Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1869-01-02
At THB Ter or A CHIMNEY.

don't mind listening, will tell you the sto-
~. Twas apprsnticsd 10 . baildsr when
Left school, and soou got to like the trade
very much, especially when the work vas
pcrilous, and gave the cheacs to Guido
other lads in daring 'Spider" Was my
nickname in those days, given partly on
account oSmy long legs, for had outGrown
my proportions, srd partly bsesuss they
said could crawl along . roof. like my
namesake. When | was about three and
twenty, / was working with the famous
Mr.. --, and went down to Swansea
with his picked hands, to carry out . con
tract he had taken in that tsws. Walls
there fell IN levs with the prettiest
girl had seen in Wales, and this ie saying
. good dsal. For . time fancied she
liked me, and I was getting on very well
With my lsve max M, but soon found my
for IN old lover Of hers joined our
men, and Mary gave me the cold shoulder
Yon may believe this sweet
heart Of hers (who was called Ben. Lloy d.
and we're not the best Of friends IN the
word but am net the sert Of fellow TO
harbor malice, and when the biddings OF
the Wedding went round, and knew my
chsnes vas gone, msbs the best Of Il I
kept my sore head to myself, and deter
mined to beat down Jealousy, by icing
great ehums with Ben.
! went to the Wedding +; end there were
mol many days when did net steal half IN
hour 70 cit BY his Preside, which was a.
bright aud cosy and homelike a. you d wish
to sss-Mary being the soul Of order aud
industry. II 10 not, perhaps, the usual
way Of driving out envy, TO 60 and lock ct
The happiness another man has dens you
out Of. but then sou know The provssb
ssys, "What 10 one mani meat 10 another
mau's poison )" and 90 IL was ! got to look
upon Mary - sort Of sister, and Ben had
no CAUSE Tor jealousy, although there we're
plenty Of evil tongues TO put him up to it.
The contract IVES nearly up, when q
lightning conductor upon one of the
highest ehimnsy's over Of Llanslly sprapE.
master the job.
"Ite isst The sert Of thisg for yeu
Harry" said Mr.. -. when hs ted % eft.
l touched my cap, and accepted il on
hand, and then Ben stepped Up and said
he'd volunteer . b the ssesnd man. I've
being required.
"All right" said the master; "yeu are
Ihe stsadisss beaded fsalsw I have. The
price 10 good one, and every penny Of It
shall be divided between you. Wen not
az day fer the Wsrk, but take the fret
calm uosnisg, and get II desc quietly"
So il WAS that, some four or Eve morA
ings after. that No found ourselves ct Llan.
ely, and eli ready for . start. The kite
BY which the line attached to the block
wss 70 b sent over the chimney, was
Aewn. and did its work veil ths rope
which vas 10 haul up the cradle WAS ready,
and stepping in, Ben and bsgan the a..
cent.
There had been very few people abess
whom We went into the yard, but 40 We got
higher, saw that the news had spread,
and that the streets we're filling with sight
sssrs.
"rhsrs's plenty Of star-eszsrs, Ben,"
said, waving my cap to them. IL dare say
they'd like 10 see US como down with .
run"
'Cannot you keep quiet" answered
Ben, speaking in strange tone and turn
ing to look, saw he was deadly pale; and
sat in the bottom Of the cradle, huddlsd up
together, with his eyes fast shut
You're net frightened, cid chapy l
asked.
whats that TO your"
"Oh. nothing. only we nre getting up
pretty quickly. and you'd havss be ter
head for work ifyou'd get gradually used
to the height"
lle said nothing and never moved. Then
looking up. l saw We were near the top--a
few yards more, and VIC would 10 there !;
yet those who were turning the windlass
were winding with undated speed A
sudden chill ran through nv b'oad. and set
my flesh creeping. They had miscalcula-
ted the distance, and with tho force they
we're winding at tho ropc it must evidently
break whom the cradle came in contact with
tho block. There Was no time to attempt
a signal, only an instant to point out the
danger to Ben, and then to get hold Of the
rope. and, by going hand over hand. reach
tho coping before the cradle came up. THIS
was done almost quicker than can tell
you, Ben following.
The cradle came on; then, as | anticipa-
ted, the rope gave shrill, plning sound,
ike rife ball passing through the air,
and snapped. Down went the cradle, aud
thcrc were We left. nearly three hundred
feet in tHc air, with nothing TO rest upon
but coping, barely eighteen inches wide
Ben shrleked out that he was q dead
man, and cried out: Tell me where can
kneel, Harry show me where can pray
to Almighty God, for | cannot die this
way T.
"Hush lad" l. said, "don't lose heart i;
God can hear you just 40 we'll sitting AZ
knesling; and If you try 10 get up. you'll
tumble TO u moral certainty. Think Of
Mary, man. and keep up"
But he emily shock and swaysl mere and
more, greaning and crying cut that no vas
lost and could see that, il be did not
mind, he would evsrbalanee.
Get hold Of the rsd," said thinking
that, even sprung % it wac, the touch Of il
would give him courage.
"Whsrs 10 il. boy p no said hsarsely /;
and then looking into his. face, which Wa
turned to Ne. l saw that his syes were
drawn together. squirting and bloodshos,
and knew that the fright had driven him
blind. So, pushing myself to hin, plae-
ed my arm around his waist, and worked
round . the rcd. which put in bic hand /;
and then lssksd below TO go whether
they we're trying 10 help ", but there was
no sign. The yard was full Of people.
oil rushing hithsr and thithss, aud, % ]
Afterwards knew, all 10 the greatest con-
stsrnation-ths cradle having fallen on
enc Of the eversesrs Of the wesk, killing
him on the spot, and % occupying the
attention Of these near tbst ~ usfertuus
atss we're fer the time forgotten. l va
s.raining my syss in the hopes Of seeing
ssms effort made = help 10, when wal
clarified BY horrible yell, and brought
70 sense Of new danger, for. locking
round, ! saw Ben chsmpisg With bio
teeth and leaning At The msuth, and
ess,iculstine in 90 uns,sthly way. Fear
had not snIy blinded hin, bot crazsd his
brain.
Scarcely bad I time 10 osopsshsnd this,
when he began sdsing bic way toward me
and every hair On ny head seemed 70 stand
On end 20 I moved away, keeping % far %
- csuld and scarcely daring 10 breathe
lest he should hear ne, for zee me he could
not: that zee my eAly consslatten. Oacs
--sWics-thfics he followed ne round the
mouth Of that terrible chimney; then, NJ
doubt, thinking I had fallen over, be gave
up the search, and began trying 70 gss On
his feet. What could d new 70 savs his
iifel To touch him Was certain death to
myself ~ we'll - 70 him, Tor be would insv.
tally SEIZE me. and We should both 60 over
together. To let him stand up, was TO Wit.
ness HE equally certain destruction.
I thought Of peer Mary. and ismsm.
bored that il be died, she night ct to care
for me. The devil nut that theuehk into