The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-12-17
Tragedy OF !!
St. Marks !
Steeple ss

ward the distant city. where the tall.
slender spire of st. Marks, rising higher
than the rest. was slhouetted against the
glow of the setting sun. whose last rays
made the gilded vane on the summit burn
as with fire.
It's forty years since, he continued but
it might have been yesterday, so vivid is
the horror of it; but come inside and III
tell you all about it.
She would never let on that she cared
for me. She was too artful a puss for
that, but l thought had chance, and |
went for it for all was worth. She used
to drive me mad with jealousy. flirting
with this man and smiling on that, until
could have killed the whole lot. But
never let her see it. | was much too deep
for that.
Only let girl know you're jealous and
she'll make your life a-well, a torment,
just for the love of teasing and showing
her power over you. | always came up
smiling, and she couldn't understand it,
but it conquered her in the end, and for
nearly forty years, bless her. she's been
the sweetest, most loyal wife a man ever
had.
But this is an old story, you say, and SO
it is, but still it's always new, and I'll
get on to the tragedy quite soon enough.
The only man | was really afraid of
was my partner Jack-Jack Harding-as
fine a young fellow as you ever saw in
your life, tall and straight as lath and
with face like young god, but he was
a bit inclined to be wild. and that's ia
tai thing in my line. Ruth was fonder of
him than of all the others-what girl
could help it?-and if he'd only played
his cards well he might have had her
without giving any of us look in.
But jealousy! Why, my worst attacks
were mildness itself compared with
Jacks, and he couldn't conceal them as
did He had some Spanish blood in his
veins, always thought-he looked like a
Spaniard-and if she even smiled at an
other man his eyes flashed as if he would
strike them both dead, and more than
once he lost his temper and said things to
her that no girl would stand. least of all
Ruth.
Well, to come to the point, ! soon saw
that the prize rested between him and me,
and though | thought my chance was
small enough, wasn't going to lose her
for ant of asking.
If | live to be hundred. shall always
remember that evening when ! asked her
If had chance and if she could marry
a clumsy, ugly man like me.
"Chance?" she said as she looked up at
me roguishly out of her blue eyes. 'Why,
Jim. you donkey. you've got every chance.
and if you hadn't been blind you'd have
seen it months ago." And then she laugh
ed kind of hystericaJ laugh and hid her
bushes on my shoulder.
Well, sir, if she'd knocked me down
couldn't have been more surprised-it was
all so sudden and unexpected-but | had
the presence of mind to put my arm
round her and to draw her face up to
mine to kiss it, and then-why, sir, there
wasn't a man In England half as happy
as me.
"But what about Jack?" | said. when
I'd come to bit.
"About Jack!'' she said archly. well,
when you say you're tired of me, III be-
gin to think about him-if ! live long
enough"
When Jack heard of it. he went mad
clean mad-swore he would kill US both
and flung himself into a wild orgy of
drink and dissipation. ] saw next to
nothing of him for weeks, and when we
met u6 pdSSSO OH lH6 OlACl SluV VA Liz
road without looking at me. OF course |
was sorry for him, but it was the luck of
war, or, rather, of love, and | had played
my cards honorably, while ! was far too
busily and happily occupied to have any
fears for what he might do to me.
Then one day he seemed completely
changed: came to me with an outstretch-
ed hand and asked my pardon. saying
that I'd won fairly and wishing me luck.
But somehow | didn't like the looks of
him and didn't trust him. and | had good
ground for my distrust, as ! was soon to
prove. During his drinking bout had
to hire an assistant for any job that came
my way, but when he offered to join me
again | took him on just as if nothing
had happened
MY little girl was very nervous about
me, now that l was so much to her. and
begged me to give up steeple climbing
and work Cd solid ground, but there is
more money in the air, for me at any
rate, and as ! wanted to save for that lit
tie nest | had in view | thought would
stick to my steeples little longer.
Then came the job that cost Jack his
life and nearly cost me mine-regldlng
the vane on the top of st. Marks steeple.
How well | remember that morning in
Nav when everything-my heart included
seemed to dance for Joy of living and
loving! | found time to run around to see
nv little girl before beginning work and
found her sad and fearful.
She had dreamed the previous night
that she saw me fighting with a man in
midair. and then. all at once, fell down,
down and struck the earth with sicken-
ing thud at her very feet.
Don't go today. JIM" she pleaded as
the tears chased each other down her
cheeks. 81 know something will happen
to you"
In vain argued and chaffed. and when
at last | tore myself away with prom
ise to run in in the evening she covered
her face with her hands and stood mo-
tionless in the door till was out of
sight, as If shutting some horrid spectacle
from her eyes.
Jack was specially cheerful when
Joined him-too gay, thought. as | saw
the reckless light in his eyes and saw
be had been drinking.
"You lucky dog" he said as he slapped
me on the shoulder You've been to see
Ruth, know. and her kiss is warm on
your lips. All. well, shall have my turn
of luck some day-maybe sooner than you
thinkr'
81 hope so. too. my lad said sympa
thetically as we set to work, land the
sooner the better"
A few hours later we were suspended.
one on each side Of the steeple. couple
of hundred feet above the pygmies that
were crawling beneath MS. We were both
busy as could be. gliding the ball from
which the vane sprang. Jack on one side
and me on the other.
Each of us was standing on tiny plat
form, little larger than the seat of
chair, with a sheer, dizzy drop of nearly
seventy yards beneath us, and each, for
additional safety, was attached to the
steeple by a life line running under his
arms.
Jack had not spoken a word for nearly
an hour, but | thought nothing Of that, as
we were working against time and the
darkness was beginning already to creep
over the sky. You know when you're
working at that height, removed as it
were from all the world and with nothing
but silence about and around you, the
slightest noise sends a shock through 8
man, however strong his nerves may be.
You can imagine, then how startled
was when, all at once, | heard loud
shrek of laughter almost, as it seemed
at my very ear. There was something
uncanIy about it, too that set my heart
humping and my flesh creeping as they
have ever done before or have since.
When the laugh ceased and silence
came again as an awful relief, l said:
"What's the joke, Jack? Don't keep II
to yourself"
"Joke!" he said. 81 should think il
would be a joke. | was fancying yor
shooting down like stone to the pave
ment down there and what Ruth woulc
think when she saw the pieces"
what a rummy idea!' answered
with affected GOODNESS, though my hear
was beating faster than ever and seemed
as if it would suffocate me. But I'm