Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1924-12-19
The Colonel's
Narrow Escape
By EDITH OLIVER
20, Doubleday. Page 6 Coz

NhE honeymoon SUN snoHe ClSdr
L and bright In its second waning
at the Pine Gap hotel When Dorothy
said she would play bridge If Tom
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 n 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; 1t was too bad of him
on their first parting,
Dorothy was Il spoiled child, and
II 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" Cat 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 long thing
which an officious voice announced to
be a stretcher. The search party APP
rarently feared the worst.
Desk and lobby were deserted; ele-
vators stood idle and empty one bell
tag on the Indicator after waggling
frantlcally for twenty minutes fell off
at Sans feet. He picked 1t up-5S0,
Mr.. Blakes room. Good old sport,
Mr.. Blake-great friend of the col
onels-if he was upstairs he would
not know Of the accident; he would
be good for a tip II 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 shlrtsleeves, big cigar in his
mouth, a g0Odly pile Of blues before
him 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 sah-" brought a derisive renin-
der that he was already a henpecked
husband. But when Sam had recov
cred himself, and, closing the door
| came in and told the story of thingp
downstairs, laying special stress or
the search party, the Jolly faces grew
| very sober The colonel laid his head
on his arms and fairly sobbed:
"Shell never forgive me, boys-she
couldn't UNDERSTANDING woman could
on our honeymoon
II 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 laughing stock.
II was a deadlock until Sam came for
ward and with rolling eyes and I'm
mense Importance, announced:
81 got it-you see de On'y way de
kunl 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 Ia
drownded, COS OATS easier dan belD'
hurt. Let him climb out de winder
dat party an aim go down and tell
dem all kin find him.
II was CHASTITY climb down the
fire escape; light flashed out In the
room below, but he wrIggled past ;
once he hung in mldalr as the fishing
basket caught on hook; his trem-
bling steps slipped and fumbled on the
intermnable ladder, but at last he
was down and grasplng 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
every branch got between his legs (;
seemed to entangle him with deliber-
ate intent, and he. dared not leave
them.
lie stumbled on, his heart pounding,
u roaring dizziness swimming before
him, his breath coming In painful
gasps, but with never thought Of quit
ting for one word filled heart and brain
and lay ever on his llps-"DOrOthy.'
Let him only save her from humllt
alton; let him only hold out for that.
In delirlum OF exhaustion he STUN
bled-clutched at the bushes-reeied
slipped and fell headlOng down q
steep bank at Bakers Eddy to lie on
little pebbly beach, his troubles for
gotten In blessed oblivion,
Everyone gathered around RS the
four men carried in the stretcher and
deposited II on the floor Of the lobby
Dorothy held his hand and looked up
az the doctor with her heart In her
eyes while he made careful examl
nation He was a kindly old man.
He patted her head and said very ten
derby:
"All right, my dear, nothing really
the matter-but he's had narrow
escape"
The colonel looked up into Dorothy's
cyes and pressed her hand. He felt
that he had.