Iron County register., 1882-08-17

tnelr fellOW-men. Both the two JOSlahS
felt that the aeronauts had the advant-
age OF the undergrounders. 1t was too
late for him to think of striking out a
new path; but he thought that if he had
to begin life again he would soar.
While pondering on these matters,
he was startled by heavy hand laid up
on his shoulder, and heard q cheery
voice exclaim:
SCOT a match in your pocket, old
manP',
He looked up, and there, somewhere
on level with the lantern in the neigh
boring lamp-post, was the genial face OF
Capt. Mulberry.
NO." said Josiah, "I'm sorry have
| not.', Trr
Don't smoke, eh? You don't look
the kind of old boy to have any pleasant
vices. [ saw you in the balloon society's 8
| rooms just now, and rather took fancy
"You are very kind" Josiah said,
blushing up to where in earlier and hap
pier days the roots of his hair had been.
81 am sure feel it great honor.''
elf you don't mind me saying SO, /
think you're the Notwithstanding
old boy have seen in a days ride. /
like innocence, particularly when COM
bined with middle age. 1t is the rarest
thing in the world. 1 hope you'll come
and dine with me some night at my
club"
81 should like it very much, indeed"
said Josiah. "We are close at my
roems-just here in King street, I live
and if you would step in you might light
your cigar"
ssThanks, 1 will. You won't mind
me making up to you in this way; but,
'pon my honor, took such a liking to
your face, seeing it among the mass of
humbug where we were just now, that l
was going to speak to you then, only 1
could not get near you."~ E
Josiah was in q tremor of delight,
which presently subsided into soft glow
of contentment, as the Captain, stretch
ing himself out over as much of the
couch as he could find in the little room,
not only lit his cigar, but praised Jo-
siah's claret and told him a good deal
more of his balloon adventures than he
had communicated to the eminent So
ciety in whose rooms they had met.
''By the way" he said, ''I am going
to make a balloon excursion tomorrow.
1 didn't mention it to the society, be-
cause these fellows CAB so. There'd be
a great crowd around, and I'd only
have been hampered. When you mean
work, the less you say about it before
hand the better. That is what have
always found. Ever up in a balloon?''
"No," said Josiah, .but I should very
much like to go.''
"What do you rides" asked the Cap
tain, looking him up and down as if
oh f0 hin, fnr SI,if
of clothes or considering where he could
most tadvantageously plant blow from
his ox-hoof-like fist.
"a pony-at least I used to ride
pony when / was at home; but that is
a long time ago, and have not ridden
much since" -
81 mean, what do you weigh" said
the Captain, laughing.
ga little over ten stone."
sis it possible! why pull the scales
at seventeen stun. I'd give something
to be your weight. Think of the ballast
you might take up with you!"
sis that an important thing Josiah
asked, his old instinct of gaining knowl-
edge manifesting itself.
Sc It's simply everything. That's how
managed to get over to the Orkneys.
These fellows that go up in balloons
which they fit up like first-foor rooms,
and take everything with them except
feather-bed, don't know anything about
it. They go fumbling around with
few pounds of ballast, and when they
get into wrong current there they
stick. Now, between you and me, Mr..
Smith, 1 don't mind telling you my Sc
cret of successful ballooning. Take as
much ballast as you can carry, and when
you get stuck in calm or carried off by
a wrong current, out goes your ballast,
up you shoot, get into another current,
and there You are. Ten stun!'' he mur-
INJURED, gazing wistfully upon. the spare
figure of his host. ''There ought to be
a good deal done with that. Tell you
what, old chappie, you shall come with
me tomorrow
Josiah had been a few moments ago
possessed with a burning desire to 60
up in balloon, but at these words the
fire went out and he felt cold chill
steal over his body.
81 rather fancy I have an engage
ment Tomorrow" he said, producing
his pocket diary and anxiously gazing
on it in the month of December.
Nonsense!" said the Captain, lay
ing his large hand on Josiah's shoulder,
..you've no engagement, and if you had
you couldn't find it by holding your
book upside down. You come along
with me. There's not the slightest
danger, and it's not every man who has
crossed the channel in a balloon"
"The channel!" cried Josiah, feebly. /
He had thought of some little excursion.
Perhaps in the fields ten or twenty miles
off. 81 don't think I'd like to start
with the channel. Suppose we begin
somewhere else and try the channel
later on. 1t will be better-if anything
happened, you know-to have the water
warm"
Nonsense" said the Captain, cheer
lily; 'swe shall never be nearer the water
than two thousand feet. Well dine in |
Paris tomorrow night, and I'll take you
to the Closerie after dinner. 1t will do
them good to see you there. Now that's
settled, and you'd better go to bed
straight off. Well have to be up early
in the morning to catch the mail train
for Doyar I've ornt NV halfoou fhera |