The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1915-08-18

We passed. l held my head high. but
Jack didn't notice me at all. He
passed me as II were a stone, Pos.
itively, the man seemed a brute, a
heartless uncultured clod What an
escape | had hadl
Three or four days passed. l no
niger even looked at Jack. He seem,
ID to close his office the same time
Nr. Stevens did, but l always took
he other elevator. think Sam. the
colored elevator man, understood our
antipathy. for he always smiled so
alphabetically 1t me, and looked so
sternly at Jack.
1t was. think, on the fifth evening
after Jack had rented the Office. that
a dreadful experience happened TO me
| had been working late. and every
body had left the building-or nearly
everybody. I was happy that night,
because l knew that Jack would have
gone home long ago. 1t must have
been eight o'clock when l finally laid
aside my work, put on my hat, and
went out.
pressed the elevator bell and Sam
came up. Just as saw his grinning
face behind the grille who should
come along the passage but Jack!
He had been working late, too.
hesitated to believe that he had been
waiting for me tust to persecute me
He stepped toward the elevator and
OF course | stepped aside I'll take
the other" l said.
Sorry. miss, but the other eleva-
tors out of order" said Sam sympa-
thetically.
Well, there was no help for it. /
entered this one and turned my back
on Jack. who got in and took the other
corner.
The elevator began to go very slowly
and jerkily. and all at once it stopped
between two floors Sam looked at
me with a frightened face.
Il guess we're stuck, miss" he
said.
He tried and tried, but he could only
move the elevator few inches. At
last he said:
Il guess l could climb out to the
floor above and go down and fix It,
miss" he said. THE lubricating
mechanism must have cast SHOE
mean valve"
II seemed to me that he was re-
peating those words by rote and didn't |
know what they meant.
Before / could utter a protest he |
was scrambling to the floor above. at |
the imminent risk OF breaking his |
neck, leaving me alone with Jack. | |
turned my back on him again and hum |
med, to show him | didn't care. But
It was a terrible situation thought
OF the days when we had been en-
gagged. before l became disillusioned
about men. when Jack was all the
world to me; and before l knew 1t /
was crying.
Suddenly felt Jacks arms about
me.
Forgive me. sweetheart" he was
saying. Il love you awfully. dear.
Won't you let me put the ring back
AGAIN."
And somehow. in spite of his in
famous treatment of me. | had not the
strength to resist him. just lay in
his arms.
Jack" l sobbed. who was that
dreadful. dreadful person with you at
Flavin's2'
"That?" inquired Jack. 20, you
mean Miss Partridge. Why, she's en-
gagged to young Carson. you know
Carson was delayed, and so we chat
ted until he came along. Just after
you went out. She's a very nice girl"
And how about me2" / fiared up.
furiously.
You're the sweetest, dearest. incest
- he began. in the most foolish way
Somehow It only seemed a minute
after had let him put the ring back !
before Sam reappeared. He entered |
the cage in the same way.
Its all right. MISS he said. |
We've got new valve now" And
the elevator descended
saw Jack slip a fve-dollar bill into
Sans hand Il really seemed extrava-
giant. but after all it was worth II, see
ing what Sam had done for US The |
only thing that disturbed me was the |
grtn on Sans face 1t almost seemed. !
for the moment as II he had made the /
accident on purpose However, OF |
course. that couldn't be.
Copyright. 1915. by W. @. ChapmanO |
VISITOR WHOM ALL DREAD /