Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-02-23

seemed impatient to be off.
I'm going home, she said; I'm not
needed any more tonight Won't you
tell my husband when he comes of
where I'm gone? I'd like him to know
SO he needn't worry And you may
take him otto supper with you. if you
like
Sculls thought nothing Of her giving
him this message-she had done so
seyeralitimes before. He went to Hazel s
door and raped. The girl was ready
and full of confidence again, he saw.
Is Clyde therel she wanted to know.
Yes-in an oyereoat He's just gone
round
Hazel was eager enough to 90 now.
After the first burst of applause, and
before it had done echoing to the roof,
she had ran to the ladder at the side of
the ring, her eyes fastened on CLYDE,
who was seated there in a listless sort
of way, and saw the flowers in his hand.
He half rose and extended them to her
saying something shat evidently pleased
the girl. She took them from him and
fastened them securely at her belt.
Another round of applause for the sim
pie action from the house, and Hazel
began her preparations for the act. She
did not see Clyde slip away and edge
himself out through the crowded house
till he was behind the high wooden bar
rier that screened the view of the ring
from loungers by the entrance door.
She only caught sight of him out there
as she was about to launch herself in the
air and take the leap. The gate keeper
was asleep and the box office was clos
ed. Mrs. Bridgeman was waiting to
meet Clyde, and he put his arm around
her with an easy air of possession and
kissed her nearest cheek. Instantly. a
wild cry of despair, and blind, Jealous
fury came from the girl, upon whom all
eyes in the place but those of these two
were fixed.
1t was all over in a second-half a
second perhaps. The great leap for
Life as down on the bills, was of death.
Hazel lay with her arms outstretched
and motionless, face downward upon
the ring. The bunch of flowers, shot
out from her belt in her fall, dropped at
the other woman feet The house was
still, and then broke into cries. The
quick rush of many trampling feet was
heard n the ring The gate-man woke
up and pressed forward with the rest.
Mrs. Bridgeman unconsciously put her
foot upon the flowers and crushed them.
Don't look" said Clyde, aud, TAX
ing advantage of the confusion and their
subsequent seclusion-the only two of
that vast assembly behind the wooden
barrier-he kissed her there on the lips
twice, unseen.
Tie gate-man returned to take his
place at the door. Many in the crowd
ed house began to straggle out. The
performance in the ring had been re-
sumed. No one seemed to know the
extent of the injuries that Hazel had re-
csived.
Clyde put the question to one of the
members of the troupe whom he saw
going away. He had gone out into the
street. with Mrs. Bridgeman on his arm,
and they had walked as far as the side
entrance when they met this man.
He passed his hand over his ewes be-
fore he answered, as though to shut out
the sight of some dreadful thing.
She dead now,n he told CLYDE "She
had just breath enough to call for your
husband, Mrs. Biidgeman, and he was
with her before Tom got into the room.
Poor old Tom He's taking on awful
"; it was him made her. go ON tonight,
he says. You ought to have seen how
her hair turned-from the shock, the
doctors all say. the minute she knew
she had missed and her time was up
NJ oil OF l1laol~
and it was white when we picked her up,
white as snow to the ends"
Clyde then said something to his com
panion in an undertone as the man
moved away.
Mrs. Bridgeman gave little SILVER.
''Oh, it is awful, she said. LET us
go home"
The door behind them opened sudden
~, and Bridgeman came out His lips
We're compressed till they seemed a
mere line on his face, His ewes mar
rowed as he saw his wife on the Texans
arm. 'I've been looking for you,n he
said, and his wife seemed to think that
he spoke to her, though his glance was
full into the other mans sphinx-like
face, handsome, expressionless and well
bred
I'm going home," she said. "Mr
Clyde will take me there You had bet
ter stay and do what you can for poor
Tom. know all about it. She's
dead
Bridgeman paid not the slightest at
tcntion to the sound of her voice or
what she said. He took the Texan sud
denly by the lapel of his overcoat and
swung him round SO as squareIy to face
I've been looking for you,'
he said, and his expression was that of
some wild beast. I'm going to send
you where you belong.n
Clyde saw his right hand move back
to his hip. With the other he still held
the Texan by the coat. Mrs. Bridge
man dropped Clyde's arm and threw
open the little door behind. CLYDE
himself free and he fell
through. and shot flew past his ears.
The shot startled the members of the
troupe and the hangers-on within. Mrs.
Utterly fiattened herself
against the wall as her husband dashed
past her and after CLYDE.
There was another scene in the ring
i
running for his life, in ODE
dience 10 the blind animal instinct of es-
cape, and the knowledge that he was I'M
armed, and Bridgeman after him,
aiming and firing his pistol as he ran.
The houSe-what remained of it after
Hazel 5 accident had not heard the fatal
of her fail-broke into ami
nation at the sight. Clyde was in the
middle of the ring. the same place
where the tan had been hastily raked
over the spot where Hazel fell. whent the
revolver did its work. He
threw his hands up over his head and
dropped.
Bridgeman flung his useless weapon
across the Texan PROSTATE BODY. and.
on his heels, walked quietly
back the way he had come. His own
comrades about the door seemed para
lived. They made no. effort 10 detain
him, but fell back and let him pass.
The house had just begun to realize
It's mistake, and that dread tragedy
had been enacted in It's midst. A strong
current of air from open doors rushed
in and set the lights Pickering. Some
into the ring. and turned
the Texan 5 white face up. There was
no doubt about it: he was dead.
Tom Seully had pushed himself
among the crowd now in the ring.
They had to put him gentlt out OF the
room where the dead girl lay.
What Is it?' he asked in a dazed
sort of way. Its CLYDE. amt ii?
Who did it, Bridge"
I'D rather handle dynamite than