sung I Sometimes he h talked with Jane I asking casual questions about those mu around him Do you ou know Inow that fellow fel fellow low on over o r there them in the torn gray jet jef- jersey sc sey sey Surely Known him all nil my life licci i Lies He's Hes He's the time town cieri clerks son sun A And H t that t man with ith the pail no Roy Libby Runs HUlls the tile garage I And that Hint boy In the overalls the theone theone theone one that's HInL'S hind had seventeen se cupfuls cupfuls of coffee conee if hes he's had hall o one Wll Why let me see that must be be- be I But nut Jane did not finish her sentence At that that moment one of those giants I of the forest that have stood for generations generations gen gen- I and seem likely to stand for I generations gc more mol shivered where It was swayed hesitated te then crashed I to the ground three seconds after Jane had lIall fell felt herself seized In a 0 pair of I I strong young oung arms and thrown clear into a n pile of brush blush And strange though It may seem for the tile Instant that she was In his arms Jane knew that she cared for this mean man of whom she knew so little and about whom such dren dreadful Cul things were heln being whispered Dawn found the fire file checked after acres of green grcen forest had haJ been metamorphosed meta into a seared seare and desolate waste Jane eating her seventh se pancake passed out by the busy crew cre of c cooks looked up to see n st p tall f figure gure Into the seat sent beside her Weve We got the tho firebug he ho announced As I J have sort of suspected front from the first It was I that hat boy in overalls o Only fourteen years ears old and out on parole from rein the reformatory lIe He has just confessed lie he has started a n dozen blazes out of or sheer to gut et t excitement You see that lint was t what I came here for far Sent by hy the state slate to tr try mind ferret fenet out Ilm the e criminal Thought a stranger could C Jo do l the JUi Juh h better batter rO Tomorrow lOlIO l' l gut fI t to get fiot lt bat hd batto to tn II my toy Il regular voik Bork lI up tip at pt the sta sli slats p e NI Ma Sta I lion Linn Then pre presently Im I'm cumin coming oming tack t- t ack nl In a decent wit suit of at clothes mil aril and acquainted nil alt over O again Jane Janc threw him an fin odd little smile Would she ever she he wondered hare dare admit to him that it h Lad had been a case o of love lo at nt fir first t sight Bight f tJ |