As she stepped out on the roof, clinging to the gable, she took one good look at the world beneath and above her, then shuddered.
With dark clouds rolling through a black, windy sky it was one of those nights that always seemed to depress Sally.
Shaking herself free from her moodiness, she gave close attention to the problem that lay before her.
To discover the end of a wire they had thrust up along the heat pipe and to attach the end of her coil to it was simple enough. From there it was to be a trifle difficult. The roof was not too steep but shingles do not offer much chance for a hand grip. As Nancy had said, it was quite a distance to the ground from there and, though she would not have admitted it for worlds, Sally found herself a little dizzy.
One fact gave her a little comfort. Just beneath the part of the roof where she must do her climbing was an elm tree. Its top was broad and its strong, flexible branches all but brushed the building.
As she stood there hesitating, a group of freshman boys came marching by, singing.
She Stepped Out on the Roof and Clung to the Gable
Flattening herself against the gray roof she waited for them to pass. Then, having steeled herself for her task, she thrust her tools into her pockets, held the loose end of the wire in her teeth and began to climb. Clutching with her hands and pushing with her feet, she crept upward. She made slow progress. Now the ridge seemed not so far away. She dared not look back or down.
She was halfway up, when, with startling suddenness, the moon came from behind a cloud.