The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1904-07-29
fHE MIlLIONTH
-cHANCE


There's that puppy Fielding agnin, y
growied her father In a low tone.
Turn your eyes away, Sarah. and
don't look at him"
Miss Bradford complied by shooting
toward Fielding one Of those mysteri-
GUS side glances which enable n wom-
an. without turning her head. to COM
pass wonders OF vision. Then slA
flushed roslly.
You are very hard on him." she
brcathed softly. careful Of the nearby
clerk Mt the glove counter In the big
department store.
Hard nothing" grumbled Mr.. Brad
ford. III there's any impractical AMI
NAL on the face Of the globe 1t Is an
inventor Take that Internally foolish
scheme Of his. for lnstance--that spring
cushion he has invented to attach to
the bottom of elevators In case OF q
fall Now, what do You suppose the
percentage Of accidents on nm elevator
is?"
How should know" rctortcd his
daughter, with n superb feminine con-
tempt for statistics.
LESS than one in q million Jour-
neys," said her father triumphantly II
not veraciously.
Just the same" returned his daugh.
ter obstinately, 1T must be very dis
agreeable when that millionth acci-
dent does happen"
Her father walked stolidly toward
the machine In question. Sarah trail
ing obedientiy after him. though her
thoughts were otherwhere. and her
eyes now vainly swept the crowd for
a glimpse Of young Fielding.
Il suppose you are not afraid to go
up!" 1eered Mr.. Bradford rs the two
found themselves the only occupants
Of the cage as it rose to the fourth
floor
"Of course I'm not" said Sarah re-
sentfully. Then she added artfully.
"You talk about inventing as though
II was likc--well. like drinking"
ut Is rs bad rs drinking" said her
father solcmnly. ''Or as the cocaine Oh
the poetry habit. Any one Of these
will ruin mans career. Now. Sarah.
don't be all day choosing that scarf for
your mother"
This last Ms they stepped from the
car. Mr.. Bradford was secretly afraid
Of the majestic females that swept to
and fro on this special floor, their demi
trains gliding noiselessly over the deep
carpets, their eyes fronting his with
an insolent scorn that quite abashed
him, tyrant Us he was apt to be at
home
"Mere man." they seemed to be whis-
pering among themselves. Finally the
banker solaced himself by going TO ~
window and looking out on the street.
Hence he did not see Fielding step
from the elevator in the next moment.
lie was not aware that two heads were
tending together over the scarf, Oh
which neither Of the young people sIw
aught Of the colors.
But even the choice Of a scarf cannot
last forever. 1t WIS ptematurely ended
by the return OF the magnate, who
turned rs purple as the Persian siiks
before him when he bcheld the pretty
tableau.
lie grew more purple still when Field
ing quietly entered the car with them
but the banker choEed down his WRATH
on rejecting that even inventors can
lawfully ride In any public convey
ance. Then he snapped angrily ut the
elevator boy:
Why are we stopping before this
blank wall. you young procrastlnator:
Do you think this sort OF thing Is cH
joyablc:"
But the boy, lad OF sixteen, newly
On duty, went white with terror.
"Somethin's wrong up above" he
stammered. Josh, he's been drlnkin'.
l knowed. though never told. Some.
thin's wrong. and the brake amt hold.
In right. It's slippln." he ended in a
shr!ll yell.
Three floors to fall" thought Field.
Ing as lie seized the half fnlnting cir,
III his arms. Aloud he cried cheerily,
Don't be frightened. any Of you. Nv
cushion attachment was sold the firm
last week. II it's on"--
Aye-if! How large word! As
the cage shot downward at fearful,
speed. very slightly broken Ivy the
yielding ropes. the banker found
whole century OF thought compressed
into that brief PERIOD A voice cried
in his ear that 1t was Judgment ON
him. the cushion would not DC there.
That the cage would strike the ground
with the sound so happily denominatet,
by the newspapers as n "sickeninc
thud.' He saw himself aud his chila
piled IN mangled henp-he 10 whom
life had always seemed SO substantial
and sure.
Then half dozen women waiting
IN the basement saw the falling caca
shoot downward and rise again like 4
rubber ball. When 1t came down the
second time It rested quiveringly on
the springs. while inside was mn undis.
nihed mass, which presently astonish.
cd the watchers and the component
parts OF the heap by resolving into
four badly shaken but quite undam.
aged people.
The elevator boy staggered ont f,rut