The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-05-29

una tlcn you need only hold out your
hand and say to me, Let us DO married,
aud it will make mo happy.
So after thus simply settling the affair
jacques was like a brother in the house.
1t was lie who In the springtime plant
ed the seeds III the boxes upon the littlo
balcony. Ii was he who twined tho ten
drills about the wires, and it was he who
at all seasons furnished tho gilded porcc-
lain vases that held the flowers.
These flowers were great luxury to
Zettc.
This state of things did not long con-
tinuc. however. The young girl was
now 20 and jacques 90. One evening no
presented his friends with tickets to the
circus TWAS the last day of long con-
tinued fair, and Zette and her mother
had nothing to do. So they decked them
selves in their best and went early.
Nine Floury was much amused with
the horses, the rope dancers, the clowns,
the trained dogs. Zette thought only of
jacques, whose name on the programme
occupied line to itself, and whose ap-
paratus was hanging up at the top of tho
high tent The latter consisted of bars,
with copper balls that shone, maze Of
trapezes, ropes and pulleys, and the
young girl, little frightened, inquired
IT it all was secure.
AT last the first part Of the perform
ance was over, and keeping time to n
slow waltz Jacques appeared. He was
rs beautiful as q god i'll his silk tights,
that displayed to advantage his superbly
nodded form, and. for the rest, his cos
tune consisted of black satin calccon,
spangled with gold.
After having responded by bow to
the applause of tho crowd and by a
smile to Zette's smile, he darted up n
rope to his trapeze
The preliminaries We're gone through
with amid prolonged braves, for the
handsome gymnast was Il favoritc, and
1t was truly pleasure to see him act
the supple body so plant, yet so marvel
ously exact i'll its movements.
Then there came silence-even the or
chestra was still.
1t was to he the hit of the evening
and lit " feat that was to give an add
ed glory to the circus. He was to leap
from ono trapeze TO another, with his
face and head covered, then suddenly
drop from this giddy height upon net
stretched below him. The two trapcZe
were swinging with regular movement.
Jacques, standing on little board, his
head enveloped i'll black velvet bag,
put forth his hand blindly. The crowd
held its breath. The man was going to
jump-he had jumped!
A piercing cry rent the air
been badly regulated, Jacques fell to the
net, but it proved too frail to support his
weight, and striking upon the seats he
rolled to the ground. where he lay mo-
tionless.
With cry Of horror, Zette sprang to
her feet, rigid and pale, her eyes fixed
upon the spot where tho men were now
carrying away the apparently lifeless
body of her friend.
Then suddenly seizing her mother s
arm, Come" she said in hollow
voice.
Breaking through the crowd, the two
women reached the stables, but were re-
fused admission. For long while they
remained at the entrance, listening to
what was said around them, but no one
knew anything. Finally Nine, Floury
saw clown whom she recognized as one
of jacques friends He was just coming
ont of the refreShment room when she
called him.
The net broke the force of the fall, /"
SAID the man. whose face looked trou-
blcd, even under the paint. "The doctor
says he will be lame for life, and that
this ends for him his profession as a
gymnast. Poor fellow! But he has some
thing laid up for rainy day"
Nine Floury looked at Zette. She
was very pale, and her eyes were fixed
upon the man as he spoke as though try
ing TO find if he lied. At last she said
Let us CO."
And thanking the clown by a gesture
she left the circus
The two women did not speak rs they
traversed the grounds of the fair, and
they were still silent as they assembled
their own little stairway. But when
Nine. Floury had lighted the candle she
saw Zettc sitting beside the bed, with a
strange smile on her lips. She felt fright
ened for her and went to her
"Of what are you thinking, little
daughter" sho asked. trying to reassurc
herself.
Then Zetto laid her head upon her
mothers shoulder. with childlike GEES
ture.
Il think that now I can marry
Jacques, she told her--From the
French i'll Romance
Their Trilby Club.
They were party of gushing young
girls.