The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1892-02-26


lnierrupting him. said Here Is the I
ground door
Il was "A dangerous interruption, For a /
minute his face was darkened with the
angry scowl and ! did not know but my
turn had come for having my cocoanut
cracked But heexhibited his resentment |
only by saying snappishly Ground tloorl
OF course this is the ground floor Where
else would you expect to have itl On the
top OF the houser
When the elevator reached the bottom.
the new machinist exhibited the same skill
In starting ii up again as he had at the
other end of the line. By this time the
different floors had more OF less people
watching 70: our approach The car was
made TO go at the tor OF its speed In
spite of that | heard one man ask, as we
shot by a landing
Is that the man you are after2 and
the reply made my hair rise Yes. be got
out of the mad ward, and the rest of
the sentence was lost to me So here
was. Gagged up with a maniac. flying up
and down between the first and tenth
stories of the hotel at the maddest of all
mad rates
There were more men at the open door
of the third landing when we passed 1t,
but we were going so fast. and the big
figure of my crazy companion stood so
close and so threateningly at the entrance.
that it would have been worse than fool
ish to have attempted to pass him |
could hear the servants who had congre
gated in large numbers on their floor say
"Ah, poor ladyi How white she looksl
| should die of fright if | were in her
place. To think we can't nobody help
herl"
The thought occurred to me. there is
somebody that can-God can help mel
And it was such a comfort to remember
that | was in the habit of going to him at
other times. besides when in distressl |
prayed fervently. and my fears grew less
overpowering
The shaft that the elevator occupied
was not inclosed with brick. as is gener
ally the case, instead. there was a heavy
open wire work around it. which enabled
me to see and hear "a great deal could
see the men with their heads together
suggesting means of stopping the flying
machine, as it now had become They
tried slipping long iron rods through from
side to side of the shaft. but they snapped
like tow Every attempt to enter or stop
the car made my companion more and more
furious AT length, while coming down
the tenth time, he caught sight of some
one, probably his keeper, whom have al
ready mentioned, and his excitement was
intense He did not seem to think of me
He walked back and forth in his rage.
talking fercely and gesticulating with
great violence ! sat perfectly still. feel
ing every moment that he might want to
vent his anger on me if | drew attention
to my existence.
Something fell on my shoulder, and
casting my eyes round. | saw some one
had been skillful enough to thrust in q
bit of folded paper ! cautiously bided
my time, and when my companions back
was turned. read when you reach the
lowest floor turn on the brake You will
find it on the elevator floor next the cable
It's your only salvation crumpled the
paper in my hand just in time for the
maniac wheeled round as did
The next time his back was turned
looked for the brake There it was. dowI
by the operating cable. but it seemed thai
it might just as we'll have been in the
Desert of Sahara so far as the possibility
OF my reaching it was concerned w,
went up and down three times before my
mind was made UP as to how shoulC
work that brake There was nothing I,
be done in the line of reasoning or arguing
) or trying to divert his attention-he wa!
in too highly excited state He was to,
powerful for me TO march up boldly anC
t turn it before his eyes | must resort Il
J strategy
kept saying, What if you fail?-wha
g if you failY' But that did not increase m,
] courage And at last. nerving myself t,
e the highest pitch Of fortitude, just befor
D reaching the bottom rose from my place
q which was exactly opposite the preciou
brake. and throwing up my hands an,
uttering a loud cry, as if in distress, fel
B. heavily to the floor Never did a fall hav
t to be so we'll calculated was Just tai
Q enough to reach the brake with my out
e stretched hand but if, in my excitement
e | went either to the one side or the othe
all would be lost. But God was pitiful
!. and fell just so that my outstretche
d finger turned the bit of iron that was con
t nected with the machinery in such "a man
r ner as to make any movement impossible
d My cry and fall startled the maniac
/ and if had remained perfectly still unit
the door was pred open all would hav
Q been well AS it was, | remained on til
| floor what seemed to me an eternity. 6nc
d feeling sure my rescuers would be with
in an instant, | got up But this was
n very false move. for the evaporation c
" not being able to work the car had rouse
h the mailman to such state Of frenzy tina
! he turned on me, and, fairly gnashing b
> teeth. he seized me by the shoulder an
cried what have Won done, you miser,
'r BILE woman Shooting is too good for yol
but it's the only punishment | can il
l. f1ict. So saying, he drew his nrevolvC
lie and took aim at my throat
g remember { was very cool. even
q that most trying time | moved the r
it volver, saying well, don't muss n
j; fresh crepe lisse ruille The cold ste