The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-02-04
The Figure in
the Doorway
How John Ridgeway Came to 90
Back to 1t After Thirty
Years.
wv. R. Rose in Cleveland Plain-DealerJ
wv. R. Rose in Cleveland Plain-DealerJ

4 man was fumbling with the lock OF
the long low shed at the foot OF the slop,
ing lawn. The man was John Ridgeway,
| and he was the owner of the sloping lawn
and the low shed and of the red tiled
roof that showed above the trees.
Yet John Ridgeway was acting more
| like an interloper than a proprietor tie
| looked around nervously as he fitted the
key in the lock and finally pushed open
the wide double doors. ,
The sun was forcing slender red and
yellow arrows of light up from behind
| the low eastern hills. Somewhere IN the
distance rooster sounded faint call.
| There was dew on the grass and the night
wind futtered the leaves.
| If was light enough for John Ridgeway
to find his way about, and the darkness
paled with every passing moment
He had not slept well for several
nights. The quiet of the place failed to
sootbe his irritable brain. The simple
remedies given him by the fine, old doc
tor whom he had reluctantly consulted,
proved unavailing.
"What you really need said the fine
old doctor. sis not complete rest, but
complete change, with something to lead
your interest along new channel.
| Haven't you a home somewhere don
mean a palace or a hotel, but an old
fashioned home? Where do you come
FROM" ),
"Michigan-southern Michigan. -,
And isn't the old home still there"
II believe it is -,
why can't you go there for month
or two? Look up the old haunts, and the
early friends. Be boy again"
Il couldn't think Of it." said John
Ridgeway abruptly.
But he did think of it.
He had thought of it that night as ne
sat by the open window and smoked ana
stared YEARLY at the trembling stars.
Had he reached the limit OF his pow
ersa Was he going down as Silas Rankin
went down. and Stephen Quincy? Was
the mind that had served him so long
and faithfully growing indifferent to Its
duty? ,..,,
from the low shed the hidden aeroplane
IT was lightly borne upon its track, a am
he drew # away from the shed and die
not halt until It was in the exact sspo,
whence he and Crandall had taken theil
short flight the day before. ;,
He and Crandall would have tried tn
craft again that morning, only Crandai
could not come. He had 'phoned Johr
| RidgeWay the night before tnat MS mum
er was dangerously i'll and he had beer
: called to her bedside.
His mother, Crandall's mother. Some
how John Ridgeway had looked upo1
Crandall as quite alone in the world
alone with his workshop and his lnven
tive genius. He had never mentioned hi
mother. -,
This was Crandall's aeroplane, bull
with John Ridgeway's money. John like
the eager young fellow and believed, il
: him. And here was the craft he ha'
l planned and perfected under John Ridge
; way's watchful eye. For John nigh
have been a fair mechanic, credltabl
: handler of tools, if fate had not cale'
him to more strenuous things.
He knew the aeroplane almost as wei
!, as Crandall knew it, but after his usua
! cautious fashion he made no boast OF hi
knowledge.
!, Now he was going to take fight in
alone. 1t had behaved so well the da
q before in its short flight that he had pei
:. feet confidence in it.
$ 'Tt only needs light brace or tw
+ and a general tightening to be entirel
! seaworthy," Crandall had said, as h
glanced the craft over.