The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-02-12
arms, but her little hands were cold and
.ba sb;vared in the night air,

cided shivering shook her delicate frame
--"I wonder what they would think,
and how they would feel down there"
Nonsense, little ZoeV'
She laughed softly and put her arm
through Golson's, and looked up into his
face with touching tenderness and
reliance. She again scanned the crowd,
and was thinking.
"Well, but suppose should. Doyou
think they would caref Or would they
say she was little fool, and it served
her right9"
'What is the matter, petT'
ooh, nothing-nothing whatever"
and she laughed again musically, ~
was simply thinking. | remember that
a long time ago, when | was child.
and my father was letting me stand on
his head while he rode two horses bare
back around the ring-and | was
terribly frightened once when the
horses became wild with fear or some
thing, don't reme.nbe> what-and ne
caught me strong and close in his arms
as was falling, and kissed my lips, my
cheeks, and eyes, and forehead, and held
me in his arms quite while, and called
me his dear, precious baby. What was
I going to tell you? Oh, yes; about
the man who fell from the tight-rope.
That was terrible! One end of the rope
was passed over the roof of q house,
carried down the side, and made fast to
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 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 way.
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 came
down slowly with the rope 1t seemed
as if it would never stop slipping over
the roof like long ugly snake. ltsoon
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 a two-story house--the
rope slipped off, and heard the block
drop to the ground. I hid my face and
crouched down against wall, and |
heard him strike the ground like some.
thing dead Oh, it was so horrible "
She peered around into the darknes 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.
! "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 q
bloody froth came from his mouth.
WAS little child then and dreamed o.
him every night for two or three years
dreamed of him again last night TO-
the first time in great while. though
went to pick him up, and could fee
his poor broken bones grating agalns
each other, and his poor bloodshot eye
stared wide and cold at me-"
"You are not well tonight, Zoe,
said the man of science, examining he
pulse attentiyely. He became thought
ful. al don't think you ought to risl
it," ne said.
"Oh, | am not afraid now that yo'
are here" she replied in her charming
way. o.,
"Now, dent get naughty. | must go
rant to 90. Why, there's two hundred
dollars in that crowd, any my manage
would be crazy if didn't walk. Beside
contracted to do one street walk ever.
two weeks in addition to the lofty centre
pole walk every day. Why, I've don
the lofty five hundred times and neve
lost my head, and why Is there DANCE
nowW ,
"But it's more difficult to see tn
rope at night"
when l walk.
"You are feverish and nervous"
"It will make me all the moro care
full"
"Well, walk them" said Golson, wit
a shrug or the shoulders.
"Now, Goldy, don't look that way.
He became Cheerful land beaming in
moment. The manager appeared on u
opposite roof and beckoned the girl
. proceed. The attendants at both enc
examined the fastenings Of the rope
see that they were properly secures
They produced trays in which to bun
. colored fires, and heaped Jumps OF II
), combustible material upon the parape
. Zoe mounted the parapet with an elast
step, and threw kisses at the shoutil
u crowd below as the red fires brought o
IS her frail form. She looked very char
5 ing and pretty, standing, smiling, in tt
II intense red glare of the light.
!. "Give me the pole" she demande
II smilingly, of Golson, holding out
Q small hand and dimpled arm.
t He picked up the cumbersome balal
u ing pole and placed it in her hands. )
i found the csnter, shook hands with q
IS son, threw us smile, rained a show
. of kisses upon the crowd and stepp
IL firmly upon the rope. She soon fou
,. a safe pose, took a few steps, and halt'
le She glanced back at the attendants, a
b. regarded the pile of fire. :,
IN "You are burning it too fast, $
SO said. "Good-by, Goldy," and she pick
a. her way over the narrow bridge u
n spanned the yawning chasm benea'
She was graceful and walked with &C
siderable ease apparently, stopping
n' casionally to shift the pole and stea
, herself.
ID "She is walking slow and sbaky
Il night" said one of the men.
aShe i,not walking as we'll as usual
asked GolsOn, hurriedly, and looking
1e her steadily. His glances never left
y Q moment.
!, "No; she can beat that. l think sh
'n in the sulks."
Golson paid no attention to the insr
~ and watched her with fascinated ga
10 n His face was somewhat paler than usu
I. in spite of the red glare. he did
y. move a single muscle. Zoe had pas
Al 4