The Washington times., 1894-10-19
R6u0nq8 Of 0aIadin.

trance and that of 'House Full' substituted
for it. Ii always was so when the great Sala-
! din, as he called himself, walked the tight
rope. For the people love above all things
to cape at dangerous performances; and
when Saladin walked the tight rope there
was no net stretched to catch him if he fell.
A fall in his case, they knew, meant death
and hideous mutilation.
Eagerly and impatiently they awaited his
appearance. The artists who preceded him
! played to an inattentive audience No one
showed any interest when the iuggIer bal
anced plates upon his forehead, only the
front row of the stalls regarded the skirt
dancers; the efforts of the comic singers were
! 10 st in the buzz of thousand conversations.
! But at last. at 10 O'Clock precisely, the num-
ber of Saladin's turn went up, and the people
clapped their hands and stamped their feet
and cheered.
! He kept them waiting a few minutes. 1t
was his custom-the device by which he in
sured himself a second outbreak of the ap-
! plause, which he enjoyed. Then he stepped
out on the tiny stage, close to the roof, from
which the tight-rope started, and flung of his
/ picturesque cloak and showed himself ar
rayed in all the splendor of his flesh-colored
! tights and gay green trunks.
A handsome man beyond a doubt; man
OF symmetrical and well-knit frame; man
whose muscular arms and chest and shoulders
| bespoke his perfect training. His eyes had
that clear. limpid look, which tells of perfect
| physical health; the firm outlines of his
mouth ana chin spoke of determination and
| fearless resolution. Then men gazed at him
! with envy, the women with an admiration
akin to that which the bull-hghter excites in
more hot-Dlooded lands.
bravo. bravo. bravoi'' they shouted.
And some of the women whispered to one
another. as women will on such occasions:
ION, how dreadful If he should fall"
Saladin looked down from his giddy height
through heZy space upon the mass of up
turned faces and drank in the delicious in
cense of their applause. Then, as the band
began to play the prelude of popular waltz,
he ostentatiously blew kiss toward box
where a little woman with a sacred look in
her eyes sat watching him. She had forehod-
ings-Yague forebodings born of ominous
dreams-that something terrible would hefall
that night SO she had told him and now he
blew her 4 kiss before that great multitude to
| reassure her.
And yet she was not reassured. Not that
she doubted for an instant her lovers sure
ness OF foot or steadiness of head. Only she
had seen face in the stalls and a pair OF
eyes that had met hers and frightened her.
She clutched suddenly at the sleeve OF her
| companion.
'Look. she cried, Historically.
Yes. dear; what is it?''
'3Iy husband He is sitting below there"
"Iour husband?'
''Aes. left him TO run away with Saiadin.
Didn't you know He'll do something dread
ful. l know he will. l must run and tell
Saladin. Let me go. Kitty"
The other tried to calm her.
You can't, dear" she said. 'It's too late.
The turns just beginning"
But l can't bear to look at it, Kitty"
"Ihen come outside, dear. There's no
danger, really; but if you stay here you may
scream and frighten him"
And so saying she took her by the arm and
led her out gently into the ladies' cloak room
and made her drink a little brandy
Meanwhile the strains of the Myosytis
waltz were already floating through the build
ing and Saladin. all ignorant of the little
woman'o fears for him, had grasped the bal
ancing pole and walked out upon the tight
rope
it stretched from end to end of the hall,
some eighty feet or so above the floor and
Saladin walked along it, ambed along it and
tripped along It, as easily and safely as man
who crosses a plank bridge over tiny
brook. He stood on il on one foot; he knelt
on it. he sat astride of il He even crossed il
blindfolded. with asack drawn over his mead.
The multitude gazed at him. open-eyed and
open-mouthed. and every time he got back to
his little platform in midair roared tumultous
applause.
Then came the feature of the evening for
which every one had been waiting with anX-
ious curiosity The manager of the hall
stepped out on the stage and made a speech
Ladies and gentlemen . he shouted. I'VE
have now arrived at the final item in Saladin's
entertainment. SaIidin asks me TO say that
If any member of the audience will intrust
himself TO his care he is willing to carry him
across the tight rope on his back"
There was great silence, broken presently
by the voices of those who pressed the offer
on their neighbors. The manager repeated
his proposal.
Il can assure you. ladies and gentlemen" ;"
he said. THAT there is not the slightest dan
ger. ii any gentleman yill cross the tight
rope on Saladin's back, Saladin will abso-
lutely guarantee his safe return"
Again there was silence, growing gradu-
ally to a murmur; and then a long tempest of
vociferous cheers as a man in evening dress
was seen to rise in his place in the stalls and
climb the flight of steps which gave access to
the stage.
''Who is he?"
The question passed rapidly from mouth TO
mouth and at first none could answer it. But
presently man in the front seat whispered
by Jove That's the man whose wife ran
away with Saladinr'
To which the neighbor replied: "Ugly lit
tie brute; I'm not surprised" And then af-
ter pause. but what's his name, 1 Won
der? He means mischief of some sort, I'll
warrant What do you think? Oughtn't we
to tell the manager to stop it?"
Whats the use? It's not our business
Saladin can stop it himself if he wants to-"
True; so he can"
So they whispered to each other, while the
woman's husband was hoisted amid ringing
rounds of cheers, to the platform where stood
the man who had robbed him OF his wife.
There was nothing heroic, nothing inspir-
ing about his presence. Looking at him,
one hardly knew whether to say that he was
too ugly to be insignificant or too insignificant
to be Tgly. He was, in short, miserable
scarecrow of a man. Beside the athlete he
looked more contemplate than ever. 10 any
one who knew the story it would have seemed
no wonder that the athlete had been preferred
to him, even by the woman who wore his
wedding ring. He saw and knew all this
himself; he had seen and known it ever since
his rival had come across his path; and the
knowledge added both to his bitterness and
to his hate.
The eyes of the two men met, 1t was the
first time since the little women had left her
home that Saladin had seen the man whom he
had wronged; and they looked at each other
long and steadfastly. There were two at
tendants with them on the platform and, in
their presence, neither cared to speak the
thoughts that were uppermost in his mind.
But Saladin's eyes fell at length before the
others gaze and fear was visible in his face
and he began to stammer out a refusal to go
farther with this last item of his entertain
ment
IF you are afraid, - the other whispered be-
meath his breath, 'if you are afraid, it does
not matter"
Still Saladin hesitated.
Very WELL" tho man said. "Now, see
that you are a coward.
THE word st11ne, Saladin To The n11ick He