The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-11-26
The Colonel's
Narrow Escape
BY EDITH OLIVER
g. Doubleday. Page 4 Coz

went fishing. 1t would be their first
separation.
He walked to the elevator with her
and thought for the ten thousandth
time what an adorable little thing she
was, and how wonderful that she
should have married an old chap like
him AS the elevator was approach
Ing the floor he snatched kiss and
ran down the back stairs, for his fish
Ing toys were disreputable. He had
| always been mans man.
The bridge game was protracted,
but after the last rubber was ended
Dorothy went out onto the porch
where she could see the River Road.
Tom was late; it was too bad of him
on their first parting.
Dorothy was a spoiled child, and
| 1t Inundated her bitterly to feel that
on her honeymoon she had been for
gotten-for fishes. Too well she
knew what Alice would say: Poor
dear old Tommyrot; must be having
the time of his life" Gait A little
hot spark of anger began to burn In
her heart
They were both well known and
POPULAR; the whole house was reused.
Guests, walters, musicians, elevator
boys bellhops, gathered to talk about
1t, and the most sanguine could only
suggest that he was lost. The poor
little bride collapsed entirely as the
four men appeared, struggling into
sweaters over their dinner clothes and
carrying lanterns and a long thing
which an officious voice announced to
be a stretcher The search party ap-
rarently feared the worst.
Desk and lobby were deserted; ele-
vators stood idle and empty; one bell
tag on the indicator after waggling
frantically for twenty minutes fell off
ar Sans feet He picked it up-5S0,
Mr.. Blake's room. Good old sport,
Mr.. Blake-great friend of the col
onel's-if he was upstairs he would
not know of the accident; he would
be good for a tip if Sam told him.
Sam ran upstairs and knocked, breath
less, full of his news.
An angry chorus of voices babe him
enter, but he stopped in the doorway
with open eyes and mouth for there.
In his shirtsleeves, big cigar in his
mouth, a goodly pile of blues before
hin and an expression of serene con
tent on his face sat-the colonel!
The explanation was simple. He
had met Blake on the back stairs and
gone back with him to play for an
hour and promptly forgotten every
thing else. Sans stammering "Yo'
wife sab" brought a derisive remin-
der that he was already henpecked
husband. But when Sam had recov-
cred himself, and, closing the door,
came in and told the story of things
downstairs, laying special stress on
the search party, the jolly faces grew
very sober. The colonel laid his head
on his arms and fairly sobbed:
"She1l never forgive me, boys-she
couldn't understanding woman could
on our honeymoon
1t was true, but what was TO be
done? The men suggested all sorts of
wild and impractical things, but the
colonel only moaned that he would
not make his wife a laughing stock.
1t was deadlock until Sam came for
ward. and with rolling eyes and i'm
mense Importance. announced:
81 got it-you see de ony way de
kun1 kin cum back onerable is on dat
stretcher-"
"Shut up" said Blake in a trembling
roar.
''Wait." Sam went on "Dey amt
no time ter lose. He got ter cum back
onerable-an' de on'y way he kin is
drownded, cos OATS easier dan bein'
hurt. Let him climb out de wlnder
and git ter Bakers Eddy, quick befo'
dat party, an ah'll go down and tell
dem ali kin find him."
1t was a CHASTITY climb down the
fire escape; light flashed out In the
room below, but he wriggled past;
once he hung In midair as the fishing
basket caught on a hook; his trem-
bling steps slipped and fumbled on the |
ladder, but at last he |
was down and grasping those cursed |
fishing things he ran as he had not |
run for twenty years.
He knew every step Of the way, but
pole, basket. and bait can caught on
avery branch; got between his legs;
seemed to entangle him with deliber-
,te intent, and he dared not leave
hem.
He stumbled on. his heart pounding,
roaring dizziness swimming before
lin, his breath coming in painful
,asps, but with never thought of quit
ing for one word filled heart and brain
md lay ever on his lips-"Dorothy."
LET him only save her from humili-
tion; let him only hold out for that.
In delirium of exhaustion he STUN
led-clutched at the hushes-reeled
slipped and fell headlong down Il
teep bank at Bakers Eddy to lie on
little pebbly beach, his troubles for
often in blessed oblivion.
Everyone gathered around as the
our men carried in the stretcher and
eposited ii on the floor of the lobby.
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