The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-02-11

a wooden block underneath. 1t had SO
happened that the block had rotted of
next the ground, and there was no
weight upon it whatever. Well, any
how, they tied the repe 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 Wav.
The jerking had pulled the block from
under the house, and was dragging it
up the side. the professor turned quite
pale, and stood and waited. He Gam@
down slowly with the rope 1t seemed
as IL it would never stop slipping over
the roof like long ugly snake. Itsoon
became slack, and it was, of eot1rB5,
much harder to balanGe On it; but he
never lost his presence of mind, and
stood perfectly calm and straights
When the block had nearly reached the
roof-it was a two-etorg house-the
rope clipped of, and | heard the block
drop to the ground. hid my face and
crouched down against a wall, and l
heard him strike the ground like some
thing dead. Oh, it Vas so horriblel "
She peered around into the darkness and
shuddered. "POor feIlowl he fell fat
on his face. 1t was the cruelest thing
that ever happened"
She sighed, and still gazed at the
crowd below.
"Did it kill himP
"NO, not quite, but he was delirious
for several weeks. When they picked
him up the blood gushed from his
nose, his eyes, and his ears, and
bloody froth came from his mouth.
was little child then and [ dreamed Of
him every night for two or three years.
/ dreamed Of him again last night for
the first time in a great while. thought
l went to pick him up, and could feel
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 thought
full. az don't think you ought to risk
it," ne said.
"Oh, am not afraid now that you
are here" she replied in her charming
way;
L think you had better wait"
"Now, dent get naughty. must go,
| aOant to go. Why, there's two hundred
dollars in that crowd, any my manager
wotild be crazy if l didn't walk. Beside,
| contracted to do one street walk every
two weeks in addition to 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
how7"
"But it's more difficult to see the
rome at night"
II never look at my feet, anyhow,
when walk"
"You are feverish and nervous"
"It will make me all the more care
full"
"Well, walk then," said Golson, with
a shrug or the shoulders.
"Now,. qoldy, don't look that way"
He became cheerful land beaming in
moment. The manager appeared on the
opposite roof and beckoned the girl to
proceed. The attendants at both ends
examined the fastenings of the rope to
see that they were properly secured.
They produced trays in which to burn
colored fires, and heaped Jumps of the
combustible material upon the parapet.
Zoe mounted the parapet with an elastic
step, and threw kisses at the shouting
crowd below as the red fires brought out
her fraiI form. She looked very charm
ing and pretty, standing, smiling, in the
intense red glare of the light.
"Give me the pole," she demanded.
smiIingly, of Golson, holding out a
small hand and dimpled arm.
He picked up the cumbersome balanc-
ing pole and placed it in her hands. She
found the center, shook hands with Col
son, threw us a smile, rained a shower
of kisses upon the crowd and stepped
firmly upon the rope. She soon found
a safe pose, took few steps, and halted.
She glanced back at the attend ants, and
regarded the pile of fire.
" You are burning it too FAST" she
said. "Good-by, Goldy," and she picked
her way over the narrow bridge that
spanned the yawning chasm beneath.
She was graceful and walked with con-
siderable ease apparently, stopping Oc-
casionally to shift the pole and steady
herself.
" She is walking slow and shaky to-
night" said one of the men.
She isnOt walking as well as usualW
asked Golson, hurriedly, and looking at
her steadily. His glances never left her
q moment.
"No; she can beat that. think she's
in the sulks."
Golson paid no attention to the insult,
and watched her with fascinated gaze.
His face was somewhat paler than usual,
in spite of the red glare. He did not
move single muscle. Zoe had passed
the middle of the street.-the most dan
gerous place-and continued her walk
toward the other end. She toiled up the
incline, the rope depressing under her
tiny, nimble feet, and at last jumped
safe and sound upon the opposite roof.
a tremendous deafen1ng shout arose
from the mob, and the plucky girl threw
a bunch of kisses at Golson. The color
had returned to his face with unnatural
intensity, and the look of absorbing
anxiety had passed away. His chest
was broader and his eyes brighter. He
simply smiled at Zoe, and did not even
applaud her.
The shouting below continued. The
men made no preparations to remove
the rope, but Golson started for the
ladder.
"She's comm back" said one of the
men.
Golson stopped as if he had been shot
through the brain. The hard, anxious
look returned, and the deathly pallor
came back all in an instant.
81 didn't know that" he said, calmly
and resignedly. He resumed his old
DO ition, and watched the girl with
intense interest-with a gaze in which
were concentrated his soul and heart
and mind and strength-a look in which
was expressed the profOundest feelings
of strong nature.
Zoe rested a moment, and again
stepped upon the rope. She had pro-
ceeded about ten feet, when one of the
men remarked:
"She's scared"
Golson noticed it; we all saw it. Hel
teeth were so tightly compressed that
in the dazzling light we could see
ridges in her cheeks. Her nOstrils were