Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-06-09


light. I think You can get al incan.
descent through the opening. Hurry
"Yes, yes. But. say, don't move
around. The cable has broken and
fallen on the car roof. The ear has
caught in the safety clutches on one
side only. A slight jar would send 1t
to the bottom. We have sent for men
aud are doing all that is possible.
Keep up your courage"
Gan right" cried jim, with a steady
voice. He turned to the girl, in the
darkness. "You heardY" no said.
EYES," she answered quietly.
Jim whistled softly. Here was a
woman in ten thousand.
Flows the boy?"
"He's breathing easily" As she
spoke CLEAN OF light struck the wall
at the car front. IL was the incan.
descent bulb. jim carefully drew it
through the wire meshes. "All right, "
he called. He took the light across
the car and hung it above the lads
head. Then ho went down on his
knees and pushed aside tho matted
hair.
"a nasty cut" he said, and deity
bandaged it with strips OF his hand.
kerchief. Then he took off his coat
aud laid it over him.
"You seem to know just what to
do" said Jane Merriam.
1--WE learn a good many useful
things OIL the plains, said jim.
"Hello, below there" came tie
muffled voice. "Mr. Grigsby."
eyes" cried Jim. "WLat is it?"
"Don't get discouraged. We are
doing our best to make you safe. 1t
may take some time. Perhaps It would
be better to keep as quiet as possible,
Somebody will be here on guard. II
you want anything call out"
81 understand, said Jim. "When
you are ready to take us out have a
carriage for the lady and all ambulance
and stretcher for the boy"
"For Miss Merriam" shrilled a
boys voice. Something attached to
string bobbed in front OF the cage.
jim drew it in. 1t was little bunch
of flowers. He handed it to the girl.
THAT was Joe's voice" she said.
Joe, as jim remembered, was the lame
boy.
Then Jim lowered his six feet OF
stature to the floor beside the girl and
sat at her feet.
"We might as we'll make ourselves
comfortable" he said. 81 fancy we
are in for quite siege OF it,"
A dull clang! clang! from distant
gong reached them in the silence.
"Must be calling out the fire de-
partme nt," said Jim Grigsby. "We
are evidently creating quite a sensa
ton"
II don't like that" said the girl.
ut will all be an old story in day
or two," he laughed.
"How can you laugh?" she asked.
"Why not?' he asked. "It's all l
can do. If there was anything else l
wouldn't be lounging here. Iwish I
could make you more comfortable.
I'm afraid l seem to you little hard
ened and thoughtless, but it's all the
fault of my early experiences. I've
gone through something like this be-
fore. was once locked up in mine
for six hungry days. DO you mind
having me TALK"
"I'm glad to hear you," she said,
simply.
Before lie could speak again the
elevator swayed q little, settled
slightly, caught again, there was q
hoarse shout from both above and
below, and then all was still again.
At the first movement she had caught
at his hand with her trembling
fingers. He took them in his firm
clasp. and did not let them go.
"You are cold," he quietly said and
fell to chatting her hands softly. Then
az if there had been no interruption
| he went on to tell her the story Of the
niue and from that he went on to
other adventures, and finally drifting
back told her of his early life, of the
mother he had lost when boy, OF his
struggle for bread in the rugged
Western country. Then he told how
step by step he had climbed upward
to independence. He talked of him
self freely, of his hopes. his ambi-
tions, of bis long deferred plans for
happiness. Then he suddenly stopped
short.
"Hold on, he said brusqaely, 'I'm
firing you. And, see here, you mustn't
let yourself get cramped."
"Thank you, ''Tm quite comfort.
able" she replied. "How long have
we been here?"
He held his watch to the dim light.
"By George!" he cried, cts three
hours and ten minutes! What talker
[ ami
"I don't know what I should have
done il il hadn't been for you," she
said.
"Hullo, below there" came the
muflled voice from above.
"HullO," answered Jim.
eve have rugged a temporary cable
aud some graphing lines and are
going to let Won down. Don't be
alarmed"
$50 ahead" said Jim.
There was a creaking OF blocks and
many hosrse orders, and somebody
was lowered to the roof OF the car.
The car rose a little and then began
its slow descent.
"Tete.a.tete is over" said Jim.
The gate was pushed back and Jim
stepped out. There were policemen