Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1906-08-30
AN
ELEVATOR
CUPID
BY CARROLL WATSON RANKIN.

ing themselves to the elevator in the
Bailey Building, for it was connected
with AN electric motor of such unstable
character that the initiated had lost all
confidence in it as a means of transporta-
ton.
katherine, however, was not an inhabi-
tant In her own town elevators pur-
sued the even tenor of their way without
vagaries OF any sort; so, when her bust
ness with the photographer on the top
floor was completed the young woman,
with every reason to expect swift and
lneventful journey to the street, stepped
confidently into the elevator.
At the fourth floor the elevator stopped
to admit second passenger, man
named Westcott. Westcott differed from
Katherine i'll that he entered the cage
like apartment with full knowledge of its
treacherous tendencies, but Westcott was
that morning in frame of mind to court
disaster. He assured himself as he
stepped in that it was matter of COM
plete Indifference to him whether the ele-
vator shot suddenly upward and crashed
through the skylight or dropped without
warning into the basement.
The elevator, however, did neither of
these things. Under the guidance of a
chubby, blue-eyed youth. it pursued its
downward career until it reached the
space between the first and second floors !;
there it stopped.
At the sight of her fellow passenger
Katherine had turned pink with embar-
rassment. The man had muttered some
thing under his breath and bowed frig-
idly; for, before counting disaster, he had
courted Katllerine-apparently it had
amounted to the same thing. They had
parted forever only the evening before,
and the ring she had worn for three
months was at that moment in Westcott's
trousers pocket where he had thrust 1t
savagely at the end of their quarrel.
why are we stopping here?" asked
katherine, turning to the elevator boy OF
chcrubic countenance.
Cause we can't go on" returned the
boy, producing bag Of peanuts and a
dime novel. ard PROCEEDING to make him
sell comfortable. "rhe blamed powers
off"
Has it ever-does it often go off like
this?'
"oh, yes replied the boy cheerfully,
There's nothin' to be scared of. Some
times she runs all right for as much as
a week; then, again, she won't bulge
for six or seven hours at a stretch"
Six or seven hours gasped Katll.
erine.
Yep" replied the boy, settling himself
more comfortably on his STOOL "Once
it was longer, but gn'rally they get her
goin in an hour or two. There's no dan
ger at all, miss"
The boy gently discouraged further
conversation by burying himself in his
book. Katherine moved to the end OF
the long, leather-covered seat. Westcott,
at the extreme other end, stared gloomily
at the wall.
Katherine lonkcd at her watch. 1t was
already past luncheon time, and she had
been too miserable to eat much break
fast. Still-she frightened at the thought
she should not starve, for she had with
her box of chocolates she was taking
home to her sisters children.
She looked at her watch again. Only
four minutes had passed, but pangs OF
hunger were becoming uncomfortable. The
chubby hoy munchcd peanuts with appar-
emily no thought of his fellow sufferers.
Katherine united the pink string that
bound the candy box, unfolded the paper,
lifted up the lid and ate chocolate.
When she had eaten three she glanced
at Westcott He was still gazing at the
wall. The walls in elevator shafts are
seldom interesting. This one was tinted
with bilious green--a color that West
colt abhorred.
"flow he must hate me-" thought Kath-
crime, eating another chocolate, when
he'd rather look at wall than at me
| wonder what | ought to do? If We
were utter strangers, cast away on a des-
ert isle and he had one biscuit and three
drops of water, should think him hor.
rid if he didn't offer me half, / suppose
| ought to offer him some of these choco
lates, even if we're not on speaking
terms"
Katherine, sitting very straight, ane
with her eyes straight ahead, pushed
the box along the seat. Westcott pait
no attention