Wichita eagle., 1888-07-01

The morning of the Fourth came at last,
though half the male C hildren of Lafayette
doubted that it ever VIC mid. Citizens of the
surrounding country CHI. tsed the sun into the
town. Young and old they came, deter
mined that nothing SO ia ntastic, not to say
demoniac as balloon sh valid leave the earth
without their seeing it. itll went to look at
the irreligious thing as it ! ay limp mass in
the court house yard, gua Tded by the pro
fessional aeronaut, and lowered over by
swarrns of boys.
How exciting was the business of Initiating
it. Every other attraction lost interest as
the work went on. Drinking glasses grew
dry as powder horns on the lemonade stands.
The dealers in ginger b.7ead and early apple
pies recklessly left their posts in subordinate
bands and drew near the throng Of patriotic
humanity which surrounded the court house
yard like broad and breathing wall.
The balloon, fastened to its guy ropes, and
receiving the gas which was to bear it up
ward was signing and floun6ering like an
impatient animal, anxious TO be off. AT
last all was ready The ropes were put into
the hands of stalwart patriots, five and six
to each rope. Then the professional balloon
ist who had ''boSsed the job" addressed the
breathIess populace in the feehngleSs and
penetrating voice of ring master.
Harper CleIand then stepped out from a
group of interested assistants, nodded right
and left to his friends, gracefully touched his
hat to the people and sprang into the bal
looms basket.
At this point all Lafayette opened its
throat concertedly and expressed its, patriot
ism and admiration. The cheer was. mighty
and prolonged. Nettie Bankard sitting on
the door step OF her mothers tiny cottage
looking upward in expectaIit agony, heard it
and knew that the dreadful hour had come
Never before had she SO clearly realized that
the body was the prison OF the spirit. She
longed uHutterably for wings, that she,might
fly to that fearful thing which was bearing
her hearts hero away from the earth into
danger and perhaps death
Secretly, from her humble sphere she
looked up to, loved and worshiped the daring
young man who was to sail into space ITO
make an American holiday" Not soul that
breathed knew of this ponderous secret
The man she loved did not even dream of it.
And Yet, in her heart, she believed that some
how, in some silent mysterious way, her love
would go forth and bless rs object Who
can prove that her belief, born of the spirit
which creates and peoples worlds, was not
IOUliueu upon al tleTIldi VI utNE
The silence of death fell ever the crowd as
the order las given to clear the ropes, and let
the balloon go upward The wonderful car
riage of the air shot up, but not strai ght TO
the sky. The over excited men at one of the
ropes held on some seconds after the others
had let go. This made the balloon lurch
earthward on one side as it rose. St, king a
corner of the court house rent was torn in
t+c k,,I~r GU ND 10
doomed
The swarmIng people below saw The ruin
that had been wrought and It's possible dire
full consequences, and terror took Tie place Of |
interest, parching their tongues and paralyz- |
ing their limbs.
For few minutes the young man in the
basket did not know OF his peril. The bal |
loon mounted smoothly. scarcely missing the |
Eas that beiched fitfully from its gaping side |
Standing erect he waved his hand gaviy to |
the SEA OF upturned faces Then the great |
ball above him trembled, lurrhed and began |
to falter in its flight. The people watched |
him with bated breath The stoutest of them /
groaned, the weakest wep1 Their strained /
eyes saw the balloon limp through the air, /
now falling. then signing and rising little (
s gain, then laundering to the right or the 1
IClL y l.lliG cSSI OF lflS Tow Il II IC>I al It's
life and with sudden collapse sank toward 1
the earth Brushing over the tips of trees,
it trailed of into empty space and wlsiloSc 70
sight
They found the amateur aeronaut lying
crushed and lfeleleSS in pasture field
He WAS was quite dead, they said
Gently rs they nft,ld did they carry him to |
the nearest housc. and there they strait hteried
HIM for tne grave, laid him out in the
vernacIJt~ of the place And they put
copper cents on his eyes. was the custom
OF the day, for al this occurred many year
ago. The oldest inhabitant- tod me- the
story And they covered his crushed body
with the white sheets CT death.
Hall the inhabitants OF Lafayette were on
the spot almost Is SC q as Clellald WIS
found Among the number was Nettie
Bankard, who had fairly Gown over the
ground. urged on by love, which in the mo-
ment Of danger forgot 20 be shy. NOBODY
wondered why she YVES tnsre, since almost
everybody WAS there.
Ii SO happened that as the unfortunate day
waued she stood On the porch looking into
the room q death then lats solitary As sea
iooAed WITH the sac q the soul ratter thaa
TIE eyes, she fanciet that TIE long figure Oh
the board moved It twas fancy, Of course,
she told herself. But sa-ely the white sheet ,
Ai.aak- In Q houn; ths eirl was n tie rooy,