Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-06-13

successes mostly are, IL We knew the
truth Of them. One evening he was
walking along one OF the fashionable
residence streets when suddenly he !
was startled by n scream. and looking
up he saw 4 woman with the Wild
eyes and cunning Of q maniac sitting
ON the very outer coping Of the walls |
Of q tall house, where she waved her
arms gleefully, and leaned dizziiy for
ward to peer into the street below.
In an instant all the mystery of the
drawn blinds, and ~jealously guarded
doors Of the mansion. at which many
had marve!ed. was revealed. Here
was one of those family tragedies, at
| which the world guesses-sOme poor |
crazed creature, living out her life
within padded walls, who had escaped
from her keepers. and with that In.
stinct Of flight from a prison which
survives all reason. was preparing to
take q fatal leap into the street be.
low. The street crowd that seems to
spring from the very pavement when
ever anything unusual happens, had
already gathered. They could see the
frantic gestures Of the keeper vainly
trying to call the woman. but at every
movement, the crouching creatures fig-
ure on the perilous edge made a mo.
ton as II to cast herself down. and
for very fear the attendant dare not
approach her. The great front door
Of the house was flung suddenly open,
and terrified servants rushed about
vainly seeking assistance, but none
knew what to do, and the crowd be-
low could only wait breathlessly for
the impending tragedy.
1t had taken Philip but an instant
to realize the scene, and with a sud.
den inspiration he dashed past the
servant in the doorway, and up the
stairway. The crazed woma was still
young and pretty. A dainty silken
robe, and a iilmy lace scarf blew about
her. Evidently she was a wonan Of
fashion and society, so the thoughts
flew through his mind as he dashed
up the three flights of steps and
through the open door in the roof
through which she had evidently
: climbed. He knew well enough he
might be going to his death, but lie
only smiled a little grizzly, and moved
! on towards the pathetic figure sway
ing on the ledge OF the wall. The
woman looked up at the sound Of an
: approaching step. She saw a hand
some young man--a young mar such
as she vaguely remembered In that
world that was not all horrible dreams
and padded walls-coming toward
her. When he reached her he made a
> courtly bow, and offered her his arm.
4 and without one protest, mechanically,
> naturally, as if they had been on the
e ballroom floor, she arose and put her
n hand within it, and together they start.
Z ed toward the house, treading the
I narrow ledge, whose outer edge was
d death. A single push of the crazet
u woman's feeble hand and mutllatior
q waited for them below, but there wa
le not a tremble in the mans voice as b.
70 asked her:
!" "And what did you think Of the new
:, tenor this winter at the opera"
In the street below the crowd stood
silent, tense with excitement, until
- they saw Philip hand the woman, still
q with courtly grace. through the dool
= in the roof, and then it broke into tn
multuous cheering.
1, As for Philip, his one thought wa:
to get to the office. His part in tn
~ adventure appealed to him not at all
y 1t was what any fellow would hav'
= done, he thought, and he could leav'
h that out, but he realized the value 0
- the story. The secret Of the darken
- ed mansion. The closed blinds. TIT
\ beautiful woman, with her wild, mat
~ eyes-it was full Of color, it was pic
~ turesque. Besides it was a scoop. n,
other reporter had been there, and
D, SCOOP is as dear to the newspape
~ heart as a first-born to a mother. Their
y was still some Of the excitement of tn
- adventure tingling in his veins, an
~ as he wrote he felt his description
was vivid, and he turned it In to tn
n city editor with the calm and unmixe
= satisfaction Of Knowing that 1t wa
~ good copy"
" There is, perhaps. no other joy !
life equal to that of the youn
writer who reads his own production
. in type, and Philips first cor
Ve scious act the next morning was t
10 reach for the paper. He had expecte
his story to be given some prolnlnen
place; perhaps to be featured. TO III
Ut dismay 1t was not even printed. II
&c looked the paper over twice to hay
ke suspicion deepen into certainty.
ne had been left out. How long he migl
Oh have stared at the paper In bewildc
III ment he never knew, but that two lie
tiers caught his eyes, as they lay upo
ou his table. One was from the city e.
itor Of the Asterisk, and he pounce
upon it for an explanation.
~, "Dear Van vivler," he read, "sorr
ny but your scoop was scooped. The I'll
tresscd damsel you rescued Is old /