Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-01-09

In one japanese juggler is thro win
knives; in another pair of contortion-
lists are twisting themselves in astonish-
ing combinations. Directly in front and
far above me, large handsome woman
is walking wire. There is something
about her face that attracts me. / say
to myself that she is made up. and 8
nearer view would probably show Her to
be coarse, dissipated- looking, and ILL
favored. Still. 1 watch her; there is
| about her different look from the
Others. Another is watching her too.
| 1t is one of the "white slaves" of which
there are a number hurrying hither and
thither respondent in greasy red uni
forms. He is standing little to one
side gazing up at her intently. | cannot
see her face, but as she finishes her act
and swings down from the dizzy height,
he steps quickly forward, and | notice,
or think / notice, just for an instant,
taat as he takes her htnl, apparently to
assist her, there is q glance exchanged
between them, and look of kindness
that is almost smile comes into her
beautiful face; while her hand fingers in
his, after her feet have touched the ground,
It moment longer than seemed neces-
sary. Then she trips away, and the man
summoned to another quarter, is gone
too.
The manager is passing, and beckon
to him.
"Who is the la ly that has just finishe
the wire walking?" ask.
"M1demoisellc Lester. Mlgniicent.
isn she? She gets five hundred a week p"
And the man that helpel her own?
That one at the end-comins this
way
"Oh, Josh Josh Morgan, one OF the
canvas hands. Good fellow Besn with
us two seasons. Worships The Lester.
All that keeps him
II should like to know more Of him. -
"Not much to tell, Joine Us at
Evansville, Ran away from the farm.
Dazzled by spangles aud game like lots
of others. Got his eyes open in about
three days. Would have quit il it hadn't
been for The Lester. Spoke few words
with him one day. Saw he was gree
and innocent. aud pitiel him. That
fixed him. Been her slave ever since
Last winter when we laid W, ald The
Lester was gone, never drew a sob n
bre 18th. Keeps pretty strai yht nov, bat
has bad spells. Never lets anybody else
help her down. Boys calls him Testers
pet Very kind heart aud pitles him,
that's all"
That was all. He did not need to tell
me more. saw only roo plainly the
story of the farmer boy dazzled by tin
! sci and gauze. awakening to fin it all a
shan, and his portion Of it a cup of de
graduation. Resolved and yet ashamed
! to return to the farm. Overcoms with
rem nrse aud disappointment, wa ~ su l.
denly the fairest of those enchtuteis,
whom he has heretofore beleld only a,
! from an immeasureable distance, stoop;,
, aud with a few magic words HIS cast
p, about him spell that he cannot und5,
or wish to Judo.
| would hot like to assert that The
Lester is a good woman. 1t is quite
probable, in fact. that she is not. It is
| more that probable that she smokes,
drinks whisky, an uses bal lau yuage'.
And yet, while these things are much,
they are not all of life. From within
/ her woman heart there creeps out ray
of kindness that to the crushed manhood
of Josh Morgan has become a beam OF
glory.
The next morning the old routine be.
gan again, and Josh Morgan and TIE
Lester were forgotten. The days
! crowded rapidly upon each other, an /
August, hotter if anything than July,
was upon us.
| One afternoon the telegraph was CON
ing in and the forms were rapidly fill
ing, everybody was working in light at
tire, although we had become by this
time somewhat accustomed to the tenn
perature. As usual, we were holding
the columns open for the latest bit o
sensational news.
"Forms all full; no more space,
called the ''devil" at my elbow. At thu
=. same moment messenger-boy laid ,