Part 36 (1/2)

”I am going up on the tram. Now you must listen carefully.” She unbuckled her belt and placed her revolver in Miss Hartwell's listless hands. ”Keep away from the windows. If there is any firing lie down on the floor close to the wall. Nothing will get through the logs.” She turned toward the door. ”You must come and lock up after me.”

At the door Miss Hartwell stood for a moment, irresolute. She offered no further objections to elise's going. That it cost a struggle was plainly shown in the working lines of her face. Only for a moment she stood, then, yielding to an overmastering impulse, she laid her hands on the shoulders of elise.

”Good-bye,” she whispered. ”You are a brave girl.”

elise bent her lips to those of Miss Hartwell.

”Yours is the hardest part. But it isn't good-bye.”

The door closed behind her, and she heard the click of the bolt shot home.

There were a few resolute men in the mill. It was short-handed; but the beating stamps pounded out defiance. In the tram tower elise spoke to the attendant.

”Stop the tram.”

The swarthy Italian touched his hat.

”Yes, miss.”

The grinding brake was applied and an empty bucket swung gently to and fro.

”Now, Joe, do just as I tell you. I am going up in this bucket.” She glanced at the number. ”When three-twenty comes in stop. Don't start up again for a half hour at least.”

The man looked at her in dumb surprise.

”You go in the tram?” he asked. ”What for?”

”To warn Mr. Firmstone.”

For reply, the man brushed her aside and began clambering into the empty bucket.

”Me go,” he said, grimly.

elise laid a detaining hand upon him.

”No. You must run the tram. I can't.”

”Me go,” he insisted. ”Cable jump sheave? What matter? One d.a.m.n dago gone. Plenty more. No more elise.”

elise pulled at him violently. He was ill-balanced. The pull brought him to the floor, but elise did not loose her hold. Her eyes were flas.h.i.+ng.

”Do as I told you.”

The man brought a ladder and elise sprang lightly up the rounds.

”All right,” she said. ”Go ahead.”

The man unloosed the brake. There was a tremor along the cable; the next instant the bucket shot from the door of the tower and glided swiftly up the line.

”Don't forget. Three-twenty.” Already the voice was faint with distance.

In spite of injunctions to the contrary, Miss Hartwell was looking out of the window. She saw, below the shafts of sunlight already streaming over the mountain, the line of buckets stop, swing back and forth, saw the cable tremble, and again the long line of buckets sway gently as the cable grew taut and the buckets again slid up and down. Her heart was beating wildly as she lifted her eyes to the dizzy height. She knew well what the stopping and the starting meant. Sharp drawn against the lofty sky, the great cable seemed a slender thread to hold a human life in trust. What if the clutch should slip that held the bucket in place?

What if other clutches should slip and let the heavy ma.s.ses of steel slide down the cable to dash into the one that held the girl who had grown so dear to her? In vain she pushed these possibilities aside. They returned with increased momentum and hurled themselves into her shrinking soul. There were these dangers. ”All employees of the Rainbow Company are forbidden to ride on the tram. ANY EMPLOYEE VIOLATING THIS RULE WILL BE INSTANTLY DISCHARGED.” These words burned themselves on her vision in characters of fire. elise had explained all of these things to her, and now! She buried her face in her trembling hands. Not for long.