fraid of some squeaking copper, and his face
seemed to say that there are things about steeples not so easily
explained, things not even to be talked about. And abruptly, as by an
effort, he left this part of the subject and told a funny story of his
adventures coming home late one night without a key, and getting in by
way of the roof and an iron pipe; a simple enough climb had he not been
taken for a "purglaire" by an irate German lodger, who appeared in
nightgown and phlegmatic fright, and vowed he would "haf him a revolfer,
a skelf-skooter, in the morning."

This effort at diversion turned Merrill into gaiety for a moment, but
straightway memory brought back the somber theme.

"I'll give you another case," said he, changing again abruptly, "where I
wasn't frightened, but should have been. It was out in Chicago, and two
of us were on a staging hung down the front of a clothing factory. We
were painting the walls. My partner had made his end of the staging
fast, and I had made mine fast. Perhaps if I'd been longer in the
business I would have taken more notice how he secured his rope, for it
meant safety to me as well as him, and I knew he'd been drinking, but I
supposed it was all right. Well, it wasn't all right; his rope held for
three or four hours, and then, at just about eleven o'clock, it slipped,
and the staging fell from under us. We were six stories up, and right
below were the sidewalk flagstones. That's the time I ought to have been
frightened, but I only said to myself, 'Hello! this thing's going down,'
and caught the window-ledge in front of me. Then I hung there, wondering
if I could pull myself up or if any one would come to help me. I called
out not very loud, and I wasn't excited. Pretty soon I saw I couldn't
pull myself up, for I had a poor hold with my fingers, and the ledge was
smooth stone. Then I saw they'd have to hurry if they were going to pull
me in. Then I didn't care. I--I--"

"You fell?"

He nodded.

"What, six stories down?"

He nodded again. "The thing that saved me was an awning over the
sidewalk. Some man across the way saw me hanging from the window, and he
ran over quickly and let the awning down. I'd like to shake that man by
the hand, but I never knew who he was. When I came to myself I was at
the hospital done up in plaster, and I stayed there nine months."

"Badly hurt?" I asked, shrinking.

Merrill smiled. "It didn't do me any particular good. I'm a big, strong
fellow