Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-02-06

Under our feet was the glare from Canal,
st. Charles Camp, Common, Baronne,
Carondelet, and Tchonpitoulas streets.
A parapet about twelve inches high
was all that could have preserved US
from the morgue, if the foot had slipped
an inch or the treacherous slate had
broken. Three persons were standing in
the gutter against the parapet. or
two were rough looking men; the third
was a woman in tights and short skirts,
covered with spangles and stars and gold
lace. The men were engaged with GER
tain pulleys and cords in drawing to a
greater tension the wire cable that
stretched from the parapet Of the college
to the building opposite. The woman
was standing in the shade Of the parapet.
and looking down abstractedly upon the
thousands Of human beings who packed
the street, and whose upturned faces so
expressive Of anticipation she seemed to
be studying attentively.
ALREADY here, Zoe, asked Golson, in
his soft, smooth voice.
The woman started and turned quickly
toward him, an expression Of intense hap
piness lighting up her face.
IL was looking for you below" she
said, IL was afraid, but am strong now.
You don't think | will fall, do you y
Certainly not You are very foolish
. ask such question"
He 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
Of the lamps and torches below. In any
event she had pleasant voice and that
was sufficient. A shawl was thrown
over her bare shoulders and arms, but
she shivered in the night air.
~ was thinking, Goldy," she said,
and a more decided shivering shook her
delicate frame 81 wonder what they
would think and feel down there
Nonsense, little Zoe ~
She laughed softly and put her arm
through Golson's, and looked up into his
face with a touching tenderness and reli-
ance. She again scanned the crowd.
"Well suppose should. Do you
think they'd care' Or would they say
was a little fool and 1t served me
right
what is the matter, pet t."
"Oh, nothing-nothing whatever
and she laughed again musically. 81
was simply thinking. l remember that
q long time ago, when / was child,
and my father was letting me stand on
his head while he rode two horses back
ward around the ring-and was terri
bly, frightened once when the horses be-
came wild with fear or something-l
don't remember what-and he 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 for quite while, and called me
his dear, precious baby. What was |
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 house, and car
ried down the side, and made fast to a
wooden block underneath.
1T SO happened that the block had
rotted off next the ground, and there
was no weight upon it whatever. Well.
anyhow, they tied the rope to the block,
and the professor was half way across
the street when he began to give an ex-
hibi,ion of jumping. Suddenly we saw
that the rope was giving way. 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. 1t seemed
as if it never would stop slipping over
the roof like a long, ugly snake. 1t
soon 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 two story house-the rope shppeo
of, and heard the block drop to the
ground. hid my face and crouched
dow n against wall, and then l heard
him strike the ground like something
dead. Oh, it was 80 horrible J" She
peered around into the darkness and
shuddered. "Poor fellow he fell fiat on
his face. 1t was the cruelest thing that
ever happened"
She sighed, and still gazed distracted
ly at the people below.
"Did it kill him !"
stNy- ,ot op;to hut he waa delirioua