Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-02-25

balloon thousands of wards abova Tho
surface OF the earth A balloon, | thought
could hear the weight of two men outside
It. The wire could be fastened to the sides
OF the car. and when at sufficient height.
we could get out and perform.
As soon as | reached the ground / went
to Rant"rd, who first laughed at the notion
and then agreed to it. The proprietor of
the garden asked us to name our terms -
We did so. He tried to beat US down. but
at length consented, and we went up and
! did it,
interrupted him by asking if the dan
! ger was not extreme.
Not Bit" replied my patient. aft
| fall from wire fifty feet from the ground
the chances are that should break nv
| neck if fall from a height of fifty miles
J could do no more. Then, if our feet
miss, we have our hands to hold on by."-
However, we went up, and when we had
risen certain distance, we go. out Of the
car and commenced the performance. II
seemed odd to pe at first, tumbling and
swinging in the AR with the gardens and
the audience, and the houses and the trees
such depth below US but what struck
! me as most curlgus was when we hung
head downwards and looked up at the
/ clouds. ] used to feel that the earth could
not be so far distant for high as we had
risen, the sky seemed as far of as ever.
Our performance gave great satisfaction,
/ and were favorably noticed in the daily and
weekly papers. We were ted that the act
that thrilled the audience most was the one
we performed last before descending -
hanford, who was a heavier man than |
| hung head downward then taking hold
both his hands with both mine, | swung by
their support; then by way of climax,
let go my left hand and hung only by nv
right. never felt the least fear. We
knew each others grip and knew it was all
right.
AT first the @ronaut went up with us,
but after lew times we were able to man
age for ourselves so we'll that, had an acct
dent happened to one, the other could have
got safely down.
We we're earning great deal of money,
but | noticed that Mrs Ranford looked
paler and wore caremorn every day. and
knew how her husband was conducting
himself by that. She often told me that
she wished they were poor again, as he bad
been much kinder in those times
One night shall never forget it was
returning home from the gardens, and as
passed the door of Raufords lodgings, little
Eval'na's nurse ran out to me and said
"For heavens sake, sir, go in. Master
and mlssus have had dreadful quarrel,
and nIssus is going to kill herself"
| ran into the house. found the parl r
doar open. Mrs. Ranford was in the room
all ne; her back was towards me, tut l
could see her face in the large mirror that
stood over the chimney piece. She had
razor in her hand, and was about to use it
on herself when she caught the reflection
| OF my face IN the glass. She stopped
| turned round, and fell upon the floor in a
| fit | picked up the azor, pu. it in my
| pocket, and placed the poor woman upon
the sofa Ranfurd came into the room half
drunk, half mad, and scoded at me like a
| demon.
expostulated and tried to reason with
| him; but he Only made me jeering replies,
such as, oh. | understand better than you
| think for Pm not fool! i have got
eyes and can see ! and So on, and left the
house with heavy heart
Next day the nurse girl told me that
RautOrd was jealous, and that he aud his
wife bad quarreled alb ,ut me. We ascend
ed that night. He never spoke to me, nor
| to HIM. We both twiled and ,umbled
no In the air without exchanging q word
When We got dcwn felt inclined to give
him a good thrashing for his unjust suspi
cions but | kept my temper for the sake
| of the poor woman, aud 50 we went on for
eight or ten days.
Our next ascent took place on the gala
| night Of the United order of Ancient Tux-
| opbolities. 1t was a still summer night,
without breath Of wind. We escended
til the gardens, and the streets, aud the
churches looked like Dutch toys, and then
get out upon the rope.
As took my seat behind Ranford, |
noticed that he had been drinking more
than usual. He had lately taken an old
way Of shutting his eyes, and smiling with
his lips tight pressed together. and what
with his knit brow, white tights spangled
trunks, and the bit of ribbon round his
head, with paste star in the centre, he
looked, as he sat swinging backward and
forward in the air, more like an evil being
than a man.
We went through our performance, all
but the last trick. As [ was swinging
from his twO hands. the thought came intu
my head, il he should not hold on
As let 60 with my left hand, and swung
only by my right, heard his voice above
me.
Kerr" he eaid, "are you guilty oil
not?"
/ asked him what be meant.
"You know" he answered Confess
that you have wrOnged me; speak the
truth! They are your last words!
have but to loose my grip, and down you
gow
tried to seize his dsengaged arm, bu,
be held it above my reach, and put hi.
other in such a position that could not
catch it, but swung entirely at his mercy
l ieaped to catch the rope with me feet
and 50 hang by my heels, but failed.
shut my eyes and prayed Heaven to forgive
me. Every act of my past life rushed
through my brain at the same time | was
perfectly conscious of everything about me
the blue sky, the quiet evening, the rope
the bottom of the car, and Rapford's head
everte1 over me. i thought what u time
should be falling. | knew how slowly the
long time should be dying ere | reached
the earth.
found strength to speak.
"Rauford," said, "you are mistaken
You lie I" he answered.
"If you let go my hand you are a muir.
derer. There VIII be an inquest.
81 don't care !"
at is known that there was i'll blood be.
tween u.s." / continued. You may bt
hanged. Your wife will say how jealous
-
"A tcife cannot giee eridencs against he,
husband"
knew the next moment should be fall
ing through the air. A spasm shot to my
heart. fancied | saw the bottom of The
ear rising from me. felt the grasp of hi
fingers loosen With the energy anC
strength of desperation, l leaped up anC
caught his wrist with me disengaged hand
climbed up his body, knew not how til
| reached the perch, and thence into thI
car, where / lay painting for breath anC
trembling like hare.