Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-09-15
THE ELEVATOR BODY.
some Personal Adventure as Re-
lated by Himself.

Copyright. 1901 by C. b. Lewis,
Several weeks ago a naughty youne
girl named Tompkins rented a room on
the tenth floor Of our skyscraper and
set up as typewriter. She wasn't
naughty at frst-not to me. She was
all b%landness as she patted me on the
shoulder and said:
"Sammis, you are a fatherless boy
struggling with a gigntic mortage
on the widows home, while / am a
motherless girl struggling to keep my
dear father in funds to play the races.
There is a bond Of sympathy between
us. Let us be good friends"
Her words brought tears to my eyes,
and from that moment | loved her and
determined to win her heart. | didn't
say anything about 1t, however. An
elevator boy must often conceal the
true state of his feelings from every
one. Should ii be known that he was
deeply in love the agent would give
him the bounce for a boy with a heart
of stone. went to every tenant OF the
building who had typewriting to do
and put in a word for Miss Tompkins,
and every day from my scant earnings
purchased a bouquet and laid 1t on
her table. My goodness touched her
heart, and she put her hands on my
shoulders and said:
"Sammis, your kindness affects me
moro than / can tell, and / will be a
sister to you as long as you live"
didn't want any sisters, but before
| could tell her so the bell rang, and
| had to scoot for the elevator. AS the
days went on nay love grew stronger. I
v bought peanuts or bananas with
out dividing with the object of my
heart. | played the races and divided
with her when won and said nothing
when I lost. / was devoted to Miss
Tompkins heart and soul. There were
other girls about, and they made eyes
at me, but | sternly waved them aside
and showed myself a true Spartan. At
the end of two weeks my mother began
to notice my faraway look and hollow
cheeks and begged me to tell her what
was worrying my young lie, but | de-
ceived her as to the real cause. | said
it was disappointed ambition, and she
put me on a summer diet and tried to
| cheer me with kind words. At length
l determined to know my fate, and
walked In on Miss Tompkins one after
noon to tell her of my love. She look
ed up at me as If we had never met or
loved, and after a stare she asked:
"Well hubby, what is it?'
Il am Sammis," | said as my heart
choked me.
well, what of it?"
l could not go on. Something had
changed her. She was no longer bland
and smiling and sisterly, but naughty
and cold hearted.
Run away, little boy, and do not
bother me-" she said as she turned to
her cold and relentless. work. And l
went away to die like a stricken deer.
For an hour I had thoughts OF sui
eide. Then a feeling of revenge crept
into my heart, and l determined to
bring the naughty girl low. Unwilling
ly she aided me in my plans. While
she swept past me with her head high
in the air and while her eyes glared up
on me like glass marbles in January |
look notice that she was flirting with
old Mr.. Shine of the second floor. He
began sending her bouquets, and it
wasn't a week before old Mr.. Dawson
OF the sixth floor was also mashed. |
had beer thrown down for two cid
grandpas who had the oof. / gave the
false hearted girl plenty of rope, and
did not strike until the day old Mr..
Shine took her out to luncheon. Then
l went up to Nj. Davison's DON to see
II he wanted to take a fier ON the
races, and he did what / hoped he
would do.
"Sammis," he said as he hitched
around uneasily. you know Miss