The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1904-04-05
TIE MlLLlONTH
-CHANCE
Icopyrieht. 1905. BY 7. {. Mcclur..I

Turn your eyes away. Sarah. and
don't look at him."
Miss Bradford complied by shooting
toward Fielding one OF those my sterl-
Gus side glances which enable a wom-
an. without turning her head. to CON-
pass wonders of vision. Then she
flushed rosily.
You are very hard on him." she
breathed softly. careful or the nearby
clerk at the glove counter in the big
department store.
Hard nothing" grumbled Mr.. Brad
+ IF there's any Impractical ani-
maj on the face of the globe Ii Is an
inventor. Take that internally foolish
scheme of his, for instance-that spring
cushion he has invented to attach to
the bottom of elevators In case OF a
fan. Now, what do you suppose the
percentage of accidents on an elevator
is?'
How should / known retorted his
daughter, with a 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 milliouth acct
dent does happen"
Her father walked stolidly toward
the machine ia question. Sarah trail
ing obediently 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 40
up?' jeered Mr.. Bradford as the two
found themselves he only occupants
of the cage as ii rose to the fourth
floor.
o course I'm not" said Sarah re-
sentfully. Then she added artfully,
You talk about %inventing as though
it was like-well. like drinking"
'lt Is as bad as drinking" said her
father %solemnly, "or as the cocaine or
the poetry habit. Any one Of these
will ruin a mans career. Now. Sarah.
be all day choosing that scarf for
your mother"
This last as they stepped from the
Mr.. Bradford was secretly afraid
Of the majestic females that swept to
and fro on this special door. their demi-
trains gliding noiselessly over the deep
their eyes fronting his with
an insolent scorn that quite abashed
him. tyrant as he was apt to be at
Mere man." they seemed to be- whis-
Dering among themselves. Finally the
banker solaced himself by going to a
and looking out on the street.
Hence he did not see Fielding step
from the ~levat in the next moment.
He was not aware that two heads were
which neither of the young people saw
OF the colors.
But even the choice of a scarf cannot
forever. 1t was prematurely ended
~ the return of the magnate. who
urned as purple as the Persian silks
him when he beheld the pretty
He grew more purple still when Field
ng quietly entered the car with them.
But the banker choked down his wrath
II rejecting that even inventors can
"aaAy hioO III MY PuDhG convey
nee. Then he snapped angrily at the
levator boy:
why are we stopping before this
wall, you young procrastinator?
DO you think this sort of thing is en-
But the boy. a lad of sixteen. newly
u duty, went white with terror.
"Somethin's wrong up above" he
hammered. Josh, he's been drinkin'.
knowed. though | never told. Some
lin's wrong. and the brake amt hold
/ right. It's slippin." he ended In a
lrill yell.
Three floors to fall" thought Field.
* as he seized the half fainting girl
his arms. Aloud he cried cheeriIy:
be frightened. any of you! My
ishion attachment was sold the nrm
st week. If it's on
Aye-if, How large a word! As
lie cage shot downward at fearful
very slightly broken by the
elding ropes. the banker found a
hole century of thought compressed
TO that brief period. A voice cried
his ear rhat 1T was a judgment OH
IN. the cushion would not he there,
at b cage would strike the ground
It'll the sound so happily denominated
the newspapers IL a "sickening
I'D" He saw himself and his child
led in a mangled hcap-he to whom
e had always seemed so substantial
ii sure.
half a dozen women waiting
the basement saw the falling cage
cot downward and rise again like a
bier ball. When it came down the
time IT rested quiveringly on
e springs. while inside was an undlg-
mass. which presently astonish-
the watchers and the component
rts OF the heap by resolving into
IT badly shaken but quite undam-
ed people.
The elevator boy staggered out first
he stammered. holding his
ad. IF ! don't get even wild Josh
dat! never thought we'd stop