The Democratic advocate., 1907-07-26
Seleft Story.
UNDER THE COUNTERWEIGHT.
BY ALBERT W. TOLMAN.

Among his friends Harvey Monroe, /;
Jolly, good hearted commission merchan
in one of the cities on the great lakes, wa.
known as ''The Late Mr.. Monroe {
title that indicated his only serious failing
Harvey was thief Of time. To be sure
his peculations generally extended to nc
more than two or three minutes, and Otter
could be measured on the second dial.
Still he was never just on time, and his
acquaintances formed the habit of ap-
pointing their interviews five minutes ear
lier than they wished to see him. By that
means they succeeded in keeping him fair
ly punctual.
| On November Z, 1908, Harvey met
with an experience that effectually cured
him of procrastination.
| At 10 that evening he had an impor-
tant business appointment at the railroad
station with customer who was to stop
off an hour between trains TO reach the
station it was necessary for the merchant
to cross the river which split the city in
twain and served as its harbor Leaving
home FIVE minutes late, as usual, he ar
rived at the Horton street bascule bridge
Just as it was raised to admit tug, towing
two barges. A little earlier and he would
have avoided this delay.
The river presented IA long black vista,
lined on each side with gloomy wharf ends
and storehouse. At intervals it was
spanned by bridges sparkling with misty
white electric stars. Now and then red
and green lighted tug, churning asthmati
cally along with tow Of barge or schooner,
whistled at this bridge or at that Up
tilted the swinging ends, while the ponder
Gus CONFERENCE.-The sank into the dismal
pits below.
Through went the tug. Down dropped
the bridge as the weights rose, and the
clogged streets emptied themselves of We
hicles and pedestrians until the next shrill
whistle split the spans once more.
Like most chronic procrastinators Har-
vey Monroe was always in a hurry. 1t
seemed to him that the span was kept
raised unconscionably long.
Growing impatient he ducked under the
street barrier and leaned over close to the
abutment to see where the barges were.
The bridge tenders, busy with their duties,
did not observe him, and no other foot
passenger was near. Deceived by the
blackness he made false step. The next
instant he was falling beside the granite
abutment!
A few feet below he struck on his hands
and knees on cement ledge. The shock
was violent, but thick cushion Of slush
and drippings from the bridge broke the
force of his fall Down he slid, clawing
desperately for a hand hold, but finding
none. Suddenly he shot perpendicularIy
feet first into a narrow chasm, bringing up
neck deep in ice cold water He had
dropped into the pit containing the iron
counterweight that balanced the bridge
The suddenness of his catastrophe dumb
founded Monroe, although he had suffered
no injury beyond being shaken up and
bruised. But the cold water in which he
was immersed soon recalled him to himself
and emphasized the need of immediate ac-
ton. By feeling about he discovered that
he was in triangular space with hard,
Shiny cement on two sides and a mass of
steel on the other. He must get out at
once.
Just as he thought of shouting for help
the machinery began to clank and grind
overhead, and the eounterweight slowly
lifted, brushing past him in its ascent to
the position it occupied when the bridge
was down As it rose, the water, which
had almost touched his lips, began to fall,
and soon was no higher than his knees.
The commission merchant realized that
he must lose no time in letting his position
be known. He threw all mis- breath into
vigorous shouts for help, but as the road
way of the bridge settled into place above,
it sealed the pit with lid of wood and
metal which prevented his cries from being
heard. Hurried footsteps passed over
head; the rumbling of wheels echoed
through his prison, but his frantic shout
ing, muffied by the intervening roof, at
tracted no attention.
Slipping, stumbling on the Shiny bot
tom; Harvey splashed round his cell, vainly
lingering the chill walls in hope of discov
ering some way of escape. But, high as
he could reach, the hard cement afforded
not single ledge or crevice, and in that
pitchy darkness he could not tell how much
farther the walls rose above him. He had
no means of ascertaining, for there was
nothing to give him foothold.
Harvey realized with sudden terror that
deadly peril threatened him when the
counterweight should next descend In
grouping round his dungeon he had lost
his sense of position, and could not be sure
of the corner into which he had fallen.
So far as he knew, it was the only spot
that had not been occupied by the tons of
metal now suspended above his head.
When the bridge was raised again and the
weight fell, what chance had he to avoid
being crushed to a Jelly!
Cold and fright set Harvey's teeth to
chattering; his legs shook so that he could
hardly stand. Unless he could make his
cries audible to the bridge-tenders or some
pedestrian the next whistle, signifying that
a tug was approaching from up or down
river, would mark his doom. At all hours
of the day and night the harbor was
busy place, and no very long period could
elapse before the dreaded signal would be
heard.
As the horror of his situation dawned
fully upon him wild wave of unreasoning
terror swept over the unhappy merchant
Almost crazed, he hammered the walls with
his fists, dashing round and round through
the icy water, and making the we'll rever-
brate with his cries. Then he became
more calm OF what use to wear himself
out thus vainly! He must save all his
energies for an attempt to gain the notice
of some approaching pedestrian.