The Prescott daily news., 1911-05-27
The Silly Little Man
By MARTHA PENDLETON

| No little princess, and walked to tbo oio unsN est vacant seat. Craig almost slnns after her. unA
 The orchestra swung into w,,.. The trying moment was over
 The dance went on, as dances r,,r The merrymakers forgot that tho building had been condemned hooo. sno 1t was unsafe. They forgot it had long been standing and was noor,, built; forgot they were 60 feet frors the street below; forgot there wa. h,.. a single narrow doorway and din, rickety stairway leading down to earth.
 But they remembered these tbiny, suddenly It was during bosterono two-step that tempted every counla onto the floor. They were slnnin, along in perfect time when there wac a grinding shudder. sickening movA ment or the floor, like the tremblins leaves, as of an earthquake. The music stopped. Craig, near tho l platform, released his hold on Blanchs and laid his hand across the strings or the leaders violin. He realized that the rhythm must be broken at once. AS 1T in agony the building creaked and groaned. The united swayinp of | the dancers had proven too great a strain for the rotting and ill-placed timbers. The floor settled. Plaster Tell in dusty clouds. One after anoth. CT the window panes crashed and tin. kled to the floor.
 A heartbeat of horror and then ey. cry person stood the naked savage again. The thin film of manners slipped of like worn.out garment. There remained only the instinct of self-preservation. The women screamed shrilly as they faced toward the one inadequate door. The men, with barred teeth. prepared to trampls down anyone who blocked their path. Every person? No Blanche Carey did not join in the stampede She stood by Craig at the upper end of the hall. her hand on his arm. He, too. stood fast.
 She knew what the rush for safety would mean. The doorway would be jammed: the weaker would go down, to be trampled to death Others would be crowded off the narrow landing at the head of the stairs, to fall crushed and mangled to the floors be- low.
 The wave of panic mounted upward toward its crest. The timbers cracked; the floor began to settle, slowly but inexorably In a second the rush would begin.
 Hold on!" Craig's voice cut across the babel. Unconsciously they hesi. tated; no one had ever heard him shout before. Hold on; there's no danger. Go slow. We can't all get down at once
 Each man take a lady. Sam Dob son. lead of. There's Nellie Smith be- side you. That's right; go slow. No hurry-no hurry at all She's stopped falling.
 Keep away from that window. yoY fool! What do you want to jump for'
 Get back there!" He turned in time to catch the boiling plano player by the throat and hurl him back on the platform.
 Line up there, tell you! Every man take a girl. Two by two. and 80 slow! Go slow. sayl The dangers all over now"
 A heavy piece of molding dropped from the sagging ceiling and struo. him on the head. He staggered ou. did not fall. A trickle of blood crep' down his cheek He turned reassur ingly to Blanche.
 I'm not hurt" he said in an unoer tone He still smiled.
 He shouted again: Two by wv don't crowd at that door. NO hufiy, l tell you. Don't push on the stars
 The floor had ceased to settle Ooof CT heads had recovered themseive'' and were eohoing his warnings III. mob melted into an ordinary me went downstairs in leisurely fashion.
 Here a young man carried Ill n.' arms girl who had tainted; the,e an other, white faced, brushed the pias''' from his companion.
 When the floor was clear Gr~o signed to the orchestra inS, streamed off the platform, over a, I quaking. humpy floor, packing 'he' instruments as they went,
 Craig offered his arm to Di"n ,,on On his face was the smile that woln derided; but she saw 1t now vision that quickened and purihee' .,. She would never be ashamed ol . n,e smile again. It was but the io'ad and peculiarity of true man-ioVins che tender and brave. lmpuisl'ei' threw her arms about his neck