The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-11-03

both ends, lowered my body cautiously
over the sill, until my stockinged feet
nervouSly gripped the narrow stone
or the coping. l dare not look down
or permit my mind to dwell for an
instant on what was below. Slowly
l Strengthened up, until my entire
weight was upheld by this precarious
fo0t-hold. To advance step by step
was impossible; ell could hope to
accomplish in locomotion was to
stealthily advance one foot few
inches, sliding it along the stone, ever
retaining contact and then, as care
fully drawing the other after until
they met, toe and heel 1t was the
SLOW progress of snail, yet the slight
est effort at hurrying would mean
certain fall.
This vas not unduly perIlous. how
ever, so long as | retained firm hold
on the sill, or even could grip nv
fingers over the lower frame of the
open Diind, aS i VAS enabled thus 20
partially sustain my weight, and, even
IL foot slipped, the feel of the solid
wood yielded confidence. But finally
my hand reached out and graSped only
the cloth cord. twisted into some sem
blance of a rope, and, as it gave sick
eningly to the pressure, the old fear
swept over me in torrent of agony
could never make it-never! l would
go swirlng, crashing down to that
death below. 1t was but step, to
be sure; step and / could reach
the firmness of the other blind; but,
oh, the step-the speechless horror of
1t! Yet there was no going backward: /:
1 tried this, only to realize at once its
impossibility, and the perspiration
burst out from every pore, as the full
horror of my situation suddenly
Mashed over me. / must go on, trust
ing to that thin, unstable cord, balanc-
Ing myself above the gulf There was
no other way, no retreat, no means of
escape. / do not know now how the
act was accomplished; 1t Is hardly
memory, except rs some wild delirium
OF sleep haunts one when they awake
Inch by inch / crept, hand encrOach-
Ing on hand, foot pressing against foot,
every slightest movement an in
expressfble agony-then 7 grippcd the
to it as with the grasp of death.
/ clung there until my mind came
back, until l felt the return OF strength
to my body, and / could look down
through the moonlight without reelng
dlZZily. The blind was strong. firmly
braced, and l felt safe In It's protcc-
tiOn. But what about the window
10 sI,.
or the room into which | opened.
occupied? I could not continue to cling
there in uncertainty: must learn the
truth-aSsure myself that 7 had not
passed through all this tense agony
In vain.
l moved slowly, barely an inch at
time, each advancing foot feeling
for support, but more confident now
because of the grasp of my fingers on
the upper wood. The window was
closed bat dark and grmy looking
as though the room within had been
long m0ccupied. It's very appearance
gave me courage I balanced myself
on the prccariOuS footing of the stone
clinging tenaciously with my left hand
to the iron hinge of the blind. while
my right endcavored to raise the sash.
At first believed the window
firmly fastened down-the suspicion
leaving me numb with despair But
reckless 'ugging looScncd its hold.
and enabled me to shove up the sash
little by little. until finally the open
(Cont;pued IN last r.uoN