Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1890-04-30
Nirainia frtt 9uss.
THE FAT MlNS VICTORY.

or more persons standing up ana h'iui.i7
10 the straps An ng the latter was the
woman with three toy balloons ON
string. which bobbed around In a light
and airy fashion
A fat man standing just behind the
woman became n .olved with the bali
looms. One OF the other of them would
bob around and Li, hin on the n'c,
averaging about three knocks muH,e-
To the passengers who looked oa .tre
seemed to Dee some system m the ''N.
The balloons would come at the 1
I'm single file. II De lodged the
SECOND was pretty re to land on r.s
nose n ne succe lcd in dodg.u both
thc first and second .tNas "a sure Pcs ..a5
The third would reach ms nose with ier-
rfc effect. as we say i'm prize-nnS
CIRCLE,
Sometimes the balloons would advance
ON the Cat man three abreast forming
solid front that he lld not escape. and
ON several occasions was observed that,
while the center ou, mt him on the nose,
the two comprising the right and left
Hanks would depi, suddenly and bang
him ou either ear.
The fat man put mp his dukes. and. all
though i'm guardin. his face he displayed
considerable scienc'. vet 10 was soon eFi-
den. chat be was getting the worst OBJ Do.
Bat fate isn't as d kind to "a fac n'af as
sometimes appears 50. as if follow nS
the suggestion Of some sweet spirit re
took his knife from his pocket. opened %
blade felt tcnderly of It's point. and
seemed satisfied Despair fled from tine
fat mans face and n ne hung its rainbow
there instead. He looked twenty years
Younger than NE did ten minutes before.
ie fixed the most aggressive off ,-e
balloons with ms ghtterins eye.andV %
O.. knife poised between thumb an .t-
ger waited for am attack. Emao.deae, HF
recent victories tue balloon bo ID
nearer and nearer the fat mans nose.
THAT was now sho, ing plainly the effect
of ,opeated assaults.
a carful OF pa myers watched the
outcome with bre. less interest
The fat man ha. ln,e,f wen bon hand.
AMI when the bail pa came near enough
he made dextelous thrust with his
knife-blade and. To- the uSelulncS, of
that balloon was ruined in am instant.
A moment before 90 was pulled zap with
an air of Joy and e dness and bfc tot DO
had a rosy glow. 10 danced on tine end
of It's string like a thing that knew no.
sorrow. anil now where was It,; There
was a puff of escaping air. "a gasprg for
breath. a wrinkin a- of sudden oIda age,
a letting go of an the things of this life,
"a complete and utter collapse "a shrv-
eled. shruuken bit Of reed rubber hanging
90 "a string. and that was all
The TAT man had stabbed 10 i'm vit0l
spot.
The woman chung TO the strap. nor
rocked OF the ragc'y behind her.
The fat man ston up proud AMI erect,
as a gladiator who had just ramme his
brawny arm down .he lions throat aud
turned the beast Dr. 'e ol-
There was lul th- battle. as ii 90
give the two ba.io. l, time r1 bury their
dead. and hustnitis were renewed lg
was plain that thct -o surviving balloons
were suddenly seieel with tine spirit Of
red revenge Whi.e the yiciors smile
still llumiued the fat mans face and
ma le more wbicm his nose. one Of the
balloons dancel zap his way and gave
him a bat ON the ear Tie reached ont
for it with hi, RIGHT and missed. and Jhe
other one fetched mm one ON the nose.
The fat man felt again of his knife
blade ami smiled The second balloon
danced near. fell hack again. rose Dob the
full length of lbs string gujvared m the
air a moment as if about to Spring upon
itS victim. am l
Zip went che knife through the air and
another balloon went to join that silent
majority ~ one
Tho fot man, face broadenel to loo.
AMI the woman still chung to the strap.
The one remaining balloon had more
room and made thc most of 1t. It felt
that Che day might -dl, bc won by bc-
roic effort aul hit the fat man fifteen or
sixteen times with uriiiry tha SUR
prised the spectators. To would swipo
him first ON one sile and then on the
other. I'm irving to guard both ear, he
would leave hi, nose exposed and suffer
by II. The jolly red balloon was as hap
py as a harvest moon and danced AROUND
a. if it felt it would knock stars out of
the sky.
The fat man was serene. Once moro
be felt Of his tu,ty knife blade and
smiled the same silile we have seen be-
fore. The balloon was lowering around
waiting for ava OF ching. The Fat man
made a feint rs If to butt the balloon
with his head and when the balloon
thought 10 was about 90 land safely on
the fat man. ear. 1t felta sharp pain I'm
It's side and. presto three limp and life
les things were an thatwcre ieftof three
red and riotous balloons.
The woman turn to signal the con-
ductor TO stop the ear but saw them not
She swept the car With anxious eye from
side 20 side and from end 20 end. She
looked az One fat man. but he was gazing
ont of the ear window and elsewhere
At last the woman caught sigh, Of the
CHASTITY wreck Of her three balloons She
gazed upon the limp ruins with deep dis
gust for a time, and then said
When thievin storekeeper sells me
rotten balloons hat won't hold together
tiR can get them b ne, TN take it OFT
of his dog-skin or 1 don't want cent.
A typewriter " IN has been declared
valid by the courts OF Berks county,