The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1928-05-04
Way Up in the
Air
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BY AID ScHUSTER
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(Copyright.D

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GIN MORE ways than one," Bessie
Lind looked admiringly at her
suitor, Il wish you would live closer
to the ground"
You mean you're afraid l might
fall?' He smiled. "Ive been laying
bricks for seven years now and never
slipped once"
Il know, but you're so absent-mind-
ed. Some day you might forget you
are standing on little platform way
up In the air and step off. You know.
Norton, you've done some very-.well
foolish things when you were think
ing Of something else"
when l am at work that's all I
think Of" Norton was little Offend
ed, land besides, If do think of any
thing else, It's you"
"All the same | wish you had job
In which you could keep both feet ON
the ground, literally and figuratively."
1.-THE job Is putting little In the
bank each week and in year-may-
be before-there will be enough" Nor
III
us to get married. Don't you 60 max
ing fun of my job"
AS Ii to answer the girls wish,
remarkable thing happened to Norton
the next morning. AS he descended
the stairs In his rooming house he
saw the fat letter awaiting him on
the hall radiator, and as he hurried
on to work he read 1t. A draft for
ten thousand dollars! Old Uncle Ar
thur had remembered him. There
would be wedding now. Right af-
ter work he would hasten to Bessie,
tell her the news and, IL she were
willing, hunt up the preacher. Nor
ton showed the letter and draft into
his lunch box and hurried on. He
could not quit the boss without no.
tice and, anyway, people did not re-
tire from work on ten thousand dol
lars.
AS the bricklayer placed brick to
form tall chimney his mind was on
the happiness of Bessie after she had
heard the story. He worked mechan-
ically and well, hoisted up the plat
form as the chimney grew and had
the satisfaction of fitting the top
brick before noon. He came down for
lunch, looked around for the box, and
could not find 1t.
In vain he pleaded with the others
not to hide his lunch for a Joke.
There was something in 1t, he insist
ed, that he could not afford to lose
He took the afternoon off and searched
everywhere, even retraced his steps
to the boarding house dream of
happiness had been held before his
face only TO be taken away. He won
dered IL he dared tell Bessie.
Instead Of q triumphant, happy
lover 1t was q sorry one who called
that evening and Bessie was left won
dering as to the cause of his grief.
For week he went about his work
hoping the missing box would turn
up and then, all attempts failing, he
confessed.
We'll have to find 1t, that's ALL"
The girl, facing him with the business
like air he had always envied, ques-
toned him minutely as to all his
movements on the day Of the loss
"And the box, was 1t that one I gave
YOU last Christmas?' Suddenly her
eyes took the light of hope. She was
almost afraid of the idea that oc-
Cured to her.
Morton Nodd," said Bessie, "you
will have to take me up that CHM
ney tomorrow"
Norton studied her soberly. When
Bessie said "have" she meant 1t.
'All right" he answered. 'Ill see
you don't fall, but 1t will be a Job
getting the rigging up again."
Slowly he pulled the rope which
took them up the pile of bricks he had
laid so accurately but week before.
Near the top, where he had been
working on the day Of his misfortune,
Bessie gave the signal and progress
became even more slow as she tapped
each brick with a small hammer.
Then she laughed sobbing cry Of
happiness
''Oh, Norton, here it Is. The little
red lunch box gave you, plastered In
the chimney like a brick!"