A Little Hero

Carlo was a little Italian boy, who lived on the top floor of a house on the East Side of New York City. when he was a baby a careless girl, who had taken him out to play, dropped him on the stone steps. This so hurt his back and hip that he became a cripple, and had to hobble around on some crutches which a lady in the settlement gave him.

Carlo's father worked in a bakery. But he earned so little money that the mother had to scrub floors and help to buy food and clothes for Carlo and his baby sister, Lucia.

Thus the children were often left alone all day, and Carlo had to be a little father as well as a big brother, giving Lucia a slice of bread for her diiirner and watching to see that she did not open the door and tumble down the stairs.

One winter morning, when the father and mother were both away, Carlo heard cries in the street. On going to the window, he saw that smoke was pouring out from one of the flats below them, and people were running toward the engine house, shouting "Fire!"

In a moment he knew what his task was. It would have been easy, if he were alone, to take his crutches and hurry down the stairway. But there was Lucia, and Lucia was heavy. What could he do?

Meanwhile people on the sidewalk had seen his face at the window. Mothers were crying and wringing their hands. "O the poor children!" they wailed. "Their father and mother are away, and they will surely be burned!"

But Carlo did not mean to be burned if he could help it; and whether he was burned or not, he would not leave Lucia. As he looked once more out of the Window, the red flames leaped up toward him and clouds of thick black smoke shut out all view of the street.

Looking at Lucia, who was playing on the floor, he called:

"Come, Lucia, and I'll give you a ride on my back Quick!" And he got down on his hands and knees as he often did when they played together.

Lucia laughed with delight, and wrapped her chubby arms around her brother's neck.

But when Carlo tried to rise, he found that his burden was too heavy. Besides, he could not use his crutches freely with that little body clinging to his shoulders.

So leaving the crutches, that meant so much to him, he crawled to the door and opened it. The smoke rolled in and almost choked him; but he crept bravely out into the hallway with his precious burden on his back.

Lucia shrieked with fear when she saw the smoke and heard the flames crackling beneath them. But she clung tightly to Carlo, as he made his way slowly down the stairs.

"Hold fast, Lucia!" he called. "Don't be afraid I'll get us out all right. Only three more flights and we shall be safe!"

But as he started down the next flight, he could see flames beginning to burst into the hallway. The wood was so hot that it almost burgled his hands. His breath came fast. Lucia screamed and kicked as she felt the heat on her little bare legs. Twice she made him fall over on his side. But he righted himself and went blindly ahead.

Just then there was a sound of tramping and shouting. Some water splashed in his face, and he could hear footsteps running up the stairs. Another moment and two strong arms picked horse and rider up, a queer bundle of arms and legs, and bore them to the street in triumph.

"Well, I call that pluck!" exclaimed the burly fireman, as he carried the two children to a place of safety. "The little fellow had his sister on his back and was actually creeping down the stairs!"

"Lucky he started!" said his fellow. "Two minutes more, and no living man could have gone up those stairs!"

Kind neighbors cared for Carlo and Lucia until their father and mother, who knew nothing of the fire, came home in the evening.

A few weeks later some good friend not only brought the boy some new crutches, but took him to a great doctor, who helped him, after a long time, to walk without them.

To-day Carlo wears a medal for bravery that was given him, and two of his own little children often take rides upon his back.