NEKA’S BRAVE DEED.
Only a few people in the armory saw Neka make the daring leap
from the rear window of the theater to the building in which the
excitement was going on. The young woman in flames commanded the
attention of all.
Strange to say, none of her friends ran in to her assistance. Either
they were too scared or too afraid to make the first move toward
effecting a rescue.
The instant that Neka landed on the armory floor he made a wild rush
for the woman’s form, now fairly enveloped in fire.
“Look out, young man!”
“Mary Breston will be burned to death!”
“The armory will be burned down!”
“Isn’t this awful!”
Then of a sudden the crowd became silent as the people saw Neka catch
the young woman by the waist and throw her down on the floor.
“Water--a rug--coat--anything!” called out the boy. “Be quick,
somebody!”
As he spoke he took his bare hands and dashed out the fire that was
mounting to the young woman’s face. The preparation he had used for
his tricks now stood him in good stead, for he remained uninjured.
Soon a wet curtain was flung to him and a coat followed. He threw
these over the victim and rolled her over. Then two men came to his
assistance, and before the crowd could fairly recover from its shock,
the fire was out so far as it was confined to the young woman. The
stand that was burning was then pulled down and also extinguished.
The young woman was unconscious and was carried to the parlor of the
armory and laid upon a couch. Soon her father, the doctor, came,
along with another physician. They worked over her constantly for an
hour, when she was pronounced out of danger and taken home in a coach.
In the meantime Neka returned to the theater, and so did that part of
the audience which had left at the first cry of fire. The show had
been sadly interrupted, but the performers did their best, and the
audience went away at the conclusion well satisfied.
“Are you hurt at all, my son?” asked Longfellow Wadsworth, anxiously,
as soon as he got the chance to address the boy privately.
“Not a bit,” laughed Neka. “I was just in trim to fight fire. If the
accident had to happen, it could not have chosen a better time.”
On the following morning, while Neka and the others were at
breakfast, a message was handed to the boy. It was from Dr. Robert
Breston, and asked Neka to call at his residence that morning if
possible, or, at least, before leaving town.
Neka was on a stand about going. He had not forgotten how Mary
Breston had snubbed him. He was inclined to leave the saved girl and
her parent severely alone.
But Longfellow Wadsworth and Bindley urged him to answer the message,
and finally he walked over to the doctor’s home, only a few blocks
away.
Mary Breston lay on a couch in the sitting-room. Her burns were but
slight, and her face and neck remained entirely uninjured.
Dr. Breston received Neka with a warm shake of the hand, and then
turned to his daughter.
“This is the brave young man who saved your life, Mary,” he said.
The young woman eyed Neka eagerly, then started and blushed. She
recognized him and remembered how she had ill-treated him.
“And it was you!” she exclaimed, in a low voice. “You! What can you
think of me?”
And she began to cry.
“Why, Mary!” ejaculated the doctor. “Have you met this brave young
man before?”
“He came to the fair night before last, father, and I, knowing he was
one of the actors belonging to that show which was going to perform
in opposition to us, snubbed and cut him all I could.” She turned to
Neka. “Oh, I hope you will forgive me. I was very rude.”
“Certainly I’ll forgive you,” responded Neka, melting all in a
moment. “I suppose you felt cut by our coming to town.”
“I did, and we girls promised to do all we could to make your visit
to the fair unpleasant.”
“That wasn’t right, Mary,” put in her father. “The theatrical company
had a full right to come to town if they wished. Their business is a
legitimate one.”
“I know it, father, and I am very sorry.”
“Let us drop it,” interrupted Neka. “I hope you are not much hurt,”
he went on, kindly.
“No, thanks to you, I escaped almost totally. But if it hadn’t been
for you, I would have been burned to death!”
And the young woman shuddered.
“Yes, that is true,” said the doctor. “We owe you a world of
gratitude, Mr.----”
“My name is Neka, sir.”
“Ah, your stage name.”
“The only one I have.”
“Indeed!” The doctor looked curious, but said no more on the point
just then. “Your fire tricks stood you in good stead.”
There was a slight pause, and the doctor looked at his daughter.
“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart,” said Mary Breston,
earnestly. “You saved my life, and I will never forget it, never. I
heard you were about to leave town. Before you go won’t you accept
this as a slight token in remembrance of your brave service to me?”
She brought out a leather case and handed it to Neka. The lid flew
back, revealing a gold watch and chain within.
The watch was undoubtedly a costly one, and the boy’s face flushed
with pleasure. But then he shook his head slowly.
“I don’t deserve this,” he said.
“But you do--and a good deal more,” said Mary Breston. “Do not refuse
my gift. It is but a poor return for your gallant act.”
“Yes, you must take the watch and chain by all means,” added her
father.
A little more talk followed, and finally Neka accepted the beautiful
gift. By this time Mary Breston looked fatigued, and shaking her by
the hand, Neka withdrew from the room.
Dr. Breston followed him to the parlor. He was becoming interested in
the brave and modest boy, and could not forbear to ask Neka a number
of questions concerning himself. Before they parted he knew a good
bit of the boy’s past history.
“A curious tale, truly,” he said. “I trust you have no further
trouble with that Bambo, and some day find out the whole truth of
your parentage.”
But even as Dr. Breston spoke thus he never dreamed of the important
part he was to play in establishing Neka’s identity later on.
It may be said here that Mary Breston recovered from her injuries
inside of several weeks and was then as well as ever. She never
forgot the brave lad who saved her life and made her so ashamed of
her unkind conduct toward him.
[Illustration: “The mad creature sprang for Neka.” See page 68.]