The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-12-09
.rhe crowd yelled about twice, and

then all of sudden got so still coulo
hear the little wcman's heart beat.
Anyway. I thought could. but maybe
it was my own. Ikpew when they Done
that the crowd had seen the man on the
Roof with the Ratchet, and recognized
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 and my load in the street,
to be crushed into shopeless mass, ana
I came near letting go and dropping be-
fore I was dropped. couldn't se&what
was going on behind me, and ali the lit
tie woman knew she was whispering to
me to go ahead, because we were safe II
I only kept my path. 1 didn't know
whether she thought about the man
with the Ratchet or not. ] --ely she
cid. 1t wasn't her to mention it, though.
under them circumstances.
"While I was thinking about him cut
ting the rope I was getting along it.
toward the safe end as fast as could,
the little woman hanging on till she
nearly choked Inc, but it didn't hurt,
and l was standing it beautiful. It's
funny how man will find pleasure in
life when there's so much in sight that
amt, and I nearly forget the man with
the Ratchet thinking about the little
woman's arms holding onto my neck Is
the one hope of her life. But it was
only for a second; then I felt a jar on
the rope and 1 choked and braced my
self, for I was sure that the crazy man
was beginning to cut, and l knew that
three or four licks would be enough. I
waited for the second jar, but it didn't
come, and in its place come spring to
the rope, as if weight had been taken
eff of it, followed by a swishing sound
and dull thud on the sidewalk so feet
below us. At the same time the crowd
sent up a grcan as if every person in it
was hurt. 7 didn't know for sure what
had happened, but guessed that that
or 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 10 do it was
with the Ratchet 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. lie knew an
easier way, ard, as she was out there
on the rope rot 40 feet from him, he
would 60 cut there and kill her. Crazy
reople have such a crazy way OF doing
things. cont they? He did, and when
he took his second step out on the rope
he went over ard down to his death.
That's what had made the rope spring
back. I guess the little woman must
have felt that something awful had hap
rened, thou~h she never said a word,
because when I at last stepped safe on
TO the roof and the crowd yeIed a hun
dred times louder than they did before
they knew what they were yelling
about. The little woman let go her hold
around ny reck and dropped at my feet
in dead faint; and I didn't blame her,
either; If was time for somebody to
faint, and if she hadn't a done it would,
sure pop. Her doing it gave me some
thing else to think about, and I got
her downstairs as quick as I could,
where the women took charge of her
and soon brought her out all right.
"I' guess that's al there is to it,"
smiled the signor. picking up his bal
ancing rcle and pointing to date line
and some initials on it. ''This is he one
that steadied us over, and the little
woman had them put on there when she
became the blushing bride of Signor
Salviatoria," and the signor bowed with
a sweep that would have entranced an
audience of millions.-N. Y. Sun.