Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-01-29

appreciate her eyes, her soft complexion
| her perfect mouthl Garcia rejoiceC
when he reflected that he had routed thu
American editor from the field.
He persuaded Miss Sheffield to writ
his biography. Mrs. Otero saw then
| poring over the manuscript togethe
and called them Othcllo and Desdemona
The sketnh Miss Sheffield wrote wa
vivid and dramatic. 1t began with tn
daring feats of the acrobat followed
his career to the bull-hght, and told hov
he sprang into the arena with the grace
and litheness of panther, then dc
scribed the fearless manner in which III
dispatched the mad brutes that woulo
have killed him. Afterward it gave I
clear-cut description of his aeronauti'
performances; and, first and last and all
she extolled his bravery. Garcia trem
bled when the biography was translated
to him. He believed 1t would make hin
famous, and it gratifed his vanity tC
know that this brilliant woman coulc
write of him so admiringly.
She had the audaciousness usual will
pretty women, so she asked Stoddard tc
print the biography.
''Do you know that this is true!' he
asked. 1T is rule of this office to
print nothing that cannot be verified
"This story can easily be verified,
she answered 81 had it from Senior
Garcia's lips. OF course he knows all
about his own history"
"Oh, of course!" Stoddard remarked,
laconically; "but think have heard it
mentioned that people do not always tell
the truth about their own exploits.
Your article is clcverly written, but we
I can't use it. If the Government pur-
chases the flying machine we will devote
some space to it, but we are not going to
advertise the areonaut gratis.
"You will regret your decision when
you see this in some other paper" she
persisted. "Whv, even Rider Haggard's
stories of adventure are tame when com
pared with Senior Garcia's lite. His
story is like one of Jules Verne's."
Like the Baron Munchausen's, you
meau,n Stoddard commented.
The biography was not offered to
another editor, but was enlarged and
printed in pamphlet form. Capt. Garcia
proposed to give aerial exhibitions, and
the pamphlets were to DC sold on these
occasions. The Government had pro-
nounccd his flying machine to be of no
practical use, and he had published a
card saying that he would demonstrate
its practicability. He would give three
exhibitions at Meteor Park first, he would
show the public the hot air or primitive
G ho1 hp
would make an ascension by means of
gas, and finally he would illustrate how
the science of aerostatics had progressed
by spending two hours in midair in his
electric flying machine. He claimed to
have studied the wing movements of
birds until he had fathomed natures
secret of flying
Miss Sheffield met Stoddard one day
and thanked him for having declined to
print the biography. If he had published
it in its original form she would have
received twenty dollars; under the new
arrangement the aeronaut was to pay her
| one hundred dollars after the first ascen-
/ sion.
"You had better get your money in
advance Stoddard said. "Flying is
risky business for any one but angels
and there may not be any second ascen-
sion. The first may put stop to his
soaring"
81 prefer to wait until he has been en-
riched by the gate money"
but there may not be any gate
money" he persisted. "Why should
any one buy ticket to enter an inclosurt
when he can sit on neighboring fence
and command a fine view of the specta
Gle? As soon as the balloon rises as higl
as the wall of the inclosurc any begga
/ outside can see it as well us can the aris
/ tocrat in private box"
Nevertheless, many persons went in
side the inclosure to see the captain ant
his balloon, Stoddurd and Miss Shef
field among them. The aeronaut mad
the ascension while the band played
''Up in balloon. boys, up in balloon
All among the little stars, sailing
round the moon"
Stoddard bought one of the pamph
lets to read at his leisure. He had give
the biography but cursory notice at hi
office, but his interest in it had increased
As he and Miss Sheffield were leavin
the amusement grounds together the
saw Mrs. Otero in the crowd. She wa
talking earnestly to her escort and di
not notice their approach.
, "The aeronaut and the young lady h
means to marry are living in my house,
she was saying. "She is a journals
named May Sheffield. They will prob
ably make their wedding Journey in hi
flying machine, and if they come dow
alive she will write up her aerial expe
rience for Mr.. Stoddard's paper. By thu
way, he was in love with her long befor'
she was captivated by this jumping
jack"
Stoddard drew his companion out o.
reach of Mrs Otero's voice. His expires
sion was as impenetrable as that of the
Sphinx, but the girls face was flaming,
her eyes full of angry tears. He might
have doubted Mrs. Otero's words if May
Shetfield's crimson face had not con.
firmed them.
That night he read the biography
almost savagely. Viewed in this new
light it appeared as if the writer ha6
put her heart in her work, and had glor
flied every heroic action to which Garcia
laid claim. Stoddard distrusted the
Spaniard, who had seemed particularly
vainglorious on that day
He remembered that May Sheffield wa:
rather self.willed, and he reflected that
she would doubtless marry Garcia if she
liked him. She had no relatives to ad.
wise her or to inquire into the Spaniard's
past history. Stoddard was rather toe
young and too good looking to be q
model mentor, but he assumed this
thankless role, even while he knew that
the task he was undertaking was likely