The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-06-29

Iie stars anu Tie Ialnt glow from the lamps
and torches below. In any event she had a
pleasant voice, and that was sufficient She
also was small, and delicate and young. A
shawl was thrown over her barc shoulders
and arms, but her little hands were cold
and she shivcred in the night air.
81 was thinking: Goldly," she said ''that
If should fall" and a more decided shiv-
ering shook her delicate tramc-"I wonder
what they would think, aud how they
would feel down thcrc2"
Nonsense, little Zoe |"
She laughed softly and put her arm
through Goson's, and looked up into his
face with a touching tenderness and rell-
ance. She again scanned the crowd and
was thinking.
swell, but suppose should. Do YOU
| think they would care9 Or would they say
she was little fool, and it served her
right2'
"What Is the matter, pet p
''Oh, nothing nothing whatever" and
she laughed again mlsieally, 81 was simp Y
thinking. 1 remember tnat a long time
ago, when l was Il child, aud my father
was letting me stand Oh his head while he
rode two horses bareback around The ring
and l was terribly frightened once when
the horses became wild with fear or some
thing, l don't remember what-and he
| caught me strong and close in his arms as
l 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 you2 Oh, yes; about the man who
fell from tue tlght-ropc. 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 rottcd off next the ground, and there
was no weight upon it whatever. Well,
anyhow, they tied the rope around the
block, and the professor was halfway
across the street when he began to give on
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. lie came down slowly with
the rope. 1t seemed as if it would never
| stop slipping over the roof like long ugly
| snake. II soon became slack, and it was,
| of course, much harder to 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 two-story house-the rope slipped
OF, heard the block drop to the ground.
! hid my face and crouchcd down against
wall, and heard him strike the ground like
something dead. Oh, it was so horrible I! !"
She pccrcd around into the darkness and
shuddcrcd. ''Poor fellow he fell flat on
his face. 1t was the cru,est thing that
ever happened"
She sighed, and still gazed at the crowd
below.
''Did il kill himH'
''No, not quite, but he was dcrious for
cvcral weeks. When they picked him up
the blood gushed from his nose, and eyes,
and ears, and bloody fro,ll came from his
mouth. l was a little child then and I
dreamed OF him every night for two or
three years. dreamed of him again last
night for the first time in great while.
thought | went to pick him mp, and could
feel his poor broken bones grating against
each other, and his poor bloodshot eyes
| stared wide and cold at me"
'You arc not well tonight, Zoc," said
the man OF science, examining her pulse
attcntivcly. lie became thoughtful. 81
don't think you ought to risk it," he said.
"Oh, am not afraid now that you arc
here" she replied in her charming way.
''I think you had better wait"
"Now, don't get naughty. | mast go.
| 'oont to go. Why, there's two huntlred
dollars in that crown, and my manager
would be crazy if l didn't walk. Beside,
[ contracted to do one street walk every
two weeks in addition 20 tho 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
now2"
''But it's more difficult to see the rope at
night
III never look at my feet, anyhow, when
walk"
''You are fcvcrish and nervous"
'lt will make me all the more careful"
"Well, walk thcn," said Golson, with a
shrug of the shoulders.
"Now, Goldy, don't look that way"
He became cheerful and Leaning in a
moment. The manager appeared on the
opposite roof and beckoned the girl to pro-
cccd. The attendants at both ends exam
ined the fastenings of the rope to sec that
they were properly secured. They pro-
duced trays in which to burn colorcd fires,
and hcaped Jumps of the combustiblc ma
terial upon the paiapet. Zoe mounted the
parapct with .an elastic step, and threw
kisses at the shouting crowd below as the
fires brought ont her frail FORM She looked