The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-12-29

Inc receiver cIlckeu SIdEply anu the
listening Myrtle experienced sense of
physical relief, the exact reason for
which she would have been at a loss
to explain. How strangely the man
had intoned his good-bye-almost as
if he never expected to be able to say
it again to the wife he loved. 1t was
as if
Eyes, number please Oh"
1t was the voice Of the same man
speaking GROSSLY over the wire.
"Get me Grant 6212-quick !" he
growled. "Pm in a hurry"
She plugged the proper hole con-
Meeting him and listened for mo-
ment.
Hello! Grant 6212? the Morguel
Well, this is James P. Thornton talk
ing. Yes, JAMES Thornton of ].
p. Thornton, Inc. I'm about to COM
nit suicide in my office at 1478 Stock
Exchange building. If you'll send your
men over here within 10 minutes
they'll find my body here :. Doors
unlocked, ready for you. Statement
for the newspapers will be found on
desk. I've just completed it. :. Was
smashed in collapse of market on the
board floor this afternoon No,
that's-and then, ironically = all
Happy New Year,"
| His receiver clicked down on the
/ hook, severing the connection in the
midst of Mortified abjurations from the
other end Of the wire. simultaneously
Myrtle, the telephone girl, jerked the
metal loop from her head and sprang
down the aisle, disregarding the sur
prised EXPLANATIONS of her fellows and
the imperative call of the supervisor.
She grabbed her hat and shabby little
jacket from their peg on the locker
room wall as she fed.
suicide? 4. he was about to die
by his own hand . And with that
sweet-voiced wife waiting for him
there at home with the dear little kid
die tucked up in bed and crying for his
daddy's goodnight kiss! 1t was wrong
all wrong! :. To stop him! All,
if only she could get there in time !
There was a chance-a slim chance,
for it happened that the Stock Ex-
change was directly next door to the
big gray telephone building.
Fortunately the night elevator man
had his car waiting there on the main
floor, while he leaned against the side
of the cage gossiping with one of the
scrub women. Myrtle bounded in, star
Ting both nearly out of their wits.
"Quick!' she painted, Selling his arm
with tense fingers, '"The fourteenth
| floor &. Not an instant to spare!"
But it's against rules to let you &c
up there at this unholy time of nigh
unless you've got permit" expostu
lated the bewildered elevator man
you can't"
Myrtle drove the motive lever home
herself and the iron cage shot swiftly
| upwards before the man could stoi
| her. 1t was sickening breathless rise
-. All! the fourteenth floor at last
Precious moments wasted fumblint
with the mechanism of the elevate
door :. Then through it and out :.
| the staccato clatter of little high heel
| racing down the long dim, empty cor
ridor to where blotch of light showed
| through the transom of Suite 147S.
For a brief second Myrtle's hear
suspended its pulsation and she hest
tated with her trembling hand out
stretched to turn the knob. What
she should find-should find him al
ready the victim of his own mad act
lying there on the photographed foo
of the sumptuously furnished Office
with pool of blood slowly coagulatin
around the bullet hole in his temple
If
But Myrtle, the telephone girl, wait
ed to conjecture no longer. She threy
e her weight against the unlocked dool
n 1t gave suddenly and precipitated he
Q inwards coincidently with her frenzie
!. cry of:
o "STOP"
Il The man sitting at the long mahog
a any desk with the ugly revolver a
: ready in his hand half started to hi
c feet, his face ashen; stared at thi
1! most unexpected intruder, bulge-eyeC
t, He seemed unable to collect hi
thoughts; only passed his hand owe
l his mouth two or three times, muttel
/ ing in a half-witted way: "Who i.
t. who ;. what -
d Then he toppled suddenly and fe
n fiat on his face to the floor.
s. "Dead!" groaned Myrtle. horror
10 stricken, dropping TO her knees besid
IS the inaninate form.
y "Naw!" grunted the elevator maj
n who just then Joined her. Hes fainte
u that's all, kid. Better go git me
wet rag to sop his face with. That
d bring him round in a jiffy.'
h But Myrtle was already seated 6
f the adjacent telephone, calling tn
n number she so well remembered:
1t "Yes, yes, operator +. That's
l. Riverview ALL. Hello! -. he
Is 10! Is this Mrs. Thornton talking? /.