Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-10-21

Ig are twice as fast. What do you say to a
If race, Ridley ~ And off she bounded
with that person in pursuit. For the mo-
ment, nv Instinct was to follow also but
t, a few steps at a rapid pace soon showed
,e me that / must stop. The pulmonary af-
n lection developed itself in q second, and at
d the end of the first flight, l was painting In
le deep distress. 1 grieve to say, that under
IS the instigation Of Ridley, she carried out
d his unworthy tactics st eadily on every oc-
If casion. They always went up by the stairs,
and, as a matter of habit, avoided the lift.
1 had to make solitary Journeys by the by
It draulic agency. One evening, however, l
found that 1 could bear it no longer. l
It said to myself that it must come to a crisis
ole wsy or the other. Which was the one
: way, or which wssithe other way, 1 didnot
know, and did not care; but the way should
be discovered. As 1 was brooding over
= this, the idea suddenly flashed upon me.
I What if the pulmonary affection were not
so confirmed? What if l braved its effects
q -tried-went into training a little ? l
might battle jt-and be nee more on equal
terms with the enemy.
l almost at once began to act on TIE
/ suggestion; with a little practice l found
my powers of endurance improving Won
NSAioiJ a PAO6ANocOu III d SlCdug Aotfls
To my surprise, / found that when l
could effect two flights of stairs on one
day, l could manage three on the follow
ing day. This promised wen. And, the
better to carry out my design, 1 deter
mined to keep my training, as 1 might
call it, a secret, until l was perfect. Just
as l was nearly perfect-which was on a
Saturday-the news came to me that she
was going atTay, that her uncle had writ
ten for her, and that she must leave by
the four o'clock train. She did not tell me
this herself, but ] overheard her telling
her Ridley friend. No time, therefore,
was to be lost. Whatever / had to do.
had best be done, if it were done, quickly.
This is not the precise form of words used
by the immortal William; but it conveys
his idea pretty accurately. In a moment
1 had the plan settled. Nearly the whole
day I waited in or about the hall for her
TO come 1T had determined, in o word, 3,
bearing in mind the remark so dispara-
ging to q faint heart,-to be bold and
speak. 1 was in ambuscade, ! say, the
whole day, in or about the hall, rushing
out of concealment whenever l heard any
one coming. l believe the young lady
who looked after the books and accounts,
at first thought 1 had designs on the prop ]
CITY uuutI hcE CdICJ bhb dAlCA NhAoo AoH
cied | was a little "touched in the upper
story '!!I could always laugh at this notion
now, for the upper story had something to
do with my troubles. Two-three-still A
she did not come. Surely she would pack? 3
At least, if she trusted to u disorderly put
ting up of her clothes, anyhow" she was
scarcely the girl 1 took her for. NO-Of
course she had packed already. All, she
was hurrying Unjust in time-I ran to !
her.
"Could you spare me a few moments-a
hurried interview" 1 said, much agitated, Il
Hbefore you go? Five minutes would be e
sufficient"
"Bless you, my dear sir, I haven't five
seconds, l must be at the train at four"
Three minutes, then" 1 said, with re-
proach, "two-you have been very unkind
to me latterly, and 1 did think, after the
dressing case and the ladder
81 assure you" she said, ~ meant moth 4
ing-never intended it, at least" =
mo-" said 1, ut wasn't you. 1 know
perfectly well who poisoned t
She colored a little. Of
POISONED mel" ar
"Let me-" said 1 ~pashionately, 'let me "
go up with you, and speak what l have to
say as we go up. l can go up stairs now.
L nave ledTu6u uOW-
"Go up stairs now 2" she said, looking
at me with wonder.
Dyes l went on II have been train
ing myself secretly, whenyou little thought =
what l was about, l began with one flight; /
then, emboldened by success, went on to =
two
There was a rush behind me. "Bless SC
you" he said, "you hav'nt twenty minutes eli
to get to the train. Where are the trunks ne
and things?'
"AIl ready" she said; 81 am just going
up stairs, and shall be down in a second"
"Up-stairsr' he said, "isn't thereIJthe
lift? We won't mind it, he added laugh 4
ing, "as 1t is the last time and besides, 1 u
have something to tell you privately"
1 looked at her bitterly. Fl
"You said you'd take the stairs; but no W
matter" 1 turned to go.
ado come" he said, taking her hand,
and drawing her to the lift. "And as for
you Sir, for Gods sake keep off and stop
worrying us" N
She went with him. Suddenly she turn
ed and said to me in a kind voice, Il am
sorry to disappoint you, but if you have
anything to tell, or any message, you can All al
90 round by the stairs, and meet me at the
n capital lupd. L gave HGTd lOOh VI III
telligence, to show that l understood the
terrorism under which she was acting
He slammed the door of the apparatus.
They began to ascend and l ran round and
began what was for me a daring and ter ,
rife ascent. 1 was racing against time ow
/ took three stairs at each stride. l be- an
lieve there were four hundred in all Gel
When 1 had gone about twO-thirds of the
way, 1 began to feel signs of distress. l
gasping and lettering, but l still held
My training was failing me-my
false, faithless, treacherous training. They e
would be gone-be down even before me.
But l held on. AT last l was at the top,
and, o joy there she was waiting patient CT
ly on the landing. She saw me come IN
Observation-Disclosures my
head on one side, and my tongue hanging
put. l could have tumbled forward at
her feet, but caught the bannister. Her W,
face was lit up with pleasure and delight WI
sympathy. Of
or two, while Mr.. Ridley is gone
to see about the trunks. What do you
want ~
aYOu," I gasped out, with a sort of blow
guggle.
"Me," she said, startiug back.
"1es,' l said. "1ou must have seen IL
ago my-Q shall never get =
it. Early pulmonary. Deck of a m
1 have a good competence, and II
shall make you ha-ha-happy. o, L have III
no wind"
She burst out laughing. "My dear sir,
that is so kind and so fiattering, and 1 as Of
sure you 1 appreciate it. But it is unfor- pr !
you are a little bit late. o, ever en-
SO little" pr
"Late," I cried, holding my side, and
gasping.
yes she said, aMr. Ridley has been a
little before you"
"Before me p 1 cried, starting back. III
When Where? How %
"0nly two seconds ago" she said, leaning ="
down her head, but from a different cause
to that which affected mine. "He has just ri
proposed for me in the lift"
ain the lift !" I cried; with a stamp.
''Oh, internal hydraulic power. Oh,
apparatus" III
1T was so fortunate she went on. eff
I had gone up the stairs with you, it
T-.--