Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1916-12-29

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listening Myrtle experienced sense OF
physical relief, the exact reason for
which she would have been at loss
to explain. How strangely the man
had intOned his good-bye-almos;t as
If he never expected to be able to say
it again to the wife he loved. It was
as if
eyes, number please Oh
| It was the voice of the same man
| speaking GROSSLY over the wire.
"Get me Grant 6212-quick % he
| growled. I'm in hurry"
She plugged the proper hole con-
meeting him and listened for a mo-
| meDt
"Heuo Grant 6212? the Morgue?
Well, this is James z. Thornton talk
ing. Yes, JAMES Thornton Of j.
Z. Thornton, Inc. Pm about to com
nit suicide in my office at hts Stock
Exchange building. If you'll send your
men over here within IS minutes
they'll find my body here o.. 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 Yearr'
His receiver clicked down on the
| hook, severing the connection in tue
midst Of Mortified abjurations from the
MI Of
Myrtle, the telephone girl, jerked the
metal loop from her head and Splaug
| down the aisle, disregarding the sur
| priSed Explanations of her fellows an0
| the imperative call of the SUPERVISOR
! She grabbed her hat and shabby little
Jacket from their peg on the locker
room wall as she fled.
A suicide? :. he was about to die
by his own hand D.. 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! E. To stop him! All,
| If only she could get there in time!
| There was 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 bOtk 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 90
up there at this unholy time of night
unless you've got q 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 stop
her. 1t was sickening breathless rise
All the fourteenth floor at last!
Precious moments wasted furnblinc
with the mechanism Of the elevator
door Then through it and out
the staccatO clatter of little high heels
racing down the long dim, empty cor
r4dor TO where blOtch of light showed
through the transom of Suite 1873.
For brief second Myrtle's heart
suspended it's pulsatiOn and she hest
tated with her trembling hand out
stretched to turn the knob. What if
she should find-shOuld find him al
ready the victim of his own mad act
lying there on the richly-carpeted floor
OF the sumptuously furnished offices
with pool Of blood slowly coagulating
around the bullet hole in his temple.
If
But Myrtle, the telephone girl, wait
ed to conjecture no longer. She threw
her weight against the unlocked door.
1t gave suddenly and precipitated her
inwards coincidently with her frenzied
cry Of
"STOPi"
The man sitting at the long mahog-
any desk with the ugly revolver al
ready in his hand half started to his
feet, his face ashen; stared at this
most unexpected intruder, bulge-eyed.
He seemed unable to collect his
thoughts; only passed his hand over
his mouth two or three times mutter-
ing in g half-witted way: ''Who
who :. what D.. :"
Then he toppled suddenly and fell
fiat on his face to the floor.
Dead" groaned Myrtle, horror
stricken, dropping to her knees beside
the inaminate form.
"Naw" grunted the elevator man,
who just then joined her. ''He's tainted
that's all, kid. Better go git me a
wet rag to sop his face with That'n
bring him round in a iiffy."
But Myrtle was already seated ut
the adjacent telephone, calling the
number she so well remembered:
Eyes, yes, operator That's it,
Riyervfew ALL. ;. , Hell0l ,. hex |
10 Is this Mrs. Thornton talking?
No, you don't know me, but that |
doesn't matter. You hurry and wake
up 'Snookums; put on all his things |
and hurry down here to Mr.. Thorn