Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-03-21
Eve,,;ng Story
cLlMHINe-AND CLIMBING.
BY NJ. J. PHILLIPS.

- ~
BY NJ. J. PHILLIPS.
Copyright, 1911, by Associated Liter
airy Press.)
A group of young people was stand
ing within the railing surrounding
the platform at the top Of the town
hall Below, struggled the village,
falling away in picturesque confu !:
sion from the hill on which the hall
was situated. OF to the east, be-
meath the rays of perfect moon,
cleaned the radiant surface of Sill
yer lake.
II am going to climb the flag staff, =
said Calvin Brest. He was a drug clerk
In the village, wiry, dark young man,
with the spirit of an adventurer, des-
pite the humdrum occupation Of pur-
veying pills and powders. He felt
moved to do something noteworthy to-
night. Spring was stirring his riotous
young blood and Jessie Dane was
standing beside him.
There was chorus Of halffrighten-
ed ordinations. The Flagstaff sprang
from the top of low cupola just
above their heads. It was thick.
crooked lance Of timber thirty feet
long, worn smooth by the beating Of
many storms.
Brest did not wait for his wild re-
solve to cool. From the top Of the
railing he leaned forward and drew
himself up on the roof Of the cupola.
With a laugh, he laid hands on the
pole.
Wrapping his legs about it he began
to climb. 1t merely shivered bit at
first, but when he was third Of the
distance to the top the pole swayed
back and forth. II 1t snapped under
his weight there was sheer drop OF
nearly one hundred feet to the cobble-
stoned court below.
But 1t did not snap. Brest reached
the top without mishap, patted the
gilt ball that crowned it and then with
whoop, slid down the staff and alight-
ed in their midst on the rallied plat
form.
He was given the reception of an
admired, spoiled child. They praised
and scolded him, but the scolding was
the greatest praise. The pole had
never been climbed but once before,
and then in the daytime by a steeple.
jack whose many precautions seemed
foolish beside Brest's daring clever.
ness
Albert Whitcomb broke in on the
congratulatory chorus, II am going
| up, too" he said, and there was an.
other sensation WhitcOmb was q
young farmer whose land adjoined
the town. He glanced at Jessie Dane
as he spoke.
|, The girl took a step forward and
put out a hand as If to stop him !;
and then, realizing that any. pleading
might render her conspicuous, she
turned away without word.
Whitcomb got to the roof and began
to climb. He was heavier than Brest
and less skilled. Under his 1abored eff
forts the pole swayed and shivered.
The smiles slipped from the faces
Of the watchers; their gay words OF
encouragement were stilled. They
remembered that the staff was old /;
it had been years in place. At any
moment Whitcomb might go down to
his death
But good fortune waited on him
too. He placed his hand for a mo-
ment on the gilt ball. and slid back
w.
Brest. and his safe return was greeted
by less of demonstration.
A constraint fell over the group
The same thought was in every mind
The incident was not yet closed. Fol-
the youth who had been Jessie Danes
boyish adorer was there. Would he dc
as much as the others?
Whitcomb voiced the question OF
all when he said with sheer:
"Well, Peter?"
Peter Price, leaning indoIentlv on
| the railing, drawled. well, Al?"
"Are you a sport?'
"Do you mean, am going to climb
that pole, too?"
That's what mean
Having been born with some
sense" replied Peter, 81 am not. Be
cause you and Calvin made fools Of
yourselves in no reason / should"
Whitcomb laughed boisterously. 81
always thought you lacked sand" he
said Later. Whitcomb and Calvin
Brest walked home with Jessie.
Peter Price did not seem to notice
any change in attitude toward him.
He attended the village merrymak
ings as usual and kept as near Jessie
as possible. fetching and CARRYING fol
her and anticipating her wishes AS
for Brest and Whitcomb, they enjoyed
to the full the fame their exploit
brought.
They all attended the first picnic Of
the year on Snake Island, SO called
because Of Its peculiar shape and the