Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1948-01-30

missed il the gem was tucked away In November
iSte Good hOessGesPIngl I've condensed and re-
since spring is around the corner your Junior and
Sis win Be msaRdsring around In groups twOs
and fOUrs looking for sxeitsmsnG Have them read
this story today. and psrAaps avoid catastrophe
the future condemnation OF ~ A4&
THE VERTICAL LADDER @& @A2@A
BY william SAMSON Good Housekeeping" nv, r,, s,,,,,
hhAd been strong Spring day. abruptly a. warm '
mdsumms Tia parks with sudden heat
sgE and his friends wandered out from tia ps by back Into
an Of back streets.
A. quiet almost deserted streets had seemed NOR, rSu
tHn the park but the dAr windows had wsye
Aa b that when Suddsny the houses had ended and A
ground had opened reveal hs yards Of Eas Wur ew
and hiS friends welcomed the change.
sy walked into the wastsAnd the girls Fsgr and
two other boys and stood presently before the old Eas
Among the ruined sheds hs the only sdn wAOs
high buildings hundreds Of feet
So they threw bFisks against Ia rustsd sidsa
FsEE, who wished eyes dark.halrSa girl
began throwing bricks higher than the OthsrS s eyes
follow his shoulders his shoulders brOSdnsd Now shs
shouted BET can't elmb high ow" One
than himself" FisRg turned around Ong laughed ahry
and pointed upward Already all Ave Of them uneasy
climb TO the Of anything" The boy nssrs
climb the Aunt Fanny" said The Top
Of the tank then Go climb III Hses my hanky tOpi"
was not after ALL high II hardly fuSlss tank
There ladders Jacobs ladder camped
another that Of staircase and provided safety
This must have been erected later substitute for the Jacobs
ladder which demanded unnecessarily climb
in fact In duSs for 20 feet Of
However there apparently painting
painters wooden ladder had pOpPed reaching
to the unchanged bottom Of the vertical lddthe thus
veeAble Fegg looked quickly wooden
SddSrwas well grOundedGnd then At ia farther upwas
this sseursf
He slightly staircase Perhaps no could
t actually had mentioned Jacobs
quick behind him had and immediately
you don't Not up those sissy stars"
FeER realised finally climb
the tank by the vertical ladder Az this finally settled
the doubt cleared from his mind He bAeed his shoulders suddenly
found himself really making light Of the job After ALL he thought
ut isn't high Why should worry Hundreds Of climb such
ladders day falls the ladders eAmpsd safe
houses"
Added this the girl up him her
handkerchief He took It, blew the girl dramatic k and up
He up reaching perpendicular
The .enaAtiOn Of height infected ronEy
necessity maintain balance body
became unnRturay alert He looked following the dEsyng
Of the to the skyline From this fat
shssnE the tank appeared higher than before The blue
seemed to descend and almost touch H. FGR imagined despite
himself that the entire had
His friends appeared shOengy small He wanted
srats earsrSs atuds but then instantly
his hands refused TO unlock their grip He continued 10 climb with
the smile dying his lips.
sEs swallowed unsasy his hands began 10 feel moist one
evspOWrnE second he realized that he afraid lie could
y. S""U ~ s, ors osu," ~. "o ZEN s W
Every other consideration suddenly left him
the Sund =. quickly as possible only that sosn. else a'sr'd
his own breath he took the FIRST step downward.
eOmmoloa began below soSsoas had removed the painters
ddri The boys have his arat downward
Hs remembered u ladder
the drop fen % feet He considered quickly descending and appeal
minutes they would and refusing replace LADDER
and he felt then that he sOuh k thsas mlRuss unBsyed
With his strength failing.
Besides he already noticed that the whole group wandering
or They abandoning him. casually that
and helpless In his vds prison d rust His heart cried for
them 90 stay He forgot their op IN new and terrible torns Of
sfp An feeling Jumped h troati his saFtsd with
dry
They did no, even know h. was IN aauI 30 TIsrr had no
option hut climb higher Desperately he tried shake on his fear
He tried imagine that he high all He lifted himself
tentatively b. thsn By another and IN this dragged
himself higher and hRhsruntI be 10 from the top
FlsgR cuehing his body close 10 The made small weeping
sounds through his mouth Bhvg ahDddsnR he began tread
working his elbows like his
stomach could feel the firm His hsd With hot roang
he hurried himself; wrsbehinK at his last strength
lie climbed higher He reached The top Tungand found HE face
s wall Of He looked Wild with II
unE The ladder had ended Ys-no platform The
msng The platform ttsd Eve impossible feet above
Flegg stared dubly ercing his head like lost animal Then he
amsd Ms In the lower and hs The elbows
The pls through the and there he hung shyenE and
knowing what hs could sYsF %.
CThs EndD