Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-05-12

ouh cI4C uO44N t4AN NH-A4tA'''
care you afraid? 2 says she.
q" Some, says I, nodding toward the
scuttle hole.
4 mean of me 2 says she, smiling
"'Not much, says I.
care you strong?' says she.
That's part of my act, says I. But
not against a crazy man with hatch
ct, says I, wondering what she would
do next and about how long it would
be till the crazy man was on deck with
his tomahawk cleaning in the air.
Then, says she, grab hold Of me
right quick and carry me across the
rope over to Mrs. Peck's house SO 5 my
husband won't get at me with that ak.
"She had more nerve in a minute
than l had in week, but when she
said that my professional PRIDE come
to me, and without any more talk I
reached for my balancing pole, and
stopping down 50 she could get on my
back, which she didn't like very much,
l made a quick run for the end OF the
rope Just as the crazy husband came
out of the scuttle through the barrel
and tumbled down on the roof half
smothered with sand. | told her to
hold tight and do the prayin for both
Of US, and l thought l could get her
through safe. ! don't know how l
ever got on that rope with her on my
back, for that wasn't the way my pro-
fession done business, but | got there,
and as shot out with the woman
clinging to me the people in the street
below set up such yell as | never
heard before, and | come near losing
nv balance, for I knew, as they didn t,
why this feature that wasn't on the
bills was being showed.
"The crowd yelled about twice, and
then all of a sudden got 50 still I could
hear the little womans heart beat.
Anyway, I thought l could, but may
be it was my own. | knew when they
done that the crowd had seen the man
on the roof with the hatchet, and rec
ognized him, for all the people in the
town knew the kind of fellow he was.
At the same time the crowd got still
something came to me telling me to
nerve myself, for the crazy man would
cut the rope and drop me ard my load
in the street, to be crushed into
shapeless mass, and came near let
ting go and dropping before | was
dropped. I couldn't see what was 60
ing on behind me, and all the little
woman knew she was whispering to
me to so ahead, because we were safe
if only kept my path. didn't know
whether she thought about the man
with the hatchet or not Likely she
did. 1t wasn't her to mention it,
though, under them circumstances.
"While | was thinking about him
cutting the rope was getting along
it toward the safe end as fast as |
could, the little woman hanging on
till she nearly choked me, but it didn't
hurt, and l was standing it beautiful.
It's funny how a man will find pleas
ure in life when there's so much in
sight that amt, and nearly forgot
the man with the hatchet thinking
about the little woman's arms holding
onto my neck as the one hope Of her
life. But it was only for a second
then l felt a jar on the rope and I
choked and braced myself, for was
sure the crazy man was beginning to
cut, and l knew that three or four
lcks would be enough. waited for
the second Jar, but it didn come, and
in its place came a spring to the rope,
as if a weight had been taken off oft,
followed by swlshing sound and
dull thud on the sidewalk 50 feet be-
low us. At the same time the crowd
sent up groan as if every person IN
it was hurt. didn't know foT sure
what had happened, but guessed that
that crazy man, like most any crazy
person or a mad dog, only had room
in his mind for one thing at time,
and when that was there there wasn't
space for any more. He wanted to
kill his wife and the only way he knew
how to do it was with the hatchet by
cutting her to pieces. 1t did not strike
him that he could kill her by cutting
the rope and letting her drop to the
ground. That was too much for him.
He knew an easier way, and, as she
was out there on the rope not 40 feet
from him, he would 60 out there and
kill her. Crazy people have such
crazy way of doing things don't they?
He did, and when he took his second