n her face.

Bannon had called in three laborers to man the rope; they stood at one
side, awaiting the order to haul away. He found a block of wood, and set
it against the box for a step.

"This way, Miss Vogel," he called. "The elevator starts in a minute. You
came pretty near being late."

"Am I going to get in that?" she asked; and she looked up, with a little
gasp, along the dwindling rope.

"Here," said Max, "don't you say nothing against that elevator. I call
it pretty grand."

She stood on the block, holding to one of the ropes, and looking
alternately into the box and up to the narrow sky above them.

"It's awfully high," she said. "Is that little stick up there all that's
going to hold me up?"

"That little stick is ten-by-twelve," Max replied. "It would hold more'n
a dozen of you."

She laughed, but still hesitated. She lowered her eyes and looked about
the great dim space of the working story with its long aisles and its
solid masses of timber. Suddenly she turned to Bannon, who was standing
at her side, waiting to give her a hand.

"Oh, Mr. Bannon," she said, "are you sure it's strong enough? It doesn't
look safe."

"I think it's safe," he replied quietly. He vaulted into the box and
signalled to the laborers. Hilda stepped back off the block as he went
up perhaps a third of the way, and then came down. She said nothing, but
stepped on the block.

"How shall I get in?" she asked, laughing a little, but not looking at
Bannon.

"Here," said Bannon, "give us each a hand. A little jump'll do it. Max
here'll go along the ladders and steady you if you swing too much. Wait
a minute, though." He hurried out of doors, and returned with a light
line, one end of which he made fast to the box, the other he gave to
Max.

"Now," he said, "you can guide it as nice as walking upstairs."

They started up, Hilda sitting in the box and holding tightly to the
sides, Max climbing the ladders with the end of the line about his
wrist. Bannon joined the laborers, and kept a hand on the hoisting rope.

"You'd better not look down," he called after her.

She laughed and shook her head. Bannon waited until they had reached the
top, and Max had lifted her out on the last landing; then, at Max's
shout, he made the rope fast and followed up the ladders.

He found them waiting for him near the top of the well.

"We might as well sit down," he said. He led the way to a timber a few
steps away. "Well, Miss Vogel, how