The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-06-12

it jest as keerIess as If he had of been
sitting before his FIRE on coolish-like
night
He was Jest as unconcerned as you
please and hummed tune jest to show
them below that he felt perfectly at
home and him almost 10 #. above the
ground.
Lem had jest hung his paint pail
over the top of the steeple and begin
to sling paint like a expert when the
ladder suddenly slipped on the roof
and fell with a crash end over end
clean to the ground.
They was deep groan went up
from them below.
Wimnen turned away their eyes and
begin to scream. The men helt their
| breaths.
All expeckted to see Lem drop from
that dizzy height to the ground below
with a dull sickening thud a lifeless
corpse. Then they would throw sheet
over him and gether him up tenderly
and carry his dead, lifelsss and
smashed remains home to his expectant
wife.
But Lem did not fall as anticipated
When he felt the ladder slippin from
under him he throwd the paint brush
into the air and Rugged the steepIe
with both arms. also rapping his legs
around same. The paint brush which
he LEI 60 of so suddint fell swiftly
striking Deacon Butterworth smack in
the eye, who was standing with his
mouth open looking up at Lem when
the catastrofee happened. Lem also
upset the paint in the struggle, some Of
/ It falling on Mrs. Rufe Green who
come out in her bare head and got il
all MKT up in her hair and she hasn't
got it out yet. Lem also bit off the stem
of his pipe which fell striking Sike
Peters and some of the sparks went
down Skies neck and burnt his back
and Sike thought he was ahre and
began TO undress and would of dis
graced hisSelf then and there If Cy
Hoskins hadn't called his attenshien
TO the fact that they was ladies present
and that if he desired to disrobe 70
retire back of the horse sheds, which
Sike done.
Where was Lem all this time, you
ask?
Lem was still hangin onto the
steeple for dear life and hollering
Help at the top of his lungs. But
where was they any help TO be found ?
Help was scarce. What could a person
do to help Lem and him hangin IN
midair as you might say 20 #. from
the ground!
Rev. Moore, our beloved pastor,
hollered up to Lem to try lifting his
voice in prayer. What Lem replied to
our pastor is not fit 10 appear in print,
so we wisely expureate it. Everybody
present was awful shocked at the hor-
rible profanity witch flowed from LENS
lips to the pastor and Lem being on
the threshold of deth as you might
say, and also church member his
self in addishion.
While people were ringing their
hands in despair and wondering what
Ito do, Seth Dewberry, our lion-heartcd
town constubble, slept forward and
raised his hand and said, wait. men,
will save himP
Seth then elm up into the belfry
and detached the rope from the bell
and then crawled out into the pick of
! the roof and coiled the rope up in his
hand, and told Lem he was going to
throw it up to him and for him to
ketch it.
you must think I be a tarnashion
fool" hollers Lem IF I let loose my
holt to ketch that rope, I'll fall and
brake my dad-blamed neckl"
But Seth told Lem he thought he
could spare one hand to grab il, and
Lem said he would try, and Seth
throwed up the rope and it fell be-
tween Lem and the steepIe, and Lem
then wound the end of it around the
top of the steeple and tied it fast and
then he slid down the rope to safety,
and him and Seth both came down to
the ground, and everybuddy slept for
ward and shuk hands with Lem. and
told him they never expedited to see
him alive again.
The bell rope still remains tied y
the church steeple, and will probably
. remain there I'll it rots. and how the