Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-11-25

son. IN MS soft, smooth voice.
Tie woman started and turned
quickly toward him, an expression
Of intense happiness lighting up her
face,
Il was looking for you below, .
She said. Il was afraid, but I am
strong now. You don't think l viii
fail, do You ?"
certainly not. You are very fool.
ish to ask such a question. +"
lie introduced US as his friends.
and she greeted us pleasantly. She
had rather an agreeable face, though
we could not see distinctly, the only
lighting being that OF the stars and
the faint glow from the lamps and
torches below. La 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 bare shoulders aud
arms, but she shiyered in The night
air.
Il was thinking, Colby she said,
and q more decided shivering shook
her delicate frame 81 wonder what
they would think, and how they
would feel down there, if | should
fail ?"
Nonsense, little Zoe p
She laughed softly and put her
arm through Golsou's, and looked
up into his face with touching ten
derness aud reliance. She again
scanned the crowd
"Well, but suppose | should. Do
you think they'd care Or would
they say I was a little fool and it
served me right ?"
"What is the matter, pet 2"
"Oh, nothing--nothing whatever"
and she laughed again unsteady.
81 was simply thinking. l remem-
Der that a long time ago, when | was
a child, and my father was letting
me stand on his head while he rode
two horses backward around the
ring-and l was terribly frightened
once when the horses became wild
with fear or something's don't
remember what-and he caught me
strong and close in his arms as was
falling and kissed my lips, my cheeks,
my eyes, and my forehead, and held |
me in his arms for quite while, and |
called me his dear, precious baby. |
What was L going to tell you F? 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 a house, and carried down |
the side, and made fast to wooden |
block underneath.
lit had so happened that the block |
had rotted off next the ground, and |
there was no weight upon it what
ever. Wen, anyhow, they tied the |
rope to the block, and the professor |
was half way across the street when |
lie began to give an exhibition Of |
Jumping. Suddenly we saw that the
rope was giving away. The jerking |
had pulled the block up 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. IL
seemed as if 1t never would stop
over the roof like a long
ugly snake. 1t soon became slack,
and of course it was much harder to
balance on it; but he never lost his
presence of mind, and stood perfect
ly calm and straight. When the
block had nearly reached the roof
it was two-story house-the rope
slipped off, ana | heard the block
drop to the ground. | hid my face
and crouched down against a wall,
and then | heard him strike the
ground like something dead. Oh, it
was so horriblel' She peered around
into the darkness and shuddered.
Poor fellow! he fell flat ON his face.
1t was the cruelest thing that ever
She sighed, and still gazed alb
at the people below.
"Did it kill him ?"
mo, not quite; but he was deliri.
Gus for several weeks. When they
picked him up blood gushed from
his nose, his eyes, and his ears, and