The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-08
THE EVENING STORY
,ssTake the Elevator"
Winfield, Kan
ldKG NIIC TlIONtAlOIs
[By Lawrence Alfred Clay.1
"Old Mason's kid"


She's good to marry a million"
Such were some of the observations
as Miss Myrtle Mason descended from
her auto in front of a~particular num-
Der on a downtown street.
Every one knew Old Mason, as he
was called. He was money-1ender
and note-shaver. He owned the build
ing in which he had his Office, and
every year he swore off good share
of his taxes and lost three or four
| tenants because he would not make
| Improvements. Just at this date one
! Of the two elevators was dead" II
had needed repairs for ten years and
had finally stopped in disgust The
| other was about ready to strike, but
was still in use and bore the sign:
| Take This Elevator"
Just moment previous to the en-
trance of Miss Myrtle the elevator had
been taken by young man named
| Homer Lincoln. He was an architect
| just starting out for himself, and he
had business on the third floor. The ell
evator was there, all right. but the ele-
vator boy wasn't. He had stepped into
| the cage and waited. He heard the
rustic of skirts, caught sight of big
white hat and waving plumes and was
then face to face with what his archl-
| tecturaI instincts told him was a good
| looking girl of about 20. Like the gem
| tleman he was. he crowded back and
gave her room and removed his hat
Where, oh, where was that boy?
The time one has to wait in an ele-
vator seems three times as long as
waiting at a soda fountain outside.
Miss Myrtle moved about uneasily.
Mr.. Lincoln coughed nervously. An
elevator boy cannot be brought back
to his duties in any such way as that
More heroic measures are necessary
When two minutes had passed the
girl stepped out and looked up at the
placard. Perhaps she had read it too
hastily. Perhaps it advised the public
to walk upstairs or down cellar.
Mol That placard distinctly read:
"Take This Elevator" Not the other
elevator, but this one. The letters
were black on a white ground, and
even a cross-eyed man couldn't have
COMPOUNDED them with somebody's cough
syrup or a why Pay Rent?" sign.
Five minutes and no boy!
Mr.. Lincoln would have faced JEFF
from this situation. He had but to
step past the girl with beg pardon"
but he hadn't the moral courage to
do it. 1t was she who solved the
problem. AS many as ten times in
her life she had seen elevator boys
manipulate the cable, and, tired of
waiting, she suddenly seized it and
gave a hoist. Mr.. Lincoln opened his
mouth to protest, but he was too Late.
The weary cage. uttered a sigh and a
groan and then made a leap for the
roof 1t was tired of being classed as
a slow coach
When the roof was reached the cage
struck and started for the cellar. 1t
bumped down there and started up
again, but stopped between floors and
gave wabble and lurch and settled
down to rest.
The first bump had thrown the two
occupants to the floor. The second
tossed them about and the stoppage
put the finishing edge to their scare.
Mr.. Lincoln used ordinations that
children should not see in print and
Miss Mason uttered screams that
aroused the building and brought the
elevator boy from the curb market |
on the run. In three minutes it was |
known that the elevator was stuck be- |
tween floors. In two more it was |
and that one of them was Old Mason's |
daughter. He went off the handle at |
once.
'.Are you there, Myrtle?" he bel
lowed as he trotted around.
Yes, father" was the dazed reply. |
''Who is with your
IA young man.
my heavens! I see the whole plot!
Say, young man, whoever you are, you
cannot escaped We have you sur
rounded, and I have just sent for the
police. If you rob my daughter you
cannot make off with the plumber"
Are you talking to me, sir?" called
the indignant architect
st am. You are good for term in
prison! Myrtle, dear. don't be afraidi
think can find a hole and train it on
him. Is he a ruff1an?'
"He-he looks like one!"
''Why don't you tell your father that
fooled with the cable and started the
car ?" asked the young man.
Father. he's talking to mel" half
screamed Miss Myrtle.
'Stop it, young man-stop it! l
forbid you to address my daughter!
Oh, why don't the police comet
Give the police time and they will
get there. On this occasion they were
not over twenty minutes behind the
time table.
Elevator stuck" explained Old Ma
son, "and my daughter is in 1t with a
robber and a ruff1an. Get her out and
arrest the man.
you'll have to &c. iremen for that
Job was replied. 1.-THE man may be
a ruffian. but how do you know it?"
st heard him curse when we bump
ed the roof" called the girl, land now
''All right. A cop shall be left here
to take care of him"
1t was three long hours before that
elevator consented to climb up a few
feet and give a hysterical girl and
During most of this time Old Mason
was calling the young man a thief and
olackleg, but at the same time bidding
the girl not to fear him.
Mr.. Holmes was led away a prison
er, but was not detained long. The
tenant he was on his way to consult
for him, and the girl had to
admit the facts as they have been re-
corded above. Therefore, the father
lid not follow after and said he re- :,
sarded the incident as closed, and two
lays later Miss Myrtle was sent to the
country on a visit