Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1858-05-09

passion tnat Dal notniis - say anu ~ ~
went on:
/" Why can't you let me alones What do you
tempt me fos fye kept my bands oh Of you
till now"
He paused and bit his lip, and saw that he
was trembling from head to foot. am no
eoward-it's Dot likely thar | should be Pat
sgonian Brother If ! was-but the sight OF his
hatred seemed to turn me, for the moment,
! quite sick and giddY.
" My God - said I, leaning up against the
table, I" Khat do you mesnf Are you mad S'
] He made 10 answer: but looked straight at me,
aud then walked away. | don't know how il
was but from that moment | knew all. Il
was written somehow in his face.
q Oh, Ally dear y / said TO myself with a
groan, and sat down on the nearest bench /
1 Th4ii.l'@ that, at that moment, ] scarcely knew
in- Soi was, or what | was doing.
! FroF not see him again till we met on the
aooSmisbOut an hour afterward, TO go through
HiuiHssne in the rehearsal. Il was a grand
Ar- piece, with a great deal Of firing, and
value eater, and living camel in the last act /;
Territorifiths and | were Mozambique slaves,
distresming before the Raiah IN the Hall OF
lsbras. Excepting that it cost a great
Z money, that is all ! ever knew about
HEsot and, upon my word, ! doit believe
bales, HyOody else knew much more. By this
south had, OF course, recovered my usual com
u
iooring, for his face was flushed and his bal
-oriunstesdy. When the rehearsal was over,
c tv Riee called Us into his private room and
mBssEbt out decsnter Of sherry, with which,
Cr,st say, be was always as liberal as any
vs,' eman could be.
!. tpatsgonisns," says be, for be had won
ieu = Ily merry way with him, and always
called Us by that name, 4" suppose you would
make no objection to a little matter Of extra
work and extra pay on tie siKth-just to end
the season with something stunning-hey?"
- No, no, SIR, not We" replied Grifiths, 10
sort Of hearty manner that WASN'T natural TO
him. We're ready for anything. Is It the
dying business you spoke about the other
day ~
Better than thst,'' said the manager, filling
up the glasses. " ll's a new French feat that
has never yet been done In this country, and
hey call 1t the trapeze. PatsgOniaDs, your
health -
So we drank bis in return, and Mr.. Rice ex
planned all about it. Il was to be an exhibition
Of posturing and a balloon ascent all 10 one.
At some distance below the car was 10 be Sc
cured triangular wooden framework, which
framework vas called the tEapeze. From the
lower pole, or the base Of this triangle, one of
US was to be suspended, with a hgsture of
strong leather attached to his ankle, In case Of
accidents. Just az the balloon was rising and
this man ascending head downward, the other
was to catch hin BY the hands and 60 US also,
having, if be preferred it, some band or other
to bind him to his companion. 10 this position
we were then to 90 through our customary per
fOrmances, continuing them 80 long as the bal
loon remained in sight
80 All this" said Mr.. Rice, sounds much
more dangerous than it really is. The motion
Of alball0on through the air is so steady and
impercsptibls that, bat for the knowledge OF
being above the housstops, you viii perform
almost ss comfortably as in the gardens. Be
sides, am speaking 20 brave men who know
their business, and are no. to be dashed by
trihe-hey, Patsgonians ?"
Grifitbs brought hisihsnd down heavily upon
the table, and made the glasses ring again.
''Pm ready, sir" said be, with an oath. sPm
ready to do IT alone, Il any man here is afraid
to 20 with me ("
He looked at me as he said this, with . sort
sf mocking laugh that brought the blood up
into my face.
ssIf you mean that for me, John,D said 7,
quickly, am no more afraid than yourself,
and, if that's all about it, Pl 90 up to-nightl" "
If | was to try from now till this day next
year, never could describe toe expression that
came over bis face as l spoke these words. It
seemed to turn al the currents Of my blood. /
could not understand It theR-but l understood
it well enough sfterward.
Well, Mr.. Rice was nightly pleased to fad
us so willing, and very few more words ended
tie matter. Dir. Stains and his famous Wur-
temburg balloon were to be engaged fifteen
hundred additional colored lamps were to be
hired; and GTifiiths and were to receive twelve
pounds spiece< the evening, over and above
our general salary.
Poor Ally! To the midst Of The excitement,
I had forgotten her, and it was not till was
out Of the theatre and walking slowly home
ward that Remembered she must be told. For
my own part, did not believe there was the
slightest danger; but / knew how her fears
would magnify everything, and the nearer !
came toward Islington the more uncomfortable
/ felt. After all, / was such a eowsrd-for l
always am a coward where women are con-
cerned-that l could not tell her that day, nor
even the next and it was only on Sunday, when
we were sitting together after dinner, that I
found courage to speak cf IL had expected
something Of a scene; but bad no idea that
she would have taken on ss she did, and de-
clare that, even then, If the posters had not
been already out and myself bound in honor to
act I'd 10 nv engagement, / would have gone
straight to Mr. Rice and decline4 the business
sltogsther. Poor, little, soft-hesrred dsrl-
ing it was a sore trial to her and to me
also, and | was an incOnsiderate idol not TO
have thought Of her fsaiings in the first in
stance. But there was no help for Il now so
I gave her the only consolation in nv power by
soiemnly promising that J would be the first
man tied to the trapeze. Il was, OF course, the
safest position, and when had assured her Of
this, she grew calmeT. On all other points
kept nv own counsel, as you may be certain
and as to John GTifhths, | saw less Of him than
ever. He even took his meals in the city now,
and duriHg the seven days that elapsed between
the twenty ninth and the sixth, he never once
came face to face with me, except upon the
stage.
had hard matter to get away from home
when the afternoon Of the sixth came round.
nv darling clung about NE as if her heart
would break, and although l did my best 10
cheer her, I don't mind confessing sow that
/ went out and cried a tear or two IN the pass
age.
Keep up your spirits, ally, dear,o says I,
smiling, and kissed her the last thing before
left the house. q" And don't be spelling your
pretty eyes in that way. Remember | want
you 20 look well, and that we are to be married
to-incrrOw''
The multitude in the BelFidsre Gardens was
something wonderful. There they were, Essn,
women and children, 5hronging the balconies,
the orchestra sta irs. and every available inch
Of ground; and there, IN the midst Of them,
rolled and swayed the Wurtemburg balloon,
like a sleepy lolling giant. The ascent was
fixed for SIX O'Clock, that we might come down
again by daylight; go / made haste to dress,
and then went to the greeH-room 10 see after
Mr. Rice, and hear something Of what was
going forward.
Mr. Rice was therr, and three gentlemen
with him, namely, Colonel Steward, Captain
Crawford and sydney Baird, Esquire. They
were fine, handsome looking gentlemen, ali
three-especiaiy Sydney Baird, Esquire, who
was, as have since been told, plsy-WTiter,
aud one of the cleverest men OF The day.
was going to draw back when | saw them sit
ting there with their vice aud cigars but they
would have. me in 70 take glass OF port, and
shook hands with NE all round as polite as
possible, and treated me as handsome as any
gentlemen could.
Here's health and success to you, my brave
fellow" says Colonel Steward, = aud a pleas
ant trip 10 Us all - and then found that they
were going up in the car with Dir. Staines.
And now, what with their light, cheerful
ways aud pleasant talking, and what with the
glass Of wine that had taken, and the excite
ment, and the hun Of voices from the crowd
outside, was in first-Tate spirits, and as in
pstient to be Of as a racer at the starting
point. Presently one Of the gentlemen looked
at his watch.
What are We waiting for - said he 1t
is tsn minutes past six aiready.r
And SO it was. Ten minutes past the hour,
and Grifiths had not yet been seen or heard Of.
Well, Mr.. Rice grew very uneasy, and the
crowd, very noisy, and so twenty minutes more
went by. Then we made up our minds to 90
without him, and Mr.. Rice made a little speech
afd explained /. to the people and then there
was a cheer, aud great bustle; and the gen.
tlemeu took their seats in the car; and ham
per full of champagne and cold chicken was
put in with them and was made fast by one
leg to the base OF the trapezs and Mr. Stsines
was Just about to get in himself and give the
sfgnzi to cnt Ioose when who shouid we see