Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-02-15
RIDDLE in RED

up until / was balanced precan-
ously on the top rung of the
chair back. / squatted there like
a frog Then, with the delicate
balance Of a ballet dancer, / be-
gan TO ease up, centimeter by
centimerer, pressed flat against
the wall.
At length ! was standing up
right on the back OF the chair,
defying, I'm sure. all the major
laws of gravity. i lifted my arms
from my sides like wings, up
wards. until my hands were
touching, as high as they could
90, above my head. l could hear
the flames scattering like hot
water drops behind me; tn e
smoke swirled around my head,
thick as a turban. | my memory,
l gagged the distance which lay
between my finger tips and the
window sill. 1t could not be
much more than foot.
1 knew what I was going to do
was next to impossible. Under
normal circumstances l would no
more have attempted it than l
would have attempted to walk on
the waters of the Kenmore Lake.
But my monumental self-confi-
denCe born of the EXTREMIST peril
was unshakable.
Perched there, / shifted infini-
testimally from foot to foot,
gauging my balance. Then, at
the exact moment, I gathered
myself and sprang upward,
felt the chair crack and top
pie away beneath me; I heard it
clatter TO the floor. For one in
finite second l seemed to be
poised in thin air. Then the tips
Of the fingers Of my right hand
felt the window. i clutched /
felt my fingers tearing Then
they held. My right arm seemed
almost jerked out of it's socket.
And | was hanging there from
the window frame, all my weight
sagging from my arm, hanging
there in that fantastic darkness
which was shot through now with
the rosy tinge of the flames.
SWUNG there, preparing N.Y.
self for the next and final feat
Of coordination. Somehow my
stockinged feet found purchase
against the wall, | swung to the
left. My left hand went up
And miraculously. indeed mir
aculously, I was clinging TO the
open window frame with both
hands
1t was not hard after that to
pull myself up until my face was
on a level with the window The
singing chill of the night air
was like benson after the
smoke-stlfling atmosphere below
me. one of my hands reaching
out through the window made
contact with the rope Of blanket,
tied securely TO the window bar
/ clutchcd at II. Pushing up
against the Intel, l managed TO !
pitch my head and shoulders out
Of the window. My shoulders
squeezed through by the narrow
est margin. But they squeezed |
through.
l have one fantastic impress
sion Of looming head foremost |
above what seemed like a bot
tomless pit of darkness. Then |
my left hand found the rope.
one final series Of undignified |
wriggles and l was out of the
loft, hanging from my hands at
the top Of the blanket rope. A
grooming roar from the loft told
me that part at least of the floor
had caved In.
But it meant nothing TO me
now. The drama inherent in the
narrowness of my escape held no
interest.
poised there moment, let
ting the night air chill me back
to conference. Then I was Slip
ping swiftly down the impro-
vised rope. In my eagerness, /
forgot the sound advice I had
given Karen. l did nothing 20
take my weight off the flimsy
rope. When | was still some
distance from the ground, my
hands easing from the last of the
blankets TO the sleeves of my
ovcrcoat, the whole thing cap
sized. felt myself tumbing
! don't know how far l fell
But ! fell There was one second
Of swishing darkness Then
there was snow everywhere.
Snow in my mouth; snow over
my head.
| had a vague IMPRESSION Of