The Louisiana Democrat., 1889-04-17
A THRILLING STORY.
DOW Mr.. ycSwyny's Friend Concluded q
Strange, Romantic Tale.

DOW AIR. Ncswyny's Friend Concluded q
Strange, Romantic Tale.
"Speaking OF flash literature re-
minds me OF an incident which oc-
Cured some time since in connection
with a deceased friend of NINE" said
Bryan McSwyny yesterday, THE per-
son alluded to was man of genius. /
will not mention his name, because Of
his family connections, He was en-
gagged in writing serial story for a
well-known weekly paper of the
'Snake-Eyed Bob, the Bully OF the
Woods order. The story had run so
long that the publishers were getting
tired OF it. and they wrote to my friend
telling him to bring the story to an
end in the next installment. He did
SO in the following unique manner:
1.-The balloon rose slowly from the
foot OF the cliff, humping along the
face OF the rock as it did so. Angelina,
frightened at the prospect of the
perilous journey ahead when the ball
loon was one thousand feet from the
ground. jumped recklessly out upon a
ahelf of rock which projected from tho
face of the cliff. Frenzied with fear
Algernon followed his love at the risk
of breaking his neck, and the
balloon sailed away and left them
in their precarious situation. There
the lovers were one thousand
feet from the top of the cliff and an
nqual distance from the bottom. AL
gernon seated himself beside the love-
ly maiden and clasped her to his heav-
ing bosom in passionate embrace.
Slowly the sun sank behind the west
orn hills. It's expiring rays lit up the
forms of the lovers, oblivious of their
awful position. The shadows deep
ened and night fell like black pail
upon the scene.
'''Will you always love me, Alger-
non?" said Angelina.
80 Till death, darling" was the ro
ply.
"'THE END
We'll" continued Bryan, "letters
began to arrive at the Office OF publica-
tien asking such fatefuI questions as
these: What became of tho lovers?
Did they dry up and blow away? Did
the buzzards feed upon the form of the
lovely Angelina9 Did they fall off the
cliff and smash into pieces atthe foot?
Did bowlder roll over the edge of the
cliff and crush them? Did the birds Of
the air bring food to the lovers? Did
some one let q rope down from the top
OF the cliff and pull 'em up? For
Heavens sake, what became Of them?'
"Those letters accumulated so fast in
the office that the publishers became
alarmed and wrote to my friend. ask
ing him to write another installment
of the story, which he gladly did, the
concluding sentences of the last chapter
being as follows:
:" The long night passed slowly
away with leaden tread. The eastern
sky began to flush with the first beams
of morning light.
care you awake, u7aresten whis-
pered Algernon in Angelina's shell-like
ear.
"'The white curtains over the beau
tiful eyes slowly lifted, and the musical
voice replied in a faint whispers: z.,.
"'"Yes, darling, but I'm very huill-
gry." .,.ss;,ssssE'' sssss'
"""By the gods, replied Algernon,
springing excitedly to his feet, ''you
shall have food! For see, dearest, the
balloon approaches"
ait was indeed as Algernon had
said. Outlined against the feecy
clouds, by straining those eyes Of
heavenly blue, Angelina could see a
faint speck about as big as "a door
knob. The speck gradually grew
larger as the two lovers gazed hungri-
" npon it, now taking upon it the di-
mensions of an orange, then swelling
out as large as cocoanut, until it drew
within their sight and assured them
that they could not be mistaken; it
was indeed their long-lost balloon.
Then their fears wer> excited anew by
seeing the balloon sway as it was struck
by current of air. Clasping her
hands around Algernon's neck, Ange-
lima exclaimed in agony:
"'"Oh, darling, the balloon is going
aw;ym
"'"Wait, love-" said Algernon,
soothingly; another blast may strike
it,"
"'It was indeed so, as Algernon had
said. A favoring gale from Heaven, it
seemed. directed the balloon toward
the cliff again, and in miraculous
manner it was waited against the face
OF the cliff. AS it came nearer and
nearer to their resting place Algernon
said, in husky whisper:
""Now, Lena, my hearts love,
jump when | jump"
"'They jumped and clung like spi+
ders to the netting until Algernon had
descended to the car Then, like the
hero he was, Algernon rescued his dar-
ling one from her perilous position and
laid her upon the floor of the car. She
was resuscitated by a drink of life-giv-
ing brandy, which Algernon found in
q hamper, and an hour later was
pleasantly engaged in viewing the
diversified landscape, over which the