McClure's Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 6, May, 1896 by Various
page 42 of 204 (20%)
page 42 of 204 (20%)
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holding on by the bars with her arms behind her. He let himself down by
his hands till within two or three feet of the roof, and dropped safely upon it. Then he stood up, facing her just below, braced himself with one foot on each side of the ridge, and told her to loosen her hold and let herself fall forward. She did so, and he caught her in his arms as she fell. It was a struggle for a minute to keep his balance; and whether in the involuntary stress of the effort, or by an instinctive impulse, conscious or otherwise, he clasped her close for a moment, till her face touched his own. Then he put her down, and they sat on the ridge near each other, flushed, and short of breath. Below, on the lawn, a throng of people looked up at them, some motionless, some gesticulating, and some shouting in dumb show, their voices drowned in the fierce roar and crackling that raged beneath the roof and shut in the two above it in a kind of visible privacy. They were still a while; then Agnes asked: "Can we do anything more?" "No," he answered, "nothing but wait." Both saw that men were running for ladders and ropes. Presently he asked quietly: "Why did you come to me?" She looked up at him for a moment, then answered: "I suppose I thought you would know what to do." "Thank you," he said, in a grave, low voice. |
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