Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-09-19
DAILY SHORT STORY
An Episode of the
CatskilI Mountain House
1Orlginal.1

Ut the lOOL Oh Tue SdlShIll mOuuIdlnS.
Looking upward to the west one sees,
some 1000 feet above, the Mountain
House, while to the east is an undulat-
ing country, through which flows the
Hudson, with the Berkshire hills far
beyond. The town, being at the mouth
of the Kaaterskill cove, is frequently
treated to the cooler air of the noun
tains, which is sucked down through
this natural channel
1 was spending some time there dur
ing the season of IS, occasionally
making excursions to the Mountain
House by means of Il cable incline ele-
vator something like mile and half
in length. One morning l announced
my intention to take this trip and was
asked if 1 would permit Il gentleman
to accompany me who was not in good
health. L assented and was introduced
to spare man, with an intellectual
head, and l judged from his eye that
he might be troubled with insomnia.
We walked a mile through n pine
grove to the foot of the elevator, chat
ting by the way, my companion appar-
emily invigorated by the bracing air
and making himself decidedly agreed
BILE.
We stepped into the elevator and sat
down with our faces to the plane. The
conductor telephOned the engineer on
the mountain, and we moved slowly
out of the station. The day was SUI
perb, the air clear as q crystal. The
ascent at first is gradual, but as we
rose above the tops of the trees the
sweep of country before us to our right
and left began to unfold like n stere-
opticon view upon screen.
Finer exclaimed my companion. his
eyes lighting with enthusiasm. How
high do we go:''
1.-Two thousand feet above the river"
1 replied.
1.-TWO thousand? 1 wish it were ten
thousand, twenty thousand. 1 would
like to see this view from the sky
You will see it from an elevation
best suited for you to enjoy it."
There was Il monotonous rolling of
the iron wheels as we rose steadily, the
view passing through the same changes
as from Il balloon. Now the river,
some dozen miles distant, came into
view far to the north, disappearing far
to the south. There We're patches of
farm and wood land, low hills divided
by valleys, lines of timber Indicating
streams, meadows and villages, all re-
posing in the sunlight, yet not a sound
rising far or near.
do you know said my companion,
turning upon me a pair of eyes bril-
liant from excitement, that were it
not for the continuous grinding of
these wheels 1 could fancy myself in
space between the stars. where there
is absolute stiffness. Absolute still
ness" he repeated-''that means death"
Knowing that he as'Tin delicate
health and that it was not best for him
to excite himself, L spoke of the bit
of engineering involved in building the
elevator, but he did not appear to heed
me, and as we passed the last steep
passage cut through the ledge at the
top he became restless, now and again
rising from his seat and bending over
the rail at his side. 1 was somewhat
relieved when we left the car and
mounted the steps leading to the Noun
tain House.
Passing through the hall on the
ground floor, we stepped out at the
front and stood upon a piazza. My
companion advanced to the edge of the
ledge and stood looking out upon the
magnificent panorama.
Now that we are here" he said,
turning upon me pair of eyes from
which now, for the first time, 1 re-
allied a diseased brain looked out, Il
will tell you what 1 have come here
for. 1 am going to jump off the ledge"
am a small man, not more than D
feet inches in height, and not espe-
cially muscular. My lunatic, though
spare man, was tall and of large
frame. If 1 attempted to hold him, he
would inevitably drag me over with
him. One glance about us told me that
there was not single being in sight.
looked wistfully at the door through
which we had left the hotel, hoping,
praying that some one would appear,
though if any one had appeared l
question if 1 could have made my sig
nails understood. Besides, none but Il
resoiute man would have cared to in
terfere with lunatic on the verge of
that precipice. The idea of deserving
him thrust itself upon me, but not as
practicable. The finger of Scorn that
would be pointed at me for the rest of
my life, TO say nothing of my own
manhood and pride, was quite enough
to deter me from this cowardly course.
These considerations occupied but a
few seconds, but in these few seconds
my course was decided upon.
"If you are going to jump off the
ledge" 1 said, cit would be a pity to
do so before L have had an opportunity
to show you n far greater attraction
than this view
1 spoke the words slowly, in the
meantime edging my way to Il position
between him and the edge of the rock,
and before he could make a move
had sprung upon him like wildcat
and with n vigor born of desperation
had pushed him back to the piazza and
then on through the door into the hall,