The morning call., 1891-09-19
A BARGAIN
IN A BALLOON.

YOU know that am right.
Yes" meaningly, Il think L do know
You mean that l am poor and you are ditto.
and poverty multiplied by two is madness.
Jenny, a very pretty little blonde with
bright golden curls and sweet blue eyes,
said nothing, but looked down and wrote
hieroglyphics on the ground with the end o1
her parasol, while Tom, handsome, broad
shouldered fellow, with dark brown halr
and mustache aud large hazel eyes, lay halI
reclining at her feet.
"Isn't that the sum and the answerP" he
asked. ,,,
Still Jenny said nothing, but continued to
write hieroglyuhics, while little hush rose
on her cheeks and brow.
Al see how it is" he said. while l
have been away you have been demOral-
i2ed."
"What do you meanP" she asked sharply,
giving him an indignant glance.
oh nothing TO make you very angry, he
replied. 1T is Just this: Some of those sage
female veterans, who have gone through lie
satisfied to exist without that which, it ap-
pears to me. alone makes life endurable,
have talked you into their way Of thinking,
and now. fOTsOoth, 1t is madness t0 marry
the man you love. For YOU do love me,
Jenny-you know you do"
The girl was silent yet little While and
then said plaintively: ,,,,
II did believe l loved you once, Tom, I'll
acknowledge ii, but | am older now and
think maybe l was mistaken.
"Psbawp said Tom, think maybe. If
yOu don't know it without any maybe about
il Won were not mistaken either when l say
Won love me still. Yes, you love me still,
and vet YOU are going to marry that sneak
ing Ralph Morley. Don't deny it, for | know
it, though perhaps you don't quite know II
yourself yet. Are you engaged to him :"
That is an impertlneIt question ana L
shall not answer 1t.
"Ihen Will take it for granted that you
are"
"You needn't do any such a thing, for l
am not"
question after all.
" ! was not going to let you think what
you pleased"
sFm glad you answered it anyhow, for
now am going to tell you what SOFT OF
fellow lie is, and shan't feel as if | am being
rude, as | might otherwise have done. But,
pshawi l won't plead my case by abusing
my rival. Ii | can't convince you or the
divine right of love above every other con-
sideration I'll throw up the case. know
you love me; know love you.
why, Jenny, l could so on all my life
loving you just as l always loved you, II
you would let me; but l know If you don't
marry NE you will marry somebody else,
and it will be all up with NE then. Better
is dinner with herbs where love IS than
know what that means?
"Of course l do, any child would know"
you don't. though, for all you think
yourself so wise. 1t means just this, Il is
better to marry for love thon for money"
Come, Tom" said the girl, and there
was catching of her breath when she
spoke which told that tears were not far OF,
come, l must 90 home"
Tom noticed these symptoms and, wisely
concluding to press his suit no further just
.I- ad al hIr her side WItnOut y
ing another word.
There was to be a balloon ascension, and
Tom Arlington was to be one of the party
OF serouauts He had been on several such
expeditions before, and was quite an en-
thusiasi on the subject OF aerial navigation.
There was a big crowd collected around
the inclosure when the big silk bag was
being inflated with gas. Tom was inside
the inclosure with Jenny, her two maiden
aunts and Morley, who bad joined them,
much to the young aeronauts chagrln.
''How would you ike to go up 10 her,
Jenny" he asked.
"Oh. l think it would be splendid. if I
wasn't frightened, as l am sure should be, ("
replied Jenny.
little way"
"How could we do that"
easy enuugh-we'H get in the car and
the man will pay out the rope until we are
leo feet or so from the ground, ana Wnen
down again. Come, get in and try ii; you've
no idea how nice 1t is
Jenny hesitated, looking at her aunts.
No, Jenny" said Aunt Jane, for whom
she had been named; I'll not permit you to
try any such experiment Suppose the
rope were to break, where would you be
then"
Tom said there was no danger of the rope
breaking. and Aunt Sarah. who had made
up her mind TO be one of the party, said she
a DE f,s.NsE fhfaru
"Wiil you go, aunty?'' asked Jenny.
whose heart was all in a hutter between
excitement and fear at the idea.
YES" replied the maiden lady, deeid-
edly. "Pye always wished that could go
up in a balloon, and now that I've got
chance to do it without danger-there is no
danger. Mr.. Arlington
WHY, Sarah," cried Miss Jane, "I'm
astonished at your encouraging Jenny in
sucn a " lid, haTum-scarum adventure"
Ton, socn had his arrangements all made,
and helped the two ladies into the car.
"Will you go?" he said, not very cor
dalv, 10 Morley.
mo, thank yOu," was the reply.
"Why, you are not afraid?'
"No, am not afraid, but L will stay on
terra irma."
"All right" said Tom. stepping into the
car where the ladies were already seated.
"Let her out" to the men at the rope.
That fellow hasn't the pluck OF woman"
"Oh, how nicep' exclaimed Jenny, when
the balon came to a stand, about $50 feet
from the ground. isn't it, aunty?"
'Are you sure there is no danger of the
rope breaking, Mr.. Arlington 2" asked Miss
Sarah, instead OF replying to her niece.
''It is brand new, replied Tom.
''Then it is a very agreeable sensation" !"
said the lady.
After giving his companions sufficient time
to fully enjoy the pleasure OF their novel sit
fEDF aana a ci nn m ln rno hall aNu
and they commenced to haul in on the rope.
The balloon seemed rather reluctant to leave
her native element-if one may call IL So
bat was at last secured near enough to the
ground for the occupants to alight from the
car.
After giving his assistance to Miss Sarah
Tom turned to Jenny, who was preparing to
follow her aunt.
''How would you like to try 1t again2" he
said in low tone.
"Oh, so much" was the reply.
In an instant he was back in the car, the
signal was given to the men to pay out the
rope, and when Aunt Sarah looked around
her niece was fifty feet above her 10 the air.
don't know whether Tom Arlington had
had any such intention from the beginning !;
but while Jenny was looking over the edge
OF the car, waving her handkerchief to those
below, he took his penknife out of his pocket
and cut the rope. and the balloon shot up in
tile blue sky like wild bird set free from
SdpbAfAtys
At first Jenny was so astonished and
frightened that she could not speak; then
she said: 20, Toni l thought you said
there was no danger of the rope breaking"
II said what L believed to be true" re-
piled that equivocating scamp, who had
slipped his knife back into his pocket; "but
don't be frightened"
''How can help being frightened?" she
asked in trembling voice. "What will be-
come OF us, Tom?
dnDtt Iyno-y cold Topa
80. Tom! thought you were an aero
naut2"
$50 am."
"Don't talk such nonsense. You ought to
be ashamed to try to make me more fright
ened than l really am"
Il am not trying to frighten you, but now
that have got you up here all to myself l
am going to carry. you to the moon, where
girls are not sold for money"
20, TomP' cried the girl, beginning to
think she was in the power of a maniac,
Nv hat do you mean?"
hAfPan9 Vhv iisG ,oIaiy aoonoh nanyt