The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-08-08

/
[ can do it."
| He turned eagerly toward me.
I 81 will make it worth your while
Take down that cross and l will pa
Iyou a hundred dollars. You will
have to ascend those ornamental
blocks, aud 1 tell you candidly they
are not to be depended on; they
must be weak and rotten-for thel
have been there for years"
! l looked up at the spire; it wa
square at the base and tapered to S
sharp point, while along each angle
we're nailed small gilded blocks o
wood.
"It's a dangerous place to work,
/ said, sand there will be even more
peril in descending than ascending
Suppose that l succeed in moving
the stone, and then"
"If any accident happens to you
my brave fellow, the money shall bt
paid to your family. Ipromise you
that. Give me your address"
"Here it is," said I, "and as you
value your soul keep you word with
me.-My wife and my children are
starving, or l would not attempt this
work. If I die, they can live on the
hundred dollars for while, until my
sick wife RECEIVERS her strength"
"I'll make it q hundred and fiftyr'
exclaimed the architect, "and may
God protect youl If l had the skill
necessary 10 ascend that steeple,
would ask no man to risk his life
there. But come, and keep a steady
hand and eye"
l followed him into the church,
then up into the spire, until we
paused before q narrow window.
This was the point from which
must certainly commence my peril
Gus feat which l had undertaken.
Casting a single glance at the
people in the street below-mere
speck in the distance reached out
from The window, and, grasping one
Of the ornamental blocks, swung
myself out upon the spire.
For an instant my courage faltered,
but the remembrance of my starv-
ing family came to my aid, and with
a silent prayer for protection and
success, l placed my hand on the
next block over my head and
clambered up.
From block to block l went, steadi-
ly and cautiously, trying each one
ere 1 trusted my weight upon it.
Two-thirds of the space was
passed, when suddenly the block that
supported me moved-gave'wayi Oh,
heavens! never. though 1 should live
to see a hundred years, shall 1 cease
to shudder at the recollection of
that. terrible moment.
Yet even in the midst Of my agony,
as l felt myself slipping backward,
l did not for one second lose my
presence of mind.
1t seemed to me that never before
had my senses been so preternatur-
ally acute as then, when 4 horrible
death seemed inevitable.
Down, down 1 slipped, grasping at
each block as / passed it, until at
last nv fearful course was arrested.
and then, while my head reeled with
the sudden reaction, great shout
came up from the people below.
"Come down! come down. called
the architect from the window; "half
the sum shall be yours, for the risk
you have run. Don't try it again
Come down"
But no! more than ever now was
determined to succeed. was not
one to give up, after having under
taken a difficult task.
Coolly, but cautiously, / com
menced the ascent once more, first
seeking in vain to reach across to
next row of blocks, for 1 did not
care to trust myself again on that
which had proved so treacherous.
This was compelled to do, how
ever, until tue space between the an
giles became sufficiently small to al
low me to swing across. Accom-
my purpose at length, went
up more rapidly, carefully testing
each block as I proceeded.
Ere long l reached the cross, and
there / paused to rest, looking down
from the dizzy height with a cool
ness that even then astonished me.
A few strokes with light hatchet
that the architect had hung at my
back, and piece by piece the rotten
cross fell to the ground.
My work was done, and rs the last
fragment disappeared, l found a sad
pleasure in the thought that should
never reach the ground alive, my
dear ones would have ample means
to supply their wants until my wife
could obtain employment.
Steadily and cautiously l lowered
myself from block to block, and at
length reached the spire window,
amidst the cheers of those assembled
in the street.
Inside the steeple the architect
placed roll Of bank notes in my
Land.
"You have well earned the money"
he said. 81 does me good to see a
man with so much nerve-but-bless
me! what is the matter with your
hair? 1t was black before you made
5he ascent, now it is grQyr'
And SO it was? That moment of
intense agony, while slipping help
essly downward, had blanched my
hair until it appeared like that of
IN old man. The work Of years had
been done in an instant.
Entering the bare, cheerless room
which was now all l called my home,
found visitor awaiting me, my
late emplooer.
"Harvey," said he, extending his
hand, Il have done a great wrong.
It cost me terrible pang to believe
in your guilt, but circumstances were
so strongly against you that 1 was
forced to believe it. l have found
5he coin, Harvey; it slipped under
the secret drawer in my desk. Can
you forgive me, dear old friend?"
My heart was too full to speak; l
silently pressed his hand.
81 will undo the wrong 1 have
lone. Ali the world shall know l
,oo,co1 49,, ,,,:,.41- - 4b-o,,c,l,