The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-11-15
SHE WOULDN'T HAVE 1T.
An INCIDENT OF THE LATE SEASON At CoSEY ISLAND.
BY MAMIE LUKE. Q

There were two of them.
One was tall, rather showily attired,
not bad looking, but garrulous to
fault.
The other was shorter, moderately
arrayed, though the extreme garrulous-
ness of the other may have conduced to
her silence.
They were about thirty, each, cold
maids" evidently, from some inland
town, and had arrived on the Manhat-
tan grounds just as the Captive" bal
loon began to ascend.
"Jane, 'spose that's the balloon, don't
you? never saw balloon before, but
I know that's balloon. What big
thing it is, amt it? Shaped like pear
amt it? How it shines don't it?
wonder what it's made OFF, Thus the
tall one volubly expressed herself at the
first 9" go off, as it We're. rt
Jane gazed interestedly at the balloon,
but said nothing.
at looks frightful, don't it, Jane, to
see that big thing going up into the air,
with them people in the basket under
meath? 1t makes me fdgety, Ideclare."
Il" 1t looks queer, Eliza. But its got
rope to it,"
" 1 know that, but it must be danger
Gus. Dear me, what do people want to
put themselves out for to get into dam
ger, when there's enough Of it round
everywhere? Want to say they've been
up in a balloon, | 'spose. Wonder how
much 'twould take to get me up in that
thing? See it 60 up and up, Jane"
see. Eliza"
They're laughing and talking in the
basket jes so there warllt no dangerl
'Spose the rope would break? 'Spose a
hurricane should come along-where'
they be then? 1t makes me shudder to
think of it. 'Spose it was struck by
lightning!-there's great black cloud
off there. 'Spose it should bust of itself?
Graciousl it makes me crawl all over to
think of it, Jane"
"What do want to think of it for them
don't"
"Of course you don't. do. 'Spose
anything should happen to 'em up
there? I guess they'd wish they'd a
stayed down here where we are, Jane.
Folks always wish they hadn't when
anything happens, but never stop to
think they needn't aforehand"
wonder what make it go up, Eliza?'
AGO upY why, they let the rope out,
you goose! Don't you see the ropes
getting longer n longer all the timer
eyes, l see that, Eliza; but" She
hesitated. The letting out of the rope
didn't appear to be satisfactory reason
with her, for the ascension of the balloon.
"Do you 'spose you'd go up, Eliza, if
there was rope tied to one of your legs,
and"
"Hush! for mercy's sake, Jane"
(spoken in sharp undertone). "Theres
q gentleman there lin a whisper,
pointing to man about six feet to the
left and front of Jane)-" who unjust
have heard you, | know. saw him
look round and smile. The idea of your
speaking out so loud about my-you
always speak so plain, Jane, that Pm
ashamed OF you sometimes. When wei
alone, l don't care, of course, but when
we're out among people you'd ought to
be more careful"
And Eliza ratified on for two minutes,
dwelling on the enormity of James ut
terance, and trying to impress upon her
the necessity of being more discreet in
the use of her lingual organ.
| suspected that it was more to keep
Jane from reverting to her partially
uttered supposition, than anything else,
that Eliza made SO many words, she
seeing that the reason ascribed by her
for the balloons ascension was ridicu-
lous one. But. as she returned to the
subject herself, my suspicion was, of
course, well founded
If they didn't let the rope out, Jane.
OF course the balloon couldn't 90 up
But that amt what makes it 90 up. [
only said SO to have you laugh, but YOU
took it so serious. The balloons filled
with air, you know, and if the rope
didn't hold it, it would go off on its own
hook. Myl amt it high now? What
would you be up there for, Jane?
wouldn't, not for all the whole word
not for the whole of Hackensackr'
Nor either. Eliza. and as neither
OF us has got to go up there, what's the
use of getting worked up about it'll
don't see."
This quietly sensible remark rather
took the wind out of Eliza's sails, 30 to
speak; but they filled away in moment
"Oh, well, people talk about what they
wouldn't like to do, and would like to :
don't they? all except you; and Won
never say anything. | sh'd die, If [
was as dumb as you, know should
Why, talk like house afire when I'm
ali alone to myself, and you'd be as
dumb g an oyster, know you would. |
have disputes, too, with myself and I
always get the best of it, too: catch me
moping round and saying nothing-why.
shd 60 off the handle in fifteen min,
utesI"
Jane smiled, and kept her gaze fixed
upon the ascending balloon, greatly in
terested in the spectacle "a novel one to
both.
cpd like to have somebody explain all
about balloon to me-" she said. in a
quiet, half musing way-"why it is able
to rise and take up lot of people be.
sides"
why, it's the air that's in it that
does II, Jane. l told you that"
The gas, ladies gas, if you excuse
me-" said pleasant masculine voice at
the moment, the speaker raising his hat
and looking at Jane, near whom he
stood, and for whose edifcation he had
evidently snoken