The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-29
A Steeplejack and
An Aeronautess
By WILLIAM CHANDLER

= Ion GuTley as booh as ue couiu Wulh
began TO climb over the furniture. and
r his mother was In dread lest he get ur
l ON TO a window sill and tumble out
, A few years later his place of blissfu
: rest was a treetop. Then he got ia
, | climbing water spouts and trellises on
to roofs, and by this time. being old
! enough to go to work, he became a
! steeplejack.
Emily Radcliffe was built upon SINH
lar lines to Tom Gurley.
While Eben Radcliffe did not try to
prevent his daughter from risking her
! neck in an acceptance, he was very
much averse TO her marrying Tom Cur
ley, to whom she had become attached.
What do you want to marry stee-
plejack for?" he asked. Hell break
his neck and leave you widow"
NO more than I'll come down with a
thump In an neroplane and leave him a
widower," was the reply.
Tom had one unfortunate trait He
was a spendthrift. Mr.. Radcliffe in
order to get the whip hand OF him en-
ployed an agent to lend the young man
all the money he wanted and draw the
papers IN such a way that IL the funds
were not paid at maturity'he could ar.
rest Tom and jail him. or course the
was sent for Tom.
Emily got wind of the move and
warned her lover. Tom kept an eye
out for suspicious looking persons. and
when he saw man making bee line
| for him he ran for his natural defense,
a church spire. A tall elm stood be-
side the building. and Tom. catching a
soon in the topmost branches. The
constable followed him, and Tom.
climbing out on branch overhnnging
the church. dropped to the roof.
The constable followed, and Tom.
who had climbed the steeple before and
knew every projection. climbed up to
where the cone began. There was a
lightning rod running to point above
the apex. and Tom went up by II and
sat on the ball. holding to the weather
vane.
This was more than the consta BILE
dared do. He descended by the way
he had come and. once on the ground.
settled himself TO starve out the cul- I
prit. He had good view Of Tom, who !
must come down sooner or later and |
give himself up.
Now 1t happened that Emily needed |
to do some shopping that morning and
passing the church saw her lover cor
raled on the apex Of the church spire
and the constable below watching him
like q dog eying a coon. She took in
the situation at once She must help
but how? Various plans suggested
themselves. There seemed no way 10
help him unless she could feed him,
and to convey food TO the top of
steeple was not an easy thing to do.
Il have it, she said presently. and
away she went to put in practice a
plan she had thought Of. Going home,
she made up luncheon and put 1t in a
pasteboard box. TO which she attached
ball OF Irvine. Then she got out her
aeroplane and, rising in the air. made
for a point above the steeple where
Tom was prisoner Tom sa " her and
took heart. Circling above the spire.
she gradually drew nearer to a point
where she could lower the box to Tom.
He made several attempts to catch II
and at last succeeded Then he broke
the twine, opened the box and proceed
ed to refresh himself.
The constable eyed the proceeding
with chagrin. He reported 1t 10 his
who sent word to him that
the prisoner could not stay where he
was forever even with food, and to
keep on the Job. SO the constable had
his food supplied from a restaurant.
Tom looked down on his enemy eating
from a table brought him
for the purpose and wondered which
u the two could hold out the longer
When night came several assistants
were thrown around the church 10
prevent the prisoner escaping under
cover OF the darkness. Tom WINGED.
The weather was chilly and lowering.
md he did not relish the kind of bed
le was subjected to for even n single
hight. Emily lay awake that night,
linking OF her lover on his perch and
worried lest he fall asleep. tumble OF
md be dashed to death.
II she could lower box TO Tom why
ould she not lower a rope to which he
night cling and thus be carried away
o safety? As soon as day came she
rose. got out her aeroplane and. lash.
ng a stout rope TO it, knotted at inter
ais and moose at the end. sailed for
he steeple when Tom saw her com.
az be supposed she was bringing him
Is breakfast; but. seeing the dangling
ope. he saw at once what II meant
nd felt every Confidence provided
,mily could place it within bis reach
As good luck would have II. she sue
eeded the first time she tried In sail
IL right over him. and the iope grazed
Is shoulder The dangerous part OF
he maneuver was leaving his seat
'ithout the rose being wrenched from
Is hold He managed this dextrously
nd as soon as free from the spire low
ed himself 10 the moose and. getting
Is legs into II, sat on IL.
The gua.d below. seeing their pris-
Ter sail away suspended from an aero
ane. gave up the watch and departed.
Tom and Emily descended at a vii
ge miles distant from their home and
ecided TO be married After being