The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-11
UP IN TIE AIR
By CECILLE LANGDON
tcopyright I9.O. western Newspaper Unionl


friend, Robert Wade. Think, man,
think! You had it once It's got TO
come back to you again.
Think" repeated Hiram gladly,
"I've done nothing else but think ever
since that happened" and he pointed
sOrrowfully toward the eharred ruins
of a burned down shed at the rear of
the lot. ITO have The model of rly
great invention working Ike a charm.
TO have big capitalist offer rae a for
tune for it, and now-ashes ="
Cheer up. old friend" consoled
Wade. You needn't tell me that
man of your genius and ability won't he
! able to make over what you once
made"
II can, all but the little iigger that
was the soul of the whole device" re-
| piled Hiram. 1T simply won't come to
nae, and without it The new model is
simply kindling wood. Oh, I'm not
mourning the loss of a fortune. It's
| Miss Tibetts I'm fretting about"
That's bad. Hiram" observed
Wade.
mo, it's good" dissented Hiram with
| /
out how much love her, dear sweet
angel that she is! Wade. when | had
spent the last cent of the money l got
from mortgaging my place here and
! didn't know where TO turn to get
enough TO finish my model. that lovely.
unselfish being drew her savings out
of bank, five hundred dollars, and
on mo tn hnIr
the shame of not bong able TO pay
her back viii crush me. What will she
say or think?"
Say? That you could have more if
she had it. Think? More of you than
ever. It's the way of women-love,
pity. sacrifice. Don't fret on that
score. Get your mind on something else
for a while, and before you know it the
little jigger you can't remember Will
pop into your mind. | say, there's a
circus in town. Let's stroll down to it
and take a look at things"
ut won't interest me one Bit" de
clared Hiram.
The two friends reached the vacant
lot where the big white tents invited.
q but Hiram was in an distracted mood
g and the glowing canvas daubs held no
/ attraction for the unhappy inventor
LET her co. came the order and
the guy ropes of show balloon were
, released and the distended monster
I sagged and swayed
: Hi !! out of the way there
I The yell was directed at Hiram. II
p startled him out of his preoccupation,
: but he did not move quickly enough
: TO evade bunch of trailing ropes One
y of them whipped about him. tugged,
al frightened, and he was lifted from his
= feet. He grasped at the rope to steady
i himself. Then aloft he went
II Wade was awed, Mortified. The
crowd thrilled. the balloon men on the
ground shouted wildly to the operator,
. but up like an arrow, fairly one hun
dred feet. shot Hiram.
ol Later, when questioned as to his
unique experience. Hiram ScrippS
e avowed that such thing as fear nev-
p er occurred to him. He declared that
" the sensation was one of exhilarating
~ buoyancy. His mentality seemed re-
al leased from all natural bonds In
flash there came to him, clear, per-
r. feet. remembrance of the part of his
re machine that he had so vainly sought
q to grasp.
= The startled balloonist turned
: valve and began to descend AS
of Hiram's feet struck the top of a roof
)? the rope Stacked and he let go of it.
it The balloon swayed free of him, hut
er Hiram, left without support. rolled
y down the roof and struck the ground
with a shock
y ooh, he's killed! !" groaned Wade, as
le Hiram lay insensible. Get doctor,
quickl'
A physician happened. to be on the
a grounds. He hurried ia the spot
ia "A bad bump on his head, but no
We bones broken" he reported
tie Just then Hiram opened his eyes
T A glorious smile Illuminated his face
70 In another moment he relapsed into
unconSciousneSS. but not until he had
shouted out rapturously:
"A concentric shaft and two ratch-
ets-hurrah !"
n "Mind gone-concussion Of the
BRAIN" pronounced the physician dole
=, fully. "Get him home quick"
1t was several hours later when
Hiram opened his eyes. BESIDE his
couch were two willing nIrses-AIiss
Miranda Tibetts and her married sis
ter.
And oh, JANET" the former was
sobbing, what if his brilliant mind
never recoyerSi And OH | love hrin
so. and if he was a mere. beggar |
would work and die for him. if net.-
e.sary.'
"You say that, you loving sweetest
of all womankindr' cried out Hiram.
startling the ladies by boiling upright.
Then life is indeed worth living. Oh,
Miranda the golden luck. A c0ncen-
trio bar and two ratchets-Hurrah -
"Oh. my dear my dear!' pleaded
Miranda. breaking down utterly. for.