The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-05

had in a week, but when she said that nv
professional pride come 10 me and with
out any more talk l reached for my balanc-
ing pole. and, STOPPING down so 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
come out of the scuttle through the barrel
and tumbled down on the roof half-smoth-
cred with sand. told her to hold tight and
do the prayin' for both of us and | thought
l could get her through safe. l don't know
how / 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 l shot out with the woman clinging to
me the people in the street below set up
such a yell as l never heard before and /
come near losing my balance, for 1 knew.
and they didn't why this feature that
wasn't on the bills was being showed.
1.-THE crowd yelled about twice. and then
all of a sudden got so still l could hear
the little woman's heart beat. Anyway, I
thought l could, but maybe it was my
own | knew when they done that the
crowd had seen the man on the roof with
the Ratchet and recognized him, for oil
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 and
my load i'm the street, to be crushed into a
shapeless mass. and l came near letting
go and dropping before | was dropped
I couldn't see what was going on behind
me, and all the little woman knew she
was whispering to me to go ahead. be-
cause we were safe If l only kept my
path. I didn't know whether she thought
about the man with the Ratchet or not
Likely she did. II wasn't her to mention
it, though, under them circumstances
while | was thinking about him cut
TING the rope / was getting along IL to-
ward the safe end as fast as l could, the
little woman hanging on till she nearly
choked me, but IL didn't hurt and I was
standing 1t beautiful. It's funny how a
man will find pleasure in life when there $
so much in sight that amt. and ] nearly
forgot the man with the Ratchet thinking
about the little woman's arms holding
onto my neck as the one hope for her
life. But IL was for only second; then
| felt a jar on the rope and ] choked and
braced myself for | was sure that the
crazy man was beginning TO cut and /
knew that three or four ticks would be
enough. l waited for the second jar, but
ID didn't come, and in Its place come.
spring TO the rope, as If weight had
been taken off it. followed by a swishing
sound and duh thud on the sidewalk if-
ty feet below us. AT the same time the
crowd SttlN up d kiOdA az II every DtISOll
in il was hurt / didn't know for 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 a.
time and when that was there there
wasn't space for any more. He wanted 10
kill his wife, and the only way he knew
how to do il was with the Ratchet by
cutting her to pieces. II 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
en- the rope not forty feet from him he
would so out there and kill her. Crazy
people have such crazy way of doinL
things, don't they? He did, and when ne
took his second step out on the rope he
went over and down to his death That's
what had made the rope spring back /
guess the little woman must have felt
that something awful had happened
though she never said word, because
when l at last stepped safe on to the ROOF
and the crowd yelled hundred time.
louder than they did before they knew
what they We're yelling about the itle
woman let so her hold around my neck
and dropped al my feet in a dead faint
and didn't blame her, either; il was time
Tor somebody to faint and If she hadn't
a done 1t | would. sure pop Her doing
a. gave me something else 70 mink about,
ana | got her downstairs as quick as
could where the women took charge Of
her and soon brought her out all right
guess that's all there is to it," smiled
the slgnor, picking up his balancing pole
ana pointing to date line and some mi
Gals on H. This is the one thar steadicd
us over, and the little woman had them
put on there when she become the BLUSH
ing bride of Sgnor Salviatoria," and the
sisnor bowed with a sweep thai would