Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-06-09

"Aat sucy WOUiu iHluh, Auu INV tucy
would feel down there 2"
Nonsense, little Zoe ~
She laughed softly and put her arm
through Golson'A and looked up into his
face with touching tenderness and reli-
ance. She again scanned the crowd, and
was thinking.
swell, but suppose should. Do you
th:a.. they would care1 Or would they say
she was i:stle fool, and it served her
rights''
"N hat is the matter, Pc; 2"
''Oh, nothing-nothing whatever" and
she laughed again musieally, Il was simply
thinking. 1 remember that a long time
ago, when l was a child, and my father
was letting me stand on his head while he
rode two horses bareback around the ring
and 1 was terribly frightened once when
the horses became wild with fear or some
caught me strong and close in his arras as
| was falling, and kissed my lips, my
checks, and eyes, and forehead, and held
me in his arms quite while, and called me
his dear, precious baby. What was going
, to tell youl Oh, yes; about the man who
fell from the tIght-rope- That was terri
BILE! One end of the rope was passed over
the roof of house, carried down the side,
and made fast to a wooden block under
meath. 1t had so happened that the block
had rotted off next the ground, and there
was no weight upon if whatever. Well,
anyhow, they tied the rope around the
| block, and the professor was halfway
across the street when he began to give an
exhibition of jumping. Suddenly We saw
that the rope was giving away. The jerk
ing had pulled the block from under the
house, and was dragging it up the side.
The professor turned quite pale, and stood
and waited. Ne came down slowly with
the rope. II seemed as if it would never
stop slipping over the roof like long ugly
snake. 1t soon became slack, and it was,
of course, much harder 10 balance ON it
but he never lost his presence Of mind, and
stood perfectly calm and straight. When
the block had nearly reached the roof-it
was a two-story house-the rope slipped
off, l heard the block drop TO the ground.
hid my face and crouched down against
wall, and heard him strike the ground like
something dead. Oh, it was so horrible s"
She peered around into the darkness and
shuddered. "Poor fellow he fell flat on
his face. 1t was the cruelest thing that
ever happened"
She sighed, and still gazed at the crowd
below.
Ibid 1t kill himl"
''No, not quite, but he was delirious for
everal weeks. When they picked him up
the blood gushed from his nose, and eyes.
and ears, and bloody froth came from his
mouth. / was little child then and l
dreamed of him every night for two or
three years. dreamed of him again last
night for the first time in great while. l
thought l went to pick him up, and could
feel his poor broken bones grating against
each other, and his poor bloodshot eyes
stared wide and cold at me-"
'.You are not well tonight, Zoe" said
the man of science, examining her pulse
attentively. He became thoughtful. 81
don't think you ought to risk it," he said.
"Oh, | am not afraid now that you are
here" che replied in her charming way.
"I think You had better wait"
snow. don't get naughty. l must go.
| rant TO 60. Why, there's two hundred
dollars in that crown, and my manager
would be crazy if didn't walk. Beside,
| contracted TO do one street walk every
two weeks in addition 20 the lofty centre
pole walk every day. Why, I've done
the lofty five hundred times and never
lost my head, and why is there danger
uow2"
"But it's more difficult to see the rope at
night"
Il never look at my feet, anyhow, when
1 walk"
''You are feverish and nervous"
at will make me all the more careful y
"Well, walk then," said Golson, with a
shrug of the shoulders.
''Now, Goldy, don't look that way"
He became cheerful and beaming in a
moment. The manager appeared on the
opposite roof and beckoned the girl to pro-
ceed. The attendants at both ends exam
ined the fastenings Of the rope TO see thai
thew were properly secured. They pro
duced trays in which TO burn colored fires,
and heaped Jumps of the combustible ma
terial upon the paiapet. Zoe mounted the
parapet with an elastic step, and threw
kisses at the .houtIng crowd below as the
fires brought out her frsii form. She looked
very charming and pretty, standing, smil-
ing, in the intense red glare of the light.
Give me the pole she demanded.
smilingly, of Golscn, holding out a small
hand and dimpled arm.
He picked up the cumbersome balancing
pole and placed it In her hands. She found
the centre, shook hands with Golson, threw
us a smile, rained shower of kisses upon
the crowd and stepped firmly upon the rope.
She soon found q safe pose, took few
steps, and halted. She glanced back at
the attendants, and regarded the pile of
fire.
"You are burning it too fast" she said.
s'Good-bye, Colby" and she picked her
way over the narrow bridge that spanned
the yawning chasm beneath. She was
graceful and walked with considerable ease
apparently, stopping occasionally to shift
the pole and steady herself.
''She is walking slow and shaky tonight,
said one Of the men.
'iShe Is not walking as well as usual 2"
said Golson, Ihurriedly, and looking at her
steadily His glances never left her a
moment.
'No: she can beat that. / think she's
IL, lle ~