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Show I up U THE AIR -f ftf''l ' 11 1 Ell I Ilia rill Of cLUtian O. -AtndreuS LiT THE newest skyscraper was going up just across the alley from the window of the big office building build-ing where Mary Bronson sat at her typewriter. Just now the skyscraper looked like a huge bird cage but soon it would be a big hotel, glow-ine glow-ine with lights at dusk and filled The young man was driving rivets. The steady rat-a-tat-tat sounded like the drumming of an enormous woodpecker. A moment later Mary looked out again. Her heart almost stopped beating. The young riveter was so busy he had not noticed the large, fleshy man walking along the hpnm a short distance away. A with guests. "How I'd like to know some of them!" thought Mary wistfully. "This being alone in a big city is camera was slung over the man's shoulder. Mary saw that his steps were growing slower and slower. His face was white and his knees sagged. It was evident that he had lost courage cour-age and was liable to fall at any moment. She tapped on the window win-dow and spoke quietly. "Don't be afraid," she told him. "Just sit down and hold on to the beam. Don't look down. Somebody will come and help you. Close your eyes, if you are dizzy." To Mary's Intense relief, the man obeyed her. He sat down and clung desperately to the beam, his eyes closed. The riveting suddenly stopped. Mary saw the young man running along the beam as lightly as a squirrel. squir-rel. He was carrying a stout board. "Can you open that window wider?" he asked. "I'm going to shove the board across and make a bridge." Mary controlled an impulse to scream, as the man on the beam swayed. "Just a minute longer," she encouraged en-couraged him. "Hold tight!" Then she succeeded In opening the As the young riveter half dragged, drag-ged, half carried the man across the improvised "bridge" she drew a long breath. the worst kind of lonesomeness. Everybody wants friends." The next minute she gave a sudden sud-den startled exclamation. Walking straight toward her along a beam was a tall, young fellow. The wind rumpled his brown hair ana seemed seem-ed trying to blow him over, but he paid no attention to it. His merry whistle brought a quick touch of rose to Mary's smooth cheeks. He was whistling "I'm up in the air about you, Maryl" Did he know her name was Mary? No, h couldn't, she told herself. She bad never seen him before. But ha certainly was up In the air. Almost Involuntarily shs glanced downward. Par below people looked like mechanical toys moving about. window. As the young riveter hall dragged, half carried the man across the Improvised "bridge" she drew a long breath. "I-I thought I'd get some pictures," pic-tures," said the man. "I didn't ask anybody's permission. I thought J was a good climber but all at once 3 was dizzy. No more high places foi me. I'm going to get down to street level as fast as I can and stay there." "That was a near squeak," the young riveter told Mary. "I thought he'd fall before I could get to him. I'm much obliged to you for keeping keep-ing cool and helping me." "I didn't really do anything," said Mary. "He owes his life to you Mr." "Call me Jim," be replied quickly "My name is Jim Sanders and I hail from a little town In Michigan." Mary's brown eyes brightened. "I'm from the country, too." she announced. an-nounced. "My name Is Mary Bronson. Bron-son. I-I heard you whistling and looked out. I hope you didn't think I was bold when I spoke to you." "You don't look like the bold kind," Jim assured her. "I noticed you yesterday but you didn't pay any attention to me. I'm a good climber but I'm bashful with girls. If you'll let me, I'd like to take you out to dinner tonight. The boss will tell you anything you want to know about me. I hope you haven't got a date?" he added anxiously. "Not tonight," said Mary. "I'll be glad to accept your invitation." Jim laughed and waved his hand, as he went back to his riveting. He was whistling again. The same song. tl Inirnna Hffll thrill. Six months before the city had seemed seem-ed to Mary a sort of rose-colored dream town. Now It had begun to seem more like a teeming ant hill where everybody scurried about In a hopeless maze, thinking only of themselves. Other girls, plainer than Mary, boasted of the number of "boy friends" they had "picked up" but she disliked to copy their bold ways and flippant speeches. She noticed that the young fellow striding sure-Xootedly sure-Xootedly along the beam looked clean and respectable like most of the young men she had known In her own little home town back In Pennsylvania. Alone in the office for a few moments, she was moved It gave Mary a Joyous little thrill. Once more she glanced down at the toy men and women moving about so far below. Somehow they no longer seemed to be moving about in a hopeles maze. They were going about their work, taking care of their families, trying to the best of their humble ability to make the world a little better place for themselves them-selves and their dear ones. "Big town, little town, folks are just the same," thought Mary happily. hap-pily. "There's always something worth living and working for. And there's romance even up in the ail on top of a skyscraper." by a sudden, homesick Impulse. "Good afternoon! It's a lovely day, Isn't it?" she called through the partly-opened window. A quick, boyish smile flashed across the young man's face. "It's great," he agreed, "just great!" ' Alarmed by her own Impulsiveness, Impulsive-ness, Mary began to tap her typewriter type-writer keys at a great rate. She berated be-rated herself for being so bold. Her conscience came to her aid. j "You didn't mean any harm," It said soothingly. "A little simple friendliness won't hurt anybody." |