The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-09-28
STORY OF one LITTLE
TRANSACTION IN GAS
A Small Deal That Might Be a
Credit to De!eware's Fa-
nous Character.
RED IKE TO THE RESCUE
Occupant of Flat Gives Thanks to
Prowlcr Who Had Made Away
With All the Family Sill
versvaro and Coins.
FROM the Kansas city Star.

From the Kansas City Star.
Il never could understan' why people
i'll pay u quarter fur 4 patent cast iron
window fastener when a five CEN ginl-
let beats EN- a mile" aid Red Ike soft
ly 10 himself. rs he slipped the end of
his jimmy between the upper n
lower sash and with Il quick movement
broke the tiinsy lock.
Il bet I've smashed a thousau' of
them window locks in my time he
continued. 'ail of en- different, an |
never found vet as much use as u
bent hair pin: but when | butt into
a gimlet l know I'm UP agin IA hard
proposition. Now, here's q house full
OF money am the people amt got sense
enough
Great snakes"
That wasn't wha Red Ike said. but
for purposes of publication something
less expressive has to be substituted.
He had just raised the sash when his
s%oliloquy was interrupted and at the
same time he staggered back as if
struck by II club. For q moment he
was speechless and them
Gas" he whispered. Gas, Internal
house full of it. Who ever heard of
such rum luck. Here I've been spyin'
this house fur Il week to git the lay,
and pleasant, with nobody at home but
the woman and the baby, the gas fac
tory cuts me out. It's sure death to
sc in there. But-but-but-
Attempts a Rescue.
Another thought had struck him.
The the baby--are in
there. All alone. Deadt'
He stood staring at the house through
the blackness of the night. In all his
experience he had never been so dis
concerted.
"Mebby they're not" he muttered, as
the possibility entered his mind.
"Mebby they're alive. But-but if they
amt they will be mighty soon. an
there's nobody but me TO help EN-. If
I raises a rumpus the cop II get me;
besides they'd make a mess of it. If [
sneak there'll be Il funeral here, sure.
It's not our funeral, though, Ikey," he
went on, assuming the dual role habit
ual with him when he became quite
confidential with himself: IAN it amt
non of our business. If it was II man
in thcre-~but it's a woman-an' u baby.
It's up TO us Likely, We've just got to
make Il try"
Filling his lungs with pure air he
plunged through the open window.
hastily raised the others in the III
apartment, which he knew to be the
dining room, and then made his way
RS rapidly as possible to the hall. He
had in his mind the floor plan of the
residence, obtained by a careful pro-
fessional inspection of the exterior.
He knew that the dining room opened
into the reception hall and that the
door to the head of rooms he sought
"S'pose it is locked" he thought. I'll
be up against it for sure If ii is. But
no use to worry about that now. I'll
find out when l git there-if ] ever
do"
He had almost reached the hall be-
fore he permitted himself to breathe,
but now his lungs found action and
the deadly vapor began to affect him.
He was growing light headed and his
legs seemed to be disappearing be-
meath him, as he staggered to the stair
way and fell at its foot. But up he
crept, step by step. painting, gasping.
Would he never reach the top? Was
felt as though it carried n load of a
hundred tons and a whimsical thought
of the strong mans trick al the vaude-
vile passed through his mind-his
mind, which seemed to belong to some
one else and to be floating in some
where ahead just out of his reach.
Almost Gives Up.
He was at the landing. How pleas
ant it would be to stop right here and
the struggle? There was nothing in it
for him. He had come to rob them.
Why should he make greater effort to
save their lives h he would to get
their silver. They would find him there
in the morning. Perhaps they'd blame
mutton head. Quit chasin' aroun' on
your own hook. Settle down on my
neck n get busy. l need YOU" He
didn't give the command with his lips.
He was past hat. He could not rise,
but he could yet crawl.
M f-,,,l tL1 1~@r 1y- trcttpot II
was ajar. He entered and noticed that
the air seemed to be less heavy. The
escape was evidently below. The wom-
an and child lay on the bed, uncon-
scious. He reached up and shook them
feebly but they made no sound To
the window he crawled. slowly, pain
fully, a thousand deaths in every inch
of the way. He raised one hand to
the sash and pushed. 1t did not
His arms seemed limp as strings.
What's the use? Brace up, Ikey, it's
backbone you need" Gripping the ledge
he drew himself to his knees and
dropped back. He tried again. Life
was just outside the window. Life for
him-maybe life for the forms on the
bed. He had come this far and he
must see it through" h time he
got hold with both hands and raised
the sash Il few inches. A-a-a-h! Was
anything ever half so sweet as tina
pIGuSsill WI tl L ANY abati!o
the sill and sucked it in, feeling
strength return with every inspiration
Raising the sash to the top he thrust
his head and shoulders out and rev
eled for a moment in the luxury, re-
CARELESS of the danger of discovery
Then he recovered his voice.
''Ikey-my boy he gasped, this
beats-em all. You've-ha-some close
calls-but this is-sure-the limit. Lord
how r,y-ribs hurt. Why didn't-yor
s~tay-home tonight-with the ole Won.
an an the kid? They need-you more
t1an-than-'
mo, Ikey, you're wrong. Get back
and finish-the job"
Attempts Rcsuscitation.
His legs were still too weak to serve
as supports. but he dragged hilmsel
again to the bed, feeling anew the tor.
lures of opposed respiration. But h,
was stronger han before. He coult
not lift them from the couch. but i
moved easily on its rollers, and With hi
shoulders he pushed it inch by inch VI
close to the opened window. 1t wa;
hard work. At every move he felt al
almost irresistible desire to give up AN
rest; and when he knew that the WON
an and Child We're as neal to air al
life as he could possibly get them /