The Elevator Part 6

MISS LAWTON: "Papa!"

MRS. CRASHAW: "Agne-e-e-s!"

MRS. CURWEN, faintly: "Walter!"

THE ELEVATOR BOY: "Say!"

MILLER: "Oh, that won't do. All join in 'h.e.l.lo!'"

ALL: "h.e.l.lo!"

MILLER: "Once more!"

ALL: "h.e.l.lo!"

MILLER: "ONCE more!"

ALL: "h.e.l.lo!"

MILLER: "Now wait a while." After an interval: "No, n.o.body coming." He takes out his watch. "We must repeat this cry at intervals of a half-minute. Now, then!" They all join in the cry, repeating it as MR. MILLER makes the signal with his lifted hand.

MISS LAWTON: "Oh, it's no use!"

MRS. CRASHAW: "They don't hear."

MRS. CURWEN: "They WON'T hear."

MILLER: "Now, then, three times!"

ALL: "h.e.l.lo! h.e.l.lo! h.e.l.lo!"

III.

ROBERTS appears at the outer door of his apartment on the fifth floor. It opens upon a s.p.a.cious landing, to which a wide staircase ascends at one side. At the other is seen the grated door to the shaft of the elevator. He peers about on all sides, and listens for a moment before he speaks.

ROBERTS: "h.e.l.lo yourself."

MILLER, invisibly from the shaft: "Is that you, Roberts?"

ROBERTS: "Yes; where in the world are you?"

MILLER: "In the elevator."

MRS. CRASHAW: "We're ALL here, Edward."

ROBERTS: "What! You, Aunt Mary!"

MRS. CRASHAW: "Yes. Didn't I say so?"

ROBERTS: "Why don't you come up?"

MILLER: "We can't. The elevator has got stuck somehow."

ROBERTS: "Got stuck? Bless my soul! How did it happen? How long have you been there?"

MRS. CURWEN: "Since the world began!"

MILLER: "What's the use asking how it happened? We don't know, and we don't care. What we want to do is to get out."

ROBERTS: "Yes, yes! Be careful!" He rises from his frog-like posture at the grating, and walks the landing in agitation. "Just hold on a minute!"

MILLER: "Oh, WE sha'n't stir."

ROBERTS: "I'll see what can be done."

MILLER: "Well, see quick, please. We have plenty of time, but we don't want to lose any. Don't alarm Mrs. Miller, if you can help it."

ROBERTS: "No, no."

MRS. CURWEN: "You MAY alarm Mr. Curwen."

ROBERTS: "What! Are YOU there?"

MRS. CURWEN: "Here? I've been here all my life!"

ROBERTS: "Ha! ha! ha! That's right. We'll soon have you out. Keep up your spirits."

MRS. CURWEN: "But I'm NOT keeping them up."

MISS LAWTON: "Tell papa I'm here too."

ROBERTS: "What! You too, Miss Lawton?"

MRS. CRASHAW: "Yes, and young Mr. Bemis. Didn't I TELL you we were all here?"

ROBERTS: "I couldn't realize it. Well, wait a moment."

MRS. CURWEN: "Oh, you can trust us to wait."

ROBERTS, returning with DR. LAWTON, and MR. BEMIS, who join him in stooping around the grated door of the shaft: "They're just under here in the well of the elevator, midway between the two stories."

LAWTON: "Ha! ha! ha! You don't say so."

BEMIS: "Bless my heart! What are they doing there?"