The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-02-28

der my circumstances must have been
destitute of the common feelings o.
humanity.
1t consisted in a series Of daring
somersaults through tho trapcz,, end,
ing in a flying leap through tine air oil
many feet. and passing at the la,t
through an immense hoop. covorol
with blazing tar and tow. and landing
on the back of n horse which was pass.
ing around tho ring ut full gl'o2.
L do not know that | am mbio 10 give
you n full understanding of the fat,
but il was by far The most dangerous and
reckless performance of anything
known 10 our troupe.
Aleck was the only one Of them who
had ever attempted it, and it was al
ways received by the public with thumb
ers of applause.
A day or two before the issue of the
last bills advertising the great show,
Aleck sought me under the sha!e of q
great tree.
My heart beat Unanimously Mt his ap-
pronch. Isaid to myself that If he were
gentle aud loving | would bridge the
breach between US with n smiio or
two, AMI Troylyn might go WHITTIER ho
listed.
But Alick was grave and subduod.
lie did not take my hand; he did not
call me Lizzie, but La Refine Gabrielle.
How | hated the name! but / was rs
naughty ard reserved MS himself.
I'm four days we appear at Washing
ton, he said slowly, land Herr Graffen-
burg desired mo TO give the audi
ence tho benefit of my great perform
ance-n
MOT the Blazing Starr" l cried with
involuntary horror.
He took n step towards me, his eyes
searching my face.
"Do you care, LizzieP Will youybid
me not to do it?"
In a moment / was my proud vain
self again. He had sighted me lately,
and he had idled his time away with
that Blanche Jerrold, and he deserv-
ed to be punished. 1 answered him
coldly:
'Of course not. Why should l care?
Ii you choose to risk your neck in such
n mad feat, why do so. and [ walked
away with IN air of naughty indiffer-
ence
Once in our own private quarters. 1
cried myself almost sick, and begged
my fatherto induce Aleck TO give it up;
but when he suggested telling Alesk
that l was frightened for him, 1 stamp
ed my foot angrily, and told my per-
picked father that if he ever breathed n
word of my anxiety to Aleck L would
never call him father again.
1 think he spoke to Aleck about the
feat, but it had no effect, for the next
day the great yellow posters were all
yer the town advertising in letters a
foot long the wonderful and unrivalled
Blazing Star performance by Mons.
Mertini.
l do not know how 1 lived through
the next three days. l know that nv
heart was like lead in my bosom, though
| astonished everybody by my gay
laughter and my high spirits. 1 would
not rehearse for my parts-I knew that
l should get through with them.
But Aleck! A cold shudder, that had
in it something of death, ran through
me whenever l thought of him, and that
waf all the time.
The great night came.
Never had b vast tent looked so
brilliantly gorgeous. Flowers, and flags,
and lamps were everywhere.
The bell sounded and the perform
ance began.
l had some trifing things to do, and
in n feat Aleck was associated with
me. L got through it as quickly as pos
sible, and kept my face ayerted lest I
might meet his eye. I knew his lace
was as pale as death. and the hand
which o moment touched mine was cold
as ice. 1
After that, Beauty and I-Beauty was
my gentle and feet Arabian mere-per-
formed our part, and then the bells
sounded, and the trumpets brayed, and
a long, loud, prolonged cry went up for
Mons. Mertini.
u He leapeG forwHrd-tall, erect, hand
some. He was c'al In some light gauzy
tinsel over the usual ~ughtGtting gar.
ments, spangled with stars and gleam-
ing with gilt lace.
I stood stock-still and saw him go to
his fate. The first part of the feat was
done, and the applause fairly shook the
canyas walls. I drew a long breath.
Why should he not go through it all in
safety!
Then came the flying leap from the
back of the horse. / saw the hoop
lighted, heard the cheering of the
crowd, and the fierce bsst of the horses
iron hoofs on the hard track; anu, wild
with terror. l uttered q mad cry, and
flung myself down toward him, and in-
10 the very track tho black horse must
travel.
Aleck saw me. and it was this that
did it all. His presence of mind failed
him; he thought nothing of himself
lie saw only my danger. and shouted
to Sultan to stop in a voice hoarse
with horror. The well-trained animal
fell back on his launches. his boofs
lifted over my very head, and some one
dragged me away, with muttcred im-
precautions of my folly.
But l broke away from him, and
rushed to tho spot where, buried in the
flames of tar and tow. Aleck lay no.
tiouless. The cruel flames had seized
on the tinselry of his clothing; they had
licked IN his chestnut hair, and made,,a
fiery track across his white forehead. l
flung myself upon him; l tore off the
blazing particles of gilt and tinsel with
my bare hands; 1 wrapped his bleeding
face in my hair. and smothered tho fire
in my wild embrace.
/ did not care who saw me kiss his
blistered lips. What was it to me that
the spectators were looking on through
their gold-mounted lorgnettesP l only
knew thot 1 had killed my Lowell
In answe to my passionate prayer,
he opened his eyes, They smiled at
me. His lips said tho blessed words, so
low that no other ears heard them:
"Lizzie dear, / forgive YOU all. and |
love you always. Mine now, and mine
-after-death."
1 felt his hands grow cold; my brain
whirled, and all was darkness and des-
pair.
When 1 came again to myself 1 was
lying on n couch by n window which
looked out on a s~now-coyered land
scape. 1t was winter. 1t Rad been
early autumn when l had played last.