Connecticut western news., 1895-08-08
CANAAN, CONN, THURSDAY, AUGUST s, 1895.

tinue, however. The young girl was now 20 and Jacques 26. One evening he persented his friends with tickets to the circus. It was 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.
 Mme. 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 a line to itself, and whose ap- paratus was hanging up at the top of the high tent The latter consisted of bars, with copper balls that shone, a maze of trapezes, ropes and pulleys, and the young girl, little frightened, inquired if it all was secure.
 At last the first part of the perform ance was over, and keeping time to a slow waltz Jacques appeared. He was as beautiful as god in his silk tights, that displayed to advantage his superbly nodded form, and. for the rest, his cos tune consisted of black satin calecon, spangled with gold.
 After having responded by bow to the applause of the crowd and by a smile to Zette's smile, he darted up rope to his trapeze.
 The preliminaries were gone through with amid prolonged braves, for the handsome gymnast was a favorite. and it was truly pleasure to see him act the supple body so pliant, yet so marvel ously exact i'll its movements.
 Then there came silence-even the or chestra was still.
 It was to be the hit of the evening and new feat that was to give an add ed glory to the circus He was to leap from one trapeze to another, with his face and head covered, then suddenly drop from this giddy height upon net stretched below him. The two trapeze were swinging with regular movement. Jacques, standing on little board, his head enveloped in a 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.
 Missing the second trapeze, which had 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 the men were now carrying away the apparently lifeless body of her friend.
 Then suddenly seizing her mother s arm, "Come," she said in a 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 Mime. Floury saw clown whom she recognized as one of Jacques friends. He was just coming out of the refreshment room when she called him.
 ''The net broke the force of the fall, " said the man, whose face looked trou- bled, 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 a rainy day" Mme Floury looked at Bette. 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 go"
 And thanking the clown by gesture she left the circus.
 The two women did not speak as they traversed the grounds of the fair, and they were still silent as they ascended their own little stairway. But when Mme. Floury had lighted the candle she saw Zette sitting beside the bed, with 8 strange smile on her lips. She felt fright ened for her and went to her.
 "Of what are you thinking, little daughter" she asked, trying to reassure herself.
 1 Then Zette laid her head upon hel mothers shoulder, with childlike ges ture.
 1T think = that now I can marry Jacques" she told her.-From the French in Romance.