The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-08-25
Not an III Wind.


TT WAS A cloudy fall day. Out of
the slate colored sky the rain fell
in little showers from time to time.
The wind blew strong from the lake.
There was a little crowd of men and
boys on the steps of the church this
particular fall afternoon. Some of them
had been there for an hour or more
ever since the wind freshened. They
were enjoying themselves at the eX-
pense of the unhappy victims who ven-
tured across the highway from the
bank building. A rifled hat raised
shout of joy, a wrecked umbrella drew
forth hilarious cheers. They didn't heed
the fitful spurts of rain-they were
having too much sport to be mindful
of petty discomforts. Luckily most
of the targets of their mirth were men
and boys. They didn't restrain their
glee, however, when some luckless fe-
male ventured into the wind trap.
Rupert Strong had just come down
from his office and the crowd attracted
his attention. He stepped up to see
what it meant. AS he neared the laugh
ing group a short stout lady stepped
| from the bank entrance and looked up
at the sky. Then she deliberately raised
an umbrella and started to cover the
| fatal crossing. Ten feet from the curb
| the wind caught her. She was a broad
| ly shining mark. The rude blast turned
| her umbrella inside out, in flung her
| hat over one ear, II forced her at an
| acute angle out into the highway.
| Struggle as she might she couldn't
make headway against the gale. The
| wicked crowd on the church steps
| chuCkled with delight.
Rupert Strong saw the plight of this
| forlorn craft and clapping his hat a
| little tighter on his head, hurried to
the rescue. In a dozen strides he
reached the buffeted dame and pass
inS mis- arm firmly about her waist
drew her on a new tack, and runnin &
as it were before the wind, brought
her into the park, where the force of
the blast was broken by the tall build
ings across the way The crowd on the
church steps cheered this gallant act.
Pray, SIR" gasped the stout lady,
"are you "A professional rescuer?"
Madam"
"Will you permit me to call your at
tention to the fact that your arm is
still in the neighborhood of what was
| once my waist"
II beg your pardon, madam"
Force of habit, 1 suppose" said the
stout lady dryly.
Rupert laughed and the stout lady
laughed. She was a very bright-eyed
stout lady, with short gray curls and a
shrewd, though kindly face.
Permit me, madam" said Rupert
He reached up quickly and straighten-
ed the lOpsded bonnet. Then he took
the wreck of the umbrella from her un-
resisting hand.
Throw it in the gutter" said thc
stout lady.
Rupert obeyed and raising his own
umbrella, which he had Gripped tight.
ly under one arm, held IL over the stout
lady's head and marched along by heI
side.
I'm sure I'm much obliged to you.
said the stout lady, looking at the tai
young fellow. II was afraid that re.
spect for age had quite died out amonl
the young men of today. 1t must have
required a good deal of moral courage
to face the Jeers of that crowd of idiots
on the church steps.
1T struck me at the moment" sale
Rupert, that the main thing required
was reasonable amount OF physica
resistance to that impudent blast"
whats your business, young man?'
Il am a lawyer, madam"
"Ah! Eternally on the lookout fol
prospective clients, of course?"
Rupert laughed at the grim insinua
tion.
struggling young lawyers can't az
ford to leave any stone unturned." III
said.
| Nor any stout old lady overturned