The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-06-05
and so on, and left the house with heavy
NO.. So.

relied about me. We assembled that night. lie
never spoke to me nor to him. We Both twlri-
ed and tumhed up in the air without exchanS-
ing word
/ When we got down I felt inclined to give him
a good thrashing forahIs uni Ist suspicious but
| kept my temper for the sake OF the poor Wo-
man. and SO we went on for eight or ten days.
/ Our next ascent took place on the gala night
of the United Order of Ancient Toxopholites
1t was still summer night, without a breath OF
wind. We assembled till the gardens, and the
streets, and the churches looked like Dutch toys,
and then got out upon the rope 5F1I.a3 ga
/ ASH took my seat beside Ranford,, noticed
that he had been drinking more than usual
! He had lately taken to an odd way OF shutting
his eyes, and smiling with his lips tight pressed
together and that with his knit brows, 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 for
ward in the air, more like an evil being than a
man. s#f L,@l
| we went through our performance, all but
! the last trick AS l was swinging from his two
! hands, the thought came into my head, Jhe
should NOT hold on -@74-t. 90 ff-.
! ,sAs let go my left hand land swung only by
my right, | heard his voice above me. 4
| "Keer, he said, are you guilty or not 2
1 4 asked him what he meant.
| you know he answered. Confess that you
have wronged me speak the truth They are
your last words / have but loose my grip, and
down you go
I tried to seize his disengaged arm, but he
held it above my reach, and put his other in
such position that l could not catch at it, but
swung entirely at his mercy.
Il leaned to reach the rope with my feet, and
so hang by my heels, but failed. / shut my
ewes and prayed heaven to forgive me. Every
act of my past life rushed through my brain;
at the same time I was perfectly conscious of
everything about me--the blue sky, the quiet
evening, the rope, the bottom of the car, and
Ranfords head inverted over me. l thought
what time l should be falling, falling. l knew
how slowly the sand sank from the car, and
what a long, long time should be in dying ere
reached the earth.
Il found strength'to speak. aH. ..
"Ranford, | said. you are mistaken.
F'You lie he answered
off you let 60 my hand you are a murderer.
There will be al inquest.
II don't care - il. s..... -..-.... .
''It is known that there was sl-blood be-
tween u.s. I continued. You may be hanged.
Your wife will say how jealous -
~ aoite cannot giue eridence against her has
hand = .....
/ knew the next moment shouls be falling
through the air A spasm shct TO my heart
i
from me. [ felt the grasp Of lis fingers looseni
With the energy and strength OF desperation, |
leaped and eau ght his wrist with my disengaged
hand. climbed up his body ] know not how,
till reached the perch and thence into the car,
where | lay painting for breath, and trembling
like hare.
He soon followed me.
4 frightened you, didn't 2 he said. You
don't suppose meant it, do YOU J?
l made no answer, but prepared for the de-
scent While arranging the cordaee our hands
met. I could not bear his touch [ struck him,
and knocked him into the bottom of the car.
where he lay growing and swearing till we
came to the ground. .s .e...
Next morning called on the proprietor of
the gardens, and told him all. To my intense
astonishmenf he Hatly refused TO cancel our
engagement, and said that our quarels were
nothing to him that an agreement was an
agreement and business was business that the
performance drew crowds of visitors and he in
sisted on its continuance. told him would
not risk my life again, and he threatened me
with an action for breach of contract. Shortly
after got an engagement at Glasgow, ana lett
London without either seeing Ranford or his
unfortunate wife and child.
Two years passed away during which heard
but little of my late partner. Wine was per
forming at Manchester l heard of an old friend
u
Gus in a neighborng town. l took the train
and went over to see him. we dined, and at
seven o'clock we went together to the circus.
Lounging near the entrance | saw Ranford. He
was considerably changed thinner, and, II
possible, more evil eyed than ever.
81 know that man., / said to Coobie.
~ know you do my friend replied He
calls himself the excelsior or champion somer-
sault thrower to 5he world. He Is in the bills
for A treble somersault TONG hit.
You know, sir that treble sOmersault means
standing on a spring board throwing your heels
up, and turning completely round three times
IN the air before you light upon your feet. l
need not say that it is a very difficult feat.
Il said to Coobie, It's odd that a man who
drinks so hard should be capable of such feat
"His engagement depends on it, was the re-
ply; we're full in every other line. The gov
ernor told him that he'd sign articles with him
for that, but not for anything else. Eth he sees
you
I turned round and saw Ranford walking
quickly from US. I entered the circus aud was
accommodated with seat III the orchestra.
could not help thinking of my old partner and
had strange nervousness upon me as If some
thing was about to happen: but the feeling
wore off when Ranford came i3,to the ring The
audience applauded loudly, for he had thrown
treble somersauIt twice before, aud was a favor
lite in consequence.
/ saw that he was not sober, and l noticed
that he had the same little star upon his fore
head that he wore the last time we made an as
cent together While the grooms were alter
ing the position of the spring board, he walked
up to the orchestra, and, with the old deViIsh
smile upon his face, said to me:
You can't keep away, can you! You a0aH
comet
'sRanford, whispered, you re not yourself
a In tpnh
lei
He swore an cath and then burst INTO a loud
laugh
''You want me to fail, do you = he said
Fail when you're here Hi-youp-la?
He ran upon he spring board, bowed and
kissed his hands, The music began. He threw
several single sornersaults, then double one |
then he stopped and crossed his hands, and
looked at me. The audience was very enthu-
siastic, and he gan again, repeated the per-
formance and stopped again. There was more
applause Then he tarued towards me, smil-
ing as if he said, 'Now'-and went to work a
third time He made some little preparation
turned over once or twice. The house was
so silent that you might have heard pin drop.
He got the spring, and over he weDt--once,
twice My heart rose in my mouth, for saw
that he had not room to turn a third time. His
head came down with horrible hud among
the tan and saw. dust; and ne lay III the rlng,
doubled up aud dead
"A surgeon came out of the boxes, who said
that his neck was broken, and that death must
have been instantaneous. / tainted. When ]
came to- I saw his body being carried out OF
the ring.
Well sir, was pitched upon to be the bear
er of the sad news to the widow. I'll pass over
that I was surprised to find that in spite Of
his cruel usage, she still was very fond of him.
kissed the child, who had grown fine little
girl, and returned to Manchester the next day.
/ attended the funeral, Of course. Ranferd
hardly left a pound behind him. gave the
widow an address that would always find me,
and told her to write whenever-when-if she
wanted-that is whenever she required assist
ance.
First the poor thing tried to set up school
for children, out that failed, and knowing that
she must sometimes be pressed, often sent to