The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1917-05-31
could. The next Gay I went to see

her father had been talking to me
a plasterer who had brought him
an estimate for some work. She had
found the man and asked him if he
could repeat what was said. He
gave the matrimonial condition
word for word. Molly took it down
in writing, and he signed it. Molly
is mighty practical girl and very
energetic one.
"There," she said, concluding her
account of what she had done,
"we've got father just where we
want him"
A few days later I received q
note from her saying that she had
made an arrangement to visit .
cousin in n, a neighboring town,
where there were several churches,
all with steeples. She told me to
meet her there with climbing tackle
and she would take her first les
son. l put my ropes and pulleys
in a baggage car and went with
them to n. 1 found Molly in gym
nasium costume. She had taken
prizes in gymnastics, and she said
she would 60 right out and take a
lesson. l sent my tackle to the
church with the lowest steeple,
climbed to the roof, fixed beam
from which l hung pulley, then
sang out to Molly to put the loop
on the end of the rope under her
arms and haul herself up. She did
it without any trouble. Then l
went to a window midway up the
steeple, fixed another beam, and
this time pulled her up from below,
and she got in at the window. l
was surprised that she didn't vince.
But, as I've said, there's q lot Of
"sand" in Molly.
Before we had finished the frst
lesson Molly was sitting on the base
of the ball Gaping the steeple, :
hundred feet from the ground. A
number of people had collected be.
low, watching her, and she kissed
her hand to them. I saw from this
that she had steeplejack's head as
well as I.
This was valuable preparation,
but the height was only 140 feet,
while st. Thomas was $50. But
Molly said that if she could hang
14O feet above ground with her
eyes open she could hang $50 with
them shut. She seemed very happy
over it all, and I wondered whether
she was glad because she was going
to get me and her $4,000, too, or
on account of having demonstrated
her ability to climb.
Molly" l said, 'tit seems to me
that you're mighty pleased at the
prospect of getting a man who Is
nothing but steeplejack."
Don't be silly, JIM" said Molly.
"You will not always be steeple-
jack. You have real ability and all
you need is a chance to develop it.
That chance you are going to have
with my help. 1 know you are
true man."
That comforted me awfully.
We went back home. I told Molly
that she must continue her climb
ing in order to keep her head at
great heights. She said Cali right"
but didn't lay any plans for any
more of it. One day she wrote me
that she wished to see me at once.
I went right round. I didn't see
anything unusual in her appearance,
which surprised me when she told
me why she wished to see me. And
what do you suppose it was? Her
father had heard of her climbing
and, very much astonished and an
gered, asked her what it meant,
whereupon she told him her scheme.
He fumed and fretted for whole
day, then gave in. But he insisted
on my leaving the steeplejack trade
and going into business with him
"Well, now" I said, overjoyed,
"isn't it fine that you won't have to
climb st. Thomas'?"
'Nonsense. / never intended to
climb it."
"You didn't?"
''No; 1 contrived that father
should hear of what l was doing,
and I knew it would bring him
round without that"
We've been married five years
now, and, though 1 am in business
and quite successful, I think some
times in some things that my wife
is my superior. Pm more used to
"going up in the air" than she.
The Liars Mound.