Wichita eagle., 1888-06-17
A MAD RIDE.

Well, l Will tell you now, though for e
year after the event occurred which caused
it, would not mention the subject under
any consideration.
One bright autumn afternoon, / dressed
myself with unusual care to make call
on Mrs Mark Doliber, whose husband
was in close business relations with mine.
] went to the - hotel, where she was
staying, and on sending up my card was
told the lady was not feeling very well,
but would like to see me if would come
to her room
'Show the lady to $780, sixth floor" said
the man in waiting. with the usual -four
ish, to the man in the elevator.
| found gentleman already in the
elevator, and while waiting to see if no
one else cared to be taken UP had good
look at him. He was very large, finely
proportional man, with sipgularly at
tractive face. He did not seem inclined
to be seated, but walked from the elevator
into the hall and back, and then from one
side TO another (for it was large, square.
very showily furnished apartment), appar-
emily DESTROYS OF examining the workman
ship He entered into conversation with
the man in charge, asking him questions
about the machinery and management,
and before we reached the third floor they
were excellent friends. The elevator man
had impaired his entire stock of inforna-
ton as to the running of his car, and had
been delighted at the impression this
knowledge seemed to make on the stranger.
At the third floor we stopped, the ele-
vator man evidently expecting some one.
He stepped into the hall to take survey,
when like fash the door shut to and the
car started up. The gentleman turned to
me with the calmest, most benignant
smile
Madame" be said, 81 knew you would
much prefer to be served by a gentleman
of quality than by that clown. Where
can | leave your
''Stop for the elevator man, l implore
of you" cried; you do not understand
managing the machinery"
Indeed, madame, you injure my feel
ings very much. Just as though | had
not manipulated the elevator for his high
ness the shah of Persia, as well as for
the emperor and empress of China, and
the great mogul of lndiaP'
please leave me at the sixth floor" I
answered meekly, too much disconnected
to reflect that there we're only one story
buildings in any OF the countries he had
enumerated.
Certainly, you shall be left at the six
teenth floor" he replied, as we passed
the door where fain would have entered.
Il said sixth floor" rejoined with
some asperity.
"Oh, pardon me, ever fairest if not
dearest. You do not mind if l wait until
the return trip before leaving you?'
Something was not right with the man,
that was certain. He was silly, senti-
mental, light headed; and he was also
vigilant and on the alert. He would not
let me come near the door Or the operating
cable. Up, up we went, till we reached
the top. was in hopes he would not be
able to start tho machine down again, and
! called to a passing domestic: open the
door FOR me, quickp But it was Of no
use; we had started down, and the woman
called after ME: "Ihe doors only open
from the elevator, ma'am."
When glanced at my companion face,
after this appeal to the servant, 1 saw it
had undergone a change. Instead of the
bright, benlgnant expression, with the
cheerful smile coming and going, there
was a dark, angry scowl, and his hand
some eyes, that had rested on me in ad-
miration but an instant previous, flashed
forth such wrathful glances that l felt
they would burn if they did as their owner
wished. A chill crept over me as l asked
myself the question, Can this man be IN
sane?"
Madame" he said fercely, you have
grossly trespassed On my forbearance. l
would have served you like slave; and
see what a return you makei'
With every word he uttered his passion
1. 49, 1,,,4 I--
that must try pacific measures; and with
& calnlness that / was far from feeling, L
said: ''Sir, l did not mean to be migrate
full; ingTatitude is something despise.
Let me thank you q thousand times for
your desire to serve me-
The scowl, the anger, the passion van
ished as soon as they had appeared. He
took my hand and nearly reducing
it to shapeless mass by the We
henence with which he pressed it
in his large, powerful palm, he replied;
Madame. don't mention it. felt your
ingratitudo was not premeditated It was
merely the result of--of-of-well, per-
haps Of Indigestion.
wanted to smile at this suggestion,
but felt that it would be dangerous; SO
heaved q deep sigh and tried to look as
preston, this sadness brought him on his
knees, while he implored ne to tell him
what he could do for me.
stop on the ground foor,' quickly
perhaps too much so for my object-de-
manded-
We had arrived at the third floor, and
the door not closing tightly on our ascent,
the elevator man stood with il opened,
ready to spring in. With the ninbleness
OF a cat my big companion was UP on his
feet, and he dealt the man such a resound-
ing blow that he toppled over against the
opposite wall OF the corridor, his head
banging with = crssh.
Madame, he said, triunphantly, you
viii perceive am good hand at cracking
cecoanuts-" And he began 10 tell me the
most ludicrous tale CT the number and
size of the human fruit he had broken
Interrupting him, said: Here is the
ground floor"
It was dangerous interruption. For
minute his face was darkeaed with the
angry scowl, and / did not know but my
turn had come for having nv cocoanut
cracked But be exhibited his resentment
only by saving. snappishly: Ground foerl
Of course this is the ground floor. Where
else would you expect to have itf On the
top of the houseg
When the elevator reached the bottom.
the new machinis. exhibited the same skill
in starting It up again IS he had st the
Other end of the line. By this tine the
different floors had more or less people
watching for our approach. The car was
made to go at the top of its speed In
spite of that. l heard one man asa, as we
shot by a landing:
is that the man you are after" and