The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-11-20


formers. ] remember noticing. Too
tnat ne lounged good deal about III
tle closet where q gas meter WAS. ana
The door Of which was aiar. Il dill not
strike me at the time. but / oftnn
thought Of Il afterwards
"well, the performance went on. ann
soon Snowy turn came. He went
out IN his tights and fncry, mounted
up to the trapeze and was rs clever ~
Usual ~ rs feats. ] had slipped 10 the
front Of the house again. and was look
ing IN At him when my eyes suddenly
icll on box. II was the same had
seen there before the young woman
who had tainted there with the naval
chap. ] looked around for him. but he
was nowhere to be- seen.
Just then Snowy got up to the
perch on the gallery. from which he
tok the flying swing 70 q little trapcze
above the stage. II was a perilous
feat, and there wasn't breath 10 be
heard IN tho house. as he prepared for
It. Every eye was watching him.
saw him in all his glittering spaneles
posing himself. grasping Tie bar be.
tween his lists and then launching out
| HE sprang. There was whixz in
the air. and then, like flash, the house
was ~ darkness Every light had gone
out and you couldn't see the end 81
your nose. Heavens! what hubbub
there was. Every soul. worked up a.
y was 10 intense excitement, seemed to
have voice in that shrek that arose.
Before knew what to do there was
wild cutlery about my ears. and q lot OF
people brushed past me. No one knew
what was the matter. and in the ranic
sore imp cried Fret! 1 will never
forget the rush. tried to sneak. but /
was hustled against wall. knocked
down. trampled GU by adozcn feet. and
by the time l got up the house was al
most clear.
Turn on the gasr l yelled. hopinp
that some OF the hands would hear me.
and was making for the meter closet
when ! stumbled against some one. T.
heard voice. and a man almost drag
ging a woman brushed past me. We
were near the door. and glimmer OF
light from the lamp outside fell on
them. Never will forget the face Of
the young woman saw revealed there
the face Of the woman who had been
in the box. never saw the like with
fright and agony. Involuntarily lent
a hand to help her outside. But she
turned from me turned to the man be-
side her and cried with voice that rose
above the hubbub Save him. Save
him! q, God. 1t is my brotherr
Then strange thing happened
The man beside her stood stock still.
But only for moment The next in.
slant he had left her and dashed into
the auditorium. l went after him but
It was all dark there and STILL Only IN
above. near the ceiling, heard o
strange, scrambling noise. and clatter
OF glass where the big chandelier hung.
! was out in a jiffy and cropping about
for the gas-metcr closet. found il
open. and as felt about me | was
suddenly pushed aside and voice
cried out:
"A rope here. Give me . rope
There is one there
II had seen coil on the floor. and |
knew whoever had asked for II had
found II, when. moment after. heard
footsteps hurrying away ana heard
something dragging behind him. But
didn't stop. turned on the gas. ran
inside and had the gas Jets flaming up
a. entered the auditorium again.
"What a sight was there. Up near
the ceiling. holding by hand to a
shattered gas fixture and likely to drop
at any moment. with open mouth and
staring eyes, Snowy was hanging.
And just above. climbing along a beam
IA sort Of beam that ran up to an
k<. ~.r.,.,.tsx-.. Hal.
man with . rope dangling from him.
How he got up can not tell. have
seen featS in INV day. but holding to that
rafier and getting along il beat any
thing have ever witnessed. Well. he |
reached the top. got hold Of the gas fix
t"ras, slipped down, and quicker than | |
can tell you he had the rope about the
trapeze performer. and there were the
two hanging up there by brass rod
that might give way at any moment.
could hardly breathe as saw the rope
swinging down and the man irving 70
lasten II about something in the lantern
IN the roof. He seemed 10 hold on by
! single hand and climb with his feet
about the brass rod rs though il was
stout pillar. In another moment
snowy sank down and fell: but only A
'cw yards. After that ! saw the other
md 81 the rope slip up. and slowly, too.
md down came the body gently to the
yround. In a minutes time the other
nan was coming down the rope hand
'ver hand. and soon he was standing
reside me, putting with cxertion and
,ale as death. 1t was only then 1
ooked ut Snowy Al first l thought
i'm some one else didn't know the
nan. His black hair was fairly white.
md there was that look Of terror on
lis face that has never left Il since.
hat is his story"
''And who was his rescuerp" asked
he reporter.
''The Young naval fellow. The lover
{ his sister. She had recognized In
he trapeze performer her vagrant
rother whom her father drove away
rcm home. and the young fellow had
cen her faint at the sight Of him, and
ritncsscd the meeting I had seen my
III that moonlight night A l said,
0 was q very spitfirc, and became
ownright mad with jealousy. She had
Ger told him who the strange per-
'rmer was until the lights had gone
ut, and let Snowy in mid-air taking
lat awful leap"