The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-08-15
person Of whom he thought most yet

person of whom he thought most vet
whom he least expected to see.
The trapeze act came last, after his
other feats had been executed amid
the plandits of the delighted audience.
Cool and clear headed he had started
for the flying leap, when.-was it fate
or chance?-his eyes, looking beyond
the trapeze at the multitude which he
was wont to say affected him no more
than if they had been so many cabbage
heads, encountered the gaze 81 a palr of
soft, brown eyes which he knew-ah,
too well. Half in terror at his dar-
ing, half in puzzled effort to trace a
faint resemblance, they were fixed full
on him with a magnetism which
drew his to them. For one instant, the
blood surged madly to his brain, the
steady nerves trembled; only an instant
but the harm was done. He struck
out blindly for the swinging bar, missed
it, and fell with a sickening thud on the
stage below. Strong men groaned and
turned their faces away shuddering;
women shrieked, and some tainted. The
two or three physicians in the audience
promptly made their way behind the
scenes, and for q few moments all was
excitement and horror. Then the pro-
prietor of tile Gardens came forward
and announced that Signor francesca
had met with a serious but not danger
u accident, the band struck up
Marching Through Georgia." and the
performance went on, while behind the
scenes, with lis head in the lap of q
kind-hearted ballet dancer, Frank Bev-
erly lay senseless. Will Harris bent
over him anxiously, his eyes wet with
manly tears. There was a slow lifting
Of the closed eyelids, and the sufferer
said family, "Janiel" But she
sat in the audience all unconscious that
the injured gylnnast was the lover, of
whom at that same moment, her head
and heart were full. Then recogniz-
ing his friend, Don't let them know"
he murmured feebly, and tainted from
intense pain.
That a man should live after such an
accident seemed impossible. Still, the
creed of the Mollammedan holds that
every man bears a charmed life until his
hour comes, Franks hour was not yet.
His skull was fractured and his leg
broken, but it CHANGED that the most
famous surgeon of the day wa in the
audience, and was one of those who had
rushed indistinctively to help the even
ing's favorite. The sufferer was taken
to the hospital, and with infinite skill
the broken bones were set. Youth and
nature, assisted by u magnificent con-
stitution, did the rest. For days he
was unable to see any one, and Will
Harris warded off Mr.. Venable's inquir-
les with all a reporters ingenuity.
When Frank recovered, a slight
lameness was the only trace left of his
terrible accident, q lameness which
ended the gymnast's career, but in no
way interfered with the Journalists.
Eight months at the Grecian Gardens
had, allowing q premium for cash,
raised money enough to pay off the
mortgage, and q little later Frank was
promoted to a desk in the news-room.
He and jamie were married and man.
aged to live very comfortably in a mod
est little home i'll the suburbs of the
city.
Signor francesca has never been heard
Of by the Beverly's and Venables ex-
cept as "the gymnast who fell the night
Jmie was at the circus" But no earth
ly power can induce her ever to attend
such an exhibition, although she is full
of tender pity for the actoH.
"Poor fellows?" she says, "unfortun-
ate victims to the depraved taste of the
public, which, through their poverty,
tempts them to risk their lives