The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-10-23

son. Aly. d~arls i said 10 mysalf With sroan,
and sat down on the nearest bench; eehese suae
At that mos,ens scarcely knew where Wss OF
d,d not ace him again until We met on the
stsre aboat an hour aftesward to 60 through our
scene IN the rehearsal. IL MAS grand Eastern
piece with area. dea, OF bring ano rec, Msssa,
and were Mozambique slaves. performing before
the RsIsh IN the Hall OF the Caadelabras. EYcep'-
inc that II cost great deal OF money, that isali
over knew about the plot, and upon my word, l
doa't bclieve that anybody knew much more By
this time had Of course. recovered nv usual com.
posurc; but could that Grinifhs had been
drinking, for bic face was flushed aud his ea'sree
unsteady When the rehearsal Was over. Mr. kice
called NJ into his private room, and es"aghs OUT
decanter Of sherry. with which, mast say he
Was always ~ liberal as any gentleman cao,d o..
"Patsgoaians." saya he. for he bad wonderful
merry way with him, aud always called US W tnat
name. III suppose you wonid MAKE no onJec'ion
Go little matter Of extra work and extra pay on
the six,h-ju just TO end the season with something
stunpipg-bey?"
"No, no, air." replied sif;Ls 10 sort OF hearty
insnper. that want natural to him. "we're ready
Tor anything IL u the dying business you spoke
about the other dsyf"
| Better til IN that" said the manager filling up
the glasses. s'Irs French feat that has never
beea done In this country, and they call IL the ira
peze. Patas onians, your hesith."
So We drank his In re.urn. and MIR. Rice ex-
plaiaed all about it, 1t was t. be az exhibition OF
| possuring and q balloon ascent. all in one AT
some distance below the car was to be secured
| triangular wood framework called the trapeze-
From the lower pole, base Of the triangle, Que
Of us was to be sus ended with t;gature OF
strong leather attached to his ankle IN case Of &C.
| cident. Just as the BALBOA was rising and tha
| man ascerded head downwards, the other was TO
catch hin BY the hands and 20 up also. having. if
he preferred IT, some band or other to bind him to
| his companion. In this position we we're then to
| go through cur Customary performance eonttnu-
ing them so long the balloon remained in sight.
"Ali this" said Mr.. Rice, sounds much more
| dangerous than 1t really is. The motion of T. bal
loon through the air is steady and impercepti-
| BILE, that but for the knowledge of being above
h0usetops, you will Pc form almost as comfortable
as ia the gardens Besides, am speaking to brave
| men, who know their business. and are NOT to be
Dashed by ttifa-hcy, fstagoniansf
Griffi'hs brought bis hand down on the table,
| and made the glasses ring again.
I'm ready, SIR" said he, with an oath. I'm
ready to do 1t alone, ii any man here is afraid to
40 with mt"
He looked at me as he said this with sort of
knocking laugh that brought the blood up into my
face.
.If you mean that for me, Johu," said Iquickly,
81 am no more afraid than yourself aud if that's
| all about IL, I'll go mp TO night"
If WAS to try from now till this day next year,
| I never coujd describe the expression that come
upon his face as 1 spoke those words. 1t seemed
| to turn all the currents of my blood could not
understand it theu-but j understood 1t well
enough afterward.
We'll Mr. Rice was nightly pleased to find Us so
willing, and a very few more words ended the
matter. Mr.. Staines and his famous Wurtemburg
balloon were 10 be engaged fifteen hundred sddi-
tional colored lamps were to be hired; and Crit
| hths and l wero to receive Twelve pounds apiece
for the eveLug over and above general salary.
Poor Ally In the excitement had forgotten
her. aud il not till was out of the theatre,
aud walking slowly homeWard, that remembered
| she must be told For my part, did not believe
fhat tbara wa the slightest danger. but L knew
how her fears would magnify yerythinG, and the
nearer came towards IsiiDgton, the more uncom.
| Portable f,lt. After ALL WAS such coward-for
always am coward where women is concerned-
that / conld not tell her that day, or even
the next; .and it WAS only on Sunday, when we
were sitting together after dinner. that found
| courage to speak of it. had expected sumething
of a scene; but had idea that she would have
taken on as she did; aud declare that, then,
if the posters had not been already out, and N.Y.
self bound in honor to act up to our engagement,
I would have gone straight to Dir. Rice, aud de-
Glued the business altogether Poor, little, soft
hearted darling. 1t q trial TO her and TO
me also, and j was an inconsiderate idiot not to
have thought of her feelings ia the first instance.
But there DO help for it nov; SO gave her the
only consolation in my power, by soiemniy prom
isiug would be the first tied to the trapeze.
TWAS, OF course, the safest position, and when
assured her Of this, che gres calmer On all other
points, kept my own COUNSEL as you may be GER
tain: and as TO John Griffiths saw him less than
ever lie even took his meals in the city now,
and during Inc days that elapsed between the
| twenty-nin,h and the sixth, he never once came
face to face with me except upon the stage.
bad \ hard matter 10 get away from home when
the afternoon of the sixth came around. Ny dsr-
ling chung to me az ifher heart would break, and
though did my best to cheer her, don't mind
confessipg now that l went out and cried tear
or two in the passage.
"Ke.p up your spirits, Ally. DEAR says
smiling and kissed her the last thing before lefs
the house, land don't be spelling your pretty eyes
in that way. Remember want yen to look well,
and that TO be married to morrow"
The multitude in the Belvdere Gardens
something wonderful. There they were. men.
women and children, throng'ng the balconies, the
orchestra stairs and every avail able inch of ground
and there in the midst Of Them aoiied aud swayed
the Wurtemburg balloon, like sleepy, rolling
giant The ascent WAS fixed for six O'clock that
| we might come down again by daylight; So made
haste to Dress and then went to the green to
see after Mr.. Rice, and learn somethingof what
was going forward
MIR Rice was there, and three gentlemen with
him. namely, Colonel Steward, Capt Cra~ ford, and
Sidney Baird. Esq. They were fine, handsome
| looking gentlemen, all three-especialIy Sidney
| i .rd who was, as have since oesn told, play
writer. aud one of the cleyeTest men OF the day
| l was going to draw back, when 1 saw them sit.
! ting there with their wine and segsrs, but they
| would have me in and take glass of port and
| shook hands with me all round polite as posi-
| BILE, and treated the as handsomely as any gentle
| man coud.
| "Here's health aud success 10 you my brave fell
low said Col Steward, land pleasant trip TO us
| all" Aud then found that they were going 10
| in the car with Mr.. Staines.
Aud now, with their light. cheerful WAYS and
pleasant talking, and what with the glass Of wine
| that had taken and tue hum Of voices from the
outside, in first rate spirits. and impatient
to be off at the starting poiut Present
| ly one of the gentlemen looked at his watch
What are we waiting tor - said he, sit is ten
| minutes past six already"
nd wa mir ast fhn bor
Grifiths bad no been seen or heard of. Well, Mr.
| Rice grew very uneasy, aud the crowd very noisy
| and so twenty minutes more went by. Then we
| made up minds to go without him, and Mr.
Rice made little speech, aud explained to the
people, aud then there a cheer and great bus.
tie aud the gentlemen took their seats Ia the car
| and q hamper full of champagne aud cold chicken
we're put in with them, and l was made fast by
Que leg to the base of the trapeze aud Mr. Staines
was just shout to get In hirIset and give the sig
| nal y cot loose, when Who should see forcing
! his va through the crowd but Griifiths
| OF course there another cheer at this ard
| n delay of eight or ten minutes more while he was
dressing. At last he came, nd it was lust a QUAR-.
| ter before seven O'Clock He looked very cullen
| when he found he vas TO be the Uuderuiost; but
| there was no time to change anything now even if
had been willing; so his left wrist and my right
were bound together by leather strap, the signal
was given, tue ba nd struck up the crowd applaud
ed like mad, aud the balloon rose straight and
| steady above the heads IF the people.
| Down sank the trees and fountains. and the
| pavement of upturned faces. Down sank the roof
Of the theatre, and fainter grew the sound of the
| hurraing aud the music. The sensation was 40
| strange, that for the frat momeut was forced To
! close my eyes, and felt as if | must fall and be
dashed to pieces. But that eooa passed away. and
! by the time We had risen to about three hundred
| feet, was as comfortable as had been born and
| bred Ia the air, with my head downward
| Presently wa began our performances Grifiths
was as cool MS possible-I never saw him cooler
and We went through every conceivable atm.
tude; now swinging by our hands, now ty
| orr feet, now throwing summersau Is one over
| the other. Aud during the whole of the time the
streets and the squares seemed to sink away
| TO the right. and the noise from the living
world died on the air; aud ms turned and swung.
! changing positi9ns with every minute I caunht