The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1910-06-28

BY VIM. ]. hampton.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

WV4X<4Vf9 S<U9 w ~ O<O9 ~ XVII
MARY HOWARD was the prettiest
wi chambermaid in the hotei,~ and
NJ. Doan was the oldest boardcr.
Not Oldest in point of years, but in
point of occupancy, although he was
not as young as he was whe"
he passed his tifticth birthday. lie
roomed on the hoor that Mary had
the care of, and after years ac-
&luaintance with her he had decided
in his own mind thrt she was very
nice girl. Mary liked Mr.. Doan well
enough, but that was all for he was a
bachelor, and she rather had her
doubts about such old bachelors as he
was. But Mr.. Doan was rich and
liberal, and SO polite always that he
gradually won favor in Mary's eyes.
One Sunday when she was fixing
up his room, which was the only time
she ever saw him there, he began talk
ing to her.
do you know, Mary" he said, with
evident sincerity. that you are the
prettiest girl in the hotel?"
YES. SIR replied Mary.
Mr.. Doan was somewhat staggered
by this unexpected frankness.
"Oh, you do, dc you?" he responded,
n little nettled.
II ought to- she said; "every man
I have seen in this hotel has told me
so, except you. and now you have, so
they can't all be telling stories"
This explanation did not quite suit
Mr.. Doan, but Mary was quick-wit-
ted, and he let it go as she put it.
II presume" he said apologetically.
II ought to have told you so before,
because have known it ever since the
first day l saw you. but you seemed
to me to be a lady, and l did not
want you to think that l was not =
gentleman"
"And am lady, Mr.. Doan, as my
mother was and still is, but ! am
lady in distress, as the story-tellers
have it, Two years ago my father
died, leaving us nothing but a little
house away out in the suburbs, where
my mother and brother live. He never
was rich. but he was gentleman.
and when he left us poor, somebody
had to do something. and l took this
place. 1t was the only thing | could
do for wages right from the start,
and we needed something to live on.
Ny brother found a place in a store.
and between us we manage to live"
pretty. Mary" said Mr.. Doan, land
must go out and see that mother Of
yours"
So he did. too, and came back with
very agreeable impressions of the
sweet old lady of 60 that he had met.
MARY" he said on the following
Sunday, 'how would you like me to
be your father"
You are quite old enough to be-"
She said, sharply, but you are not
old enough to be my mothers hus-
band, if that is what you are leading
np to-"
IT don't know about that" he
laughed. IA womnn's heart is always
young"
But Mary did not like the subject,
and went out without continuing the
conversation. Half an hour later as
she was carrying a roll of quilts across
the hall in front of the elevator, into
which Mr.. Doan had just stepped that
always uncertain method of locomO-
ton got loose and started down the
shaft for the bottom, seven floors be-
low. Mary knew what was coming, or
going. rather. and with a scream che
Il Ch n = ha <,f int = Ia
door The cage had only a slight start
and the quilts were caught and
wedged in between the floor and the
elevator roof and the downward move
ment stopped with a noise like wheel
taking rubber brake. Mary dropped
in Il faint. Mr.. Doan almost had
spasm in the elevator where he was
boxed up, the elevator boy came run
ming from a room where he had gone
TO deliver message, somebody turned
in fire alarm and the whole place
was in an uproar. The firemen were
restrained from turning the hose
on Mr.. Doan, and busted themselves
rigging timbers in the elevator shaft
beloy the cage to catch it, when the
quilts were withdrawn, and presently
Mr. Doan came down with thump,
and walked out scared almost white.
The papers next morning had a
whole column about 1t. with large
picture of Mary, the pig headlines
about the heroism of ambermaid.
1t happened on Friday. and on Sunday
Mary was at her post again. When
Mr.. Doan saw her he did not wait to
ask her about the flowers he had sent
to her house, nor about his having
called to see her without seeing her.
MARY" he said. in the matter Of
fact way of man of so, ''you saved
my life, and | want to do something
10 show my appreciation of it,"
''Oh, Mr.. Doan." she almost pleaded.
don't say anything more about it.
] didn't do anything
You saved my life Isn't that any
thing? 1t is to me If it isn't to you!"
Il would have done just the same
for Tom"
Tom was the elevator boy.
well, I'm going to offer you some
II 1t L.