The Mineral argus., 1884-10-02

! IN a trapeze ST.. higher up, give a violent
Start He too. l think was surprised
shall I ever forget the cry thatraug through
the building that night, causing women Z
faint and strong men 10 turn WhI'e n5e uh'S
death. l can hear il now, and the words:
Nina! for Gods sake keep clear OF ne md
die trapeze; the ropes are cut"
Too late came Joe's warning. Nina's little
hands were already clinging 10 the doomed
bar, and Louis had taken his leap Tor hfe.
whir az OF something whizzing through
the ar as l closed my eyes TO shut the horror
OF il out when q murmur like the h0arse roar
Of the distant SEES fell upon my ears, swelling
until il burst into a wild huzza l looked and
saw Joe hanging head downwards irons trap
eze. while with both hands he upheld Louis,
Nina clasped safe by the latter's arm, the ira
peze to which she had chung buta moment be-
fore living in the ring some forty feet below.
JOe's daring intrepidity had saved his compan-
ions lives. He had dropped from his perch
above to a lower trapeze and swung himself to
the rescue Of Louis, thereby enabling the lat
ter to snatch Nina from q horrible death
Cheer upon cheer greeted the two as they
were lowered safely to the ground, while one
old fellow. in his excitement exclaimed, as
be caught Joe by the hand
"a brave act we've done this night lad II
ought to wipe out a heap Of sins fur ye."
That night Joe disappeared, and "The Faya"
as far as the pubic was concerned, were known
no more.
TOT mAnN MEGhb vii A4N nONGIAlA UCNNEUu
life and death, but at last youth conquered She
is now the happy wife Of Louis, for that terrible
moment in which her fellow performer and
herself had hung as it were between heaven
and earth had l., esled to her who had Won hel
heart Louis and his wife have long since left
the profession and are prospering well in their
new line Of life. Two children have been
vouchsafed them Joe and Nina they are
named And what about the other Joe, you
think perhaps. Well, it was eight years before
- T. ne 5000 uD1Ia mkaWsf
Louis and Nina, telling him how happy they
were and how they had named their first born
for him
'sShe did that, Ninag" he murmurod, adding,
"and she must have guessed all; / saw IL in
her reproachful ewes that night / was mad
with jealousy. knew that she loved Louis,
but l thought il he were out Of her way she
would forget him, and then / could win her,
and so, mailman as l was, l cut the ropes at
tached to the middle trapeze-the one on
which Louis always did his finish" An ex-
clamation of Mortified surprise escaped me a.
he finished with:
'9You know how my hendish attempt was
frustrated How the girl l loved took the
place Of the man l would have murdered i
learned afterward that, feeling nervous, she
had persuaded Louis to take the leap instead
of herself. Only for that l should have been
branded as a murderer"
"But you nobly redeemed yourself in saving
both their lives, " l here 2
my GOdl can L ever smut out the horror OF
it all!'' he cried bitterly. Rising, l said:
Eyes, 1 think you can" then he bent his bag
gard eyes questioningly upon me, l added
wait here q few moments'
A little dArk-eyed fellow stood shyly eying
the man / had left but a few moments before,
then laying his hand upon the mans arm he
asked:
care you my big, brave Uncle Joe? Cause
if you are mamma sent me to fetch you"
"ChildI what is your nameg" exclaimed the
man eagerly.
'Joe Mason" answered the little one, add
ing: ''but mamma calls me Little Joe;'" then
glancing up he continued naively: "Uncls Joe,
mamma said you'd be glad 10 see me; are youyS
'fGladl" and as Joe Fuller uttered that one
word, like unto a sob, he clasped the little fell
low in his arms, while I, closing the door,
crept softly away, convinced the child had WOO
the day.