The Mineral argus., 1884-10-02
A TERRIBLE MOMENT.

Florence Revere Pendar in N. Y. Mercury.
1t was at one OF New England's pretty towns
that Nina Walters first joined our show, with
her fellow performer, Louis Mason and Joe
Fuller; apprenticed like himself to old Pa
Dryer, who was wont to boast that the chill
dren he took to train were as well cared for in
every respect as his own, which statement 1
have never had any reason to doubt; and l
may say 1 have more than once witnessed the
strict impartiality with which he administered
corporal punishment to his progeny and ap-
prentices if they failed to come up to the mark
in their respective duties. Many a time have l
seen him in his ring, his full, red face beam
ing with genial smiles as he put a child through
he pad-act with:
'Now, Maudie dear, one, two, three, jump.
Ohl-can't? Want a little help?" crack whips
lash around the little girls slender ankles, and
with:
sob please don't, 1 will" over the banner
the frightened child jumped
'Torl bless you" would this veteran child
trainer observe; "you've got to brighten some
on 'em into it It's all for their good. just
look at the youngsters I've turned out, a earn
ing their hundred and fifty and two hundred a
week now,' after which speech Pa Dryer would
beam complacently upon his listeners. But L
am DEPRESSING.
Nina Walters and her fellow-performers
were trapeze artists, wonderfully clever in
their line, and consequently high in favor with
Pa Dryer. They we're down in the bills as
"The Fays." Pa Dryer had picked Nina up
out of the streets, l believe, when she was
about seven years Of age, but the two boys
had hoau Ia~mfNw avuarantfrad ~ him Inv THAR
Before many weeks Nina's dusky eyes and
pretty ways had captivated us all, and we were
her willing slaves, from Ned, our colored tent
maker, up. 1t was evident from the first,
however, hat Louis and Joe were deeply in
love with Nina, but as far as l could see she
showed preference to neither, treating each as
frankly as a sister might a brother, which was
natural enough, as they had grown up togeth-
er during some ten years, having become ap-
prentices Of Pa Dryer near the same time.
Louis, who was of an open frank disposition,
with a friendly word for every one, had just
turned twenty when they joined us, making
him three months the senior Of Joe, his very
opposite, being quick to take Offense, and Of q
~sfngularly jealous nature. The only thing
they possessed in common was their good
looks, both being ~undeniably handsome.
One evening, after they had been with us
some six months, as L stood waiting behind
the curtain that shut out the ring entrance-by
the way / have not yet introduced myself.
Not that it is at all necessary, only perhaps,
some of my readers might like to know what
manner Of person is relating these facts. /
an Of a rather retiring disposition, although
my vocation of clown rather bellies this trait
of mine. Outside OF the ring l am familiar ly
known as 'eStill Done" earning that title, /
believe, by my fondness for a quiet life the
moment / have shaken the saw-dust from of
my heels. How / ever came to write of this
bit Of terrible reality that crossed my path l
am not quite clear. Perhaps the desire to see
my name in print in a different form from its
habitual one influenced me; or perhaps the
hope that it might help out som poor souls
mad with jealousy 10 conquer that frightful
malady, may be to save them from committing
a crime, had a little to do with it.
Well, as / was saying, this evening as / stood
waiting, l saw Nina coming slowly, as if in
thought, toward me. 1t was something 80 un-
usual to see her prettyface without a smile that
l exclaimed:
sFWhy, Nina, child! What ails you? Has Pa
Dryer been acting ugly?" Whatever old Dryer
had done in Nina's younger days, l had
never known him since she had been with
us to treat her otherwise than kind; in
fact, he rather petted her like the rest of US
1 was considerably relieved when she an
swered:
"Oh, no. But don't you laugh at me. l really
believe I'm nervous" Here she laughed herself,
but it lacked the true, ring.
"Nervousl about!" Iasked. You see,
she sort of looked upon me as an old fogy, and
didn't mind expressing Iherself freely, as it
were.
"Oh, 1 don't know" she answered, "only I
feel as if something was going to happen, don't
you know 1t is silly of me. Why, when l
was a little mite, and Pa Dryer made me hang
from my chin from the trapeze, l never felt
60" Just then, my act being on, l had 30
hurry away. When next / saw Nina she was
flying gracefully through the air from trapeze
to trapeze. After my act Ihad hastily resumed
my everyday clothes and returned to the ring
entrance, which was not my custom, for l
generally left the building as soon as 1 was
through. This night something stronger than
myself babe me watch 'The Fays." l have
seen a good deal of trapeze business in my
day, but never any thing so graceful and neat
as 'sThe Fays'" performance. Nina's little
form seemed to glide through the air without
any apparent effort The applause, as usual,
was loud and frequent Their finish, as a
rule, was lone in this wise: Nina taking a fly
ing leap from a small platform near the
roof would be caught by Louis, who
hung suspended head downward from one of
the trapeze. This night the order of things
appeared to be reversed for it was Louis who
mounted to the platform to take the leap, in
stead Of going through a series ef evolutions
on the middle trapeze, while Nina prepared
herself for her daring drop. l had hardly
time to wonder at the change before | saw
Joe, who had been executing a Catherine wheel