CHAPTER XI--THE MAN ON THE SPIRE

Walking was included in the athletics approved by the Girls' Branch and the girls of Central High did not have to wait for the athletic field to be put into condition before they took part in this most accessible and perhaps wisest of all physical exercises.

Many a famous athlete has kept himself in perfect training for years by little more than a straight-away walk of a few miles each day. Walking brings into play more muscles than almost any other exercise--and muscles that are of "practical" use, too. Mrs. Case had planned for eight walks during each school year for both her elementary and advanced classes. For the younger girls the longest walk was not over three miles. The advanced girls, however, after training by much walking on Saturdays, were advanced steadily from two, to three, then four, then six, then eight, and finally to a ten mile walk. Only those girls of the sophomores, juniors and seniors in the best physical condition were allowed to take these longer walks.

On the Saturday after "touching day" of the M. O. R. came the first of the two mile walks to be carried out that season. The girls gathered at the schoolhouse at two o'clock and Mrs. Case looked them over carefully.

"Miss Morse, I cannot approve of those shoes. I have told you before that any girl is foolish to wear high heels and attempt to keep up any pace in walking," was the athletic instructor's comment.

"But, Mrs. Case! these are only Cuban heels," cried poor Jess.

"That makes no difference. Some girls might be able to wear that heel with comfort. Not you, Miss Morse. Your instep is not high enough. You are cramping your foot. First thing you know your arches will begin to fall. Then you will know what suffering is, young lady. It is bad shoeing that makes so many people suffer from 'flatfoot.' Haven't you a pair of comfortable shoes in your locker?"

"Yes, ma'am," admitted the girl who followed the fashions so assiduously.

"And what's that on your face, Miss?"

"P--p--powder!" stammered Jess, while some of the other girls giggled.

"Well, powder on one's face may be all right if one has a greasy, coarse skin. But I did not think your complexion was of that nature. Take a little of it off, please. We don't wish to attract any more attention than possible going through the street. Next thing, I suppose, some of you girls will begin to use rouge--pah!"

Some of the other girls rubbed their own cheeks and noses on the sly. And some smiled knowingly at Lily Pendleton. Lily's face to-day was almost as highly colored as that of her chum, Hester. But Hester's complexion was naturally red and coarse, whereas ordinarily Lily had no more color than the flower for which she was named.

Mrs. Case chanced to overlook Miss Pendleton's rosy cheeks, however, and they filed out of the school house, Mrs. Case walking with the last girl.

Laura and Jess were ahead, for they knew the route selected. There was no attempt in any of these walks to make fast time; nor did the instructor allow them to stroll. The idea was to go at a comfortable, straight-away pace, and to rest when tired. The pace was that at which the least active girl could walk comfortably.

At the resting points Mrs. Case usually gave little lectures upon the exercise, or discussed questions of athletics, or informed the girls upon historical points or public buildings which they passed. This day the route lay down the hill, across Market Street, and out through the east end of the city.

At the corner of Rowan Street they passed a big open lot where boys were flying kites. There was a brisk wind and one youngster was just putting into the air a kite which the girls watched for a few moments. But there was something much more interesting going on a couple of blocks beyond.

There had been a heavy thunderstorm during the week and lightning had damaged the steeple of St. Cecelia's Episcopal Church a few feet below the apex. How much damage had been done the masonry could not easily be learned without making a close examination and the fire insurance adjuster had sent a professional steeple climber to make it.

Quite a crowd had gathered in the square to watch the work of this expert, and as the girls came up the steeple-jack had just passed out at the belfry at the foot of the spire. Two men came with him to set up and hold a ladder which reached some distance up the steeple.

The man mounted this ladder very quickly. At the top he passed a rope around his body and around the steeple, and then began to work upward. It looked like a very dangerous feat, and the girls were all interested in it. He mounted steadily and soon reached the place where the lightning had struck. Here his progress ceased and he seemed to be trying to adjust the rope.

"He's stuck!" exclaimed Jess. "Don't you see?"

"Oh, I guess not," returned Laura.

But seconds grew into minutes, minutes slipped away, and still he seemed unable to move, and the anxious spectators below became more and more apprehensive.

Finally from his giddy height the man was seen to pause and wave his hand, as if signalling to the men at the foot of the ladder. But they were sixty feet below him and it was evident that they did not hear his words at first. Finally they seemed to understand, and one of them came down inside the belfry and joined a group of men in the porch of the church.

The girls had crossed over to the porch and could hear all that was said.

"I told you he was stuck," said Jess, excitedly.

And it was a fact. They learned that the steeple-jack's rope had caught in a crevice where the lightning bolt had forced the stones apart, and he was unable to move up or down. His signal was for help, but the men did not know what to do. Many schemes were hastily suggested; but nobody could climb the steeple to aid him, and how to get another rope up to him was a problem that nobody seemed able to solve.

The man was in a serious predicament. One of the onlookers--a tall old man with a flowing white beard, became much excited.

"That's Colonel Swayne," whispered Hester Grimes. "He is one of the church wardens."

"We must aid the man. He cannot stay in that position long," declared Col. Swayne. "He'll fall out of that sling. Come!" he added, addressing the crowd in the square. "I'll give ten dollars to anybody who will suggest a practical method of getting the man down."

The girls were so interested that the walking exercise was forgotten for the time being. They gathered around Mrs. Case, and some of them began to cry.

"The man will fall! He'll be killed!" was the general opinion.

But Laura had separated from the other girls and in a moment was running across the square. Nobody noticed her departure. She disappeared around the corner and in ten minutes returned with two or three boys in tow. One of the boys carried an immense kite.

"Colonel Swayne!" cried Laura, from the outskirts of the crowd, "if you will let us try, I believe we can get a line to that man on the steeple."

"What's that, young lady?" demanded the old gentleman, quickly.

"You will pay the boys for their kite if it is lost, won't you?" the girl asked.

"Of course we will!" exclaimed the warden. "I see your scheme. You're a smart girl. Can you get that kite up here in the square, boys?"

The boys said they would try. But it was Laura who advised them upon the direction of the wind, and how to raise the kite properly. She had flown kites with Chet more than once.

They tested the wind, selected the point from which to fly the kite, and the increasing crowd of spectators watched with breathless interest. Slowly the kite left the ground and rose above the treetops. The wind was steady and it rose faster and faster as they paid out the line. Finally the kite was above the steeple.

The steeple-jack understood what they were attempting, and waved his hand to them. The kite-string was manipulated so as to bring it within the man's reach. He grasped it, and a cheer went up from the crowd.

But there was more to follow. Laura had sent one of the boys to a store for a hundred yards of clothes line. This was attached by one end to the kite string, and the man on the steeple cut the kite loose and drew up the clothes line.

When he held the heavier line a piece of stronger rope was attached to the clothes line and that was raised, too. Down fell the coil of clothes line, and they saw the steeple-jack rig himself a new sling, by which he soon descended to the ladder, and by the ladder to the church roof and safety.

The crowd cheered when this was accomplished, and Colonel Swayne broke through the throng about Laura.

"You are certainly a quick-witted girl," he said, shaking her by the hand. "You are her teacher, are you?" he added to Mrs. Case. "Humph! from Central High, are you? Well, if all your young ladies are as quick-witted as she it must be a pleasure to teach them."

He placed a ten dollar gold piece in Laura's hand, and Laura whispered to Mrs. Case that she wanted to get away quickly from the spot.

"Those other men are coming, too," she whispered. "Let's go before they all want to shake hands. Do, do come away, Mrs. Case!"

The athletic instructor laughed and nodded, and Laura and Jess took up the line of march again. But when they were well away from the crowd, Jess began to laugh.

"Who says we can't get money from Colonel Swayne for our Athletic Association?" she cried. "What a smart girl you are, Laura!"

"I'm going to give this ten dollars into the treasury. And it won't be the last money I get from Colonel Swayne for the same object--now you see!"