The Fire
A couple, whom we shall call John and
Mary, had a nice home and two lovely chil-
dren, a boy and a girl. John had a good job
and had just been asked to go on a business
trip to another city and would be gone for
several days. It was decided that Mary need-
ed an outing and would go along too. They
hired a reliable woman to care for the chil-
dren and made the trip, returning home a lit-
tle earlier than they had planned.
As they drove into their home town feeling
glad to be back, they noticed smoke, and
they went off their usual route to see what it
was. They found a home in flames. Mary
said, "Oh well it isn't our fire, let's go home."
But John drove closer and exclaimed,
"That home belongs to Fred Jones who works
at the plant. He wouldn't be off work yet,
maybe there is something we could do." "It
has nothing to do with us." Protested Mary.
"You have your good clothes on lets not get
any closer."
But John drove up and stopped and they
were both horror stricken to see the whole
house in flames. A woman on the lawn was
in hysterics screaming, "The children! Get
the children!" John grabbed her by the shoul-
der saying, "Get a hold of yourself and tell us
where the children are!" "In the basement,"
sobbed the woman, "down the hall and to the
left."
In spite of Mary's protests John grabbed
the water hose and soaked his clothes, put
his wet handkerchief on his head and bolted
for the basement which was full of smoke
and scorching hot. He found the door and
grabbed two children, holding one under
each arm like the football player he was. As
he left he could hear some more whimpering.
He delivered the two badly frightened and
nearly suffocated children into waiting arms
and filled his lungs with fresh air and started
back asking how many more children were
down there. They told him two more and
Mary grabbed his arm and screamed, "John!
Don't go back! It's suicide! That house will
cave in any second!"
But he shook her off and went back by
feeling his way down the smoke filled hallway
and into the room. It seemed an eternity
before he found both children and started
back. They were all three coughing and he
stooped low to get what available air he
could. As he stumbled up the endless steps
the thought went through his mind that there
was something strangely familiar about the
little bodies clinging to him, and at last when
they came out into the sunlight and fresh air,
he found that he had just rescued his own
children.
The baby-sitter had left them at this home
while she did some shopping.
A couple, whom we shall call John and
Mary, had a nice home and two lovely chil-
dren, a boy and a girl. John had a good job
and had just been asked to go on a business
trip to another city and would be gone for
several days. It was decided that Mary need-
ed an outing and would go along too. They
hired a reliable woman to care for the chil-
dren and made the trip, returning home a lit-
tle earlier than they had planned.
As they drove into their home town feeling
glad to be back, they noticed smoke, and
they went off their usual route to see what it
was. They found a home in flames. Mary
said, "Oh well it isn't our fire, let's go home."
But John drove closer and exclaimed,
"That home belongs to Fred Jones who works
at the plant. He wouldn't be off work yet,
maybe there is something we could do." "It
has nothing to do with us." Protested Mary.
"You have your good clothes on lets not get
any closer."
But John drove up and stopped and they
were both horror stricken to see the whole
house in flames. A woman on the lawn was
in hysterics screaming, "The children! Get
the children!" John grabbed her by the shoul-
der saying, "Get a hold of yourself and tell us
where the children are!" "In the basement,"
sobbed the woman, "down the hall and to the
left."
In spite of Mary's protests John grabbed
the water hose and soaked his clothes, put
his wet handkerchief on his head and bolted
for the basement which was full of smoke
and scorching hot. He found the door and
grabbed two children, holding one under
each arm like the football player he was. As
he left he could hear some more whimpering.
He delivered the two badly frightened and
nearly suffocated children into waiting arms
and filled his lungs with fresh air and started
back asking how many more children were
down there. They told him two more and
Mary grabbed his arm and screamed, "John!
Don't go back! It's suicide! That house will
cave in any second!"
But he shook her off and went back by
feeling his way down the smoke filled hallway
and into the room. It seemed an eternity
before he found both children and started
back. They were all three coughing and he
stooped low to get what available air he
could. As he stumbled up the endless steps
the thought went through his mind that there
was something strangely familiar about the
little bodies clinging to him, and at last when
they came out into the sunlight and fresh air,
he found that he had just rescued his own
children.
The baby-sitter had left them at this home
while she did some shopping.
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