Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1896-09-11
ABOVE THE CLOUDS.

around mt three or four guests after d1n-
her, sis why everybody seems to expect
man when telling story orally to
confine himself strictly to the truth
while no one ever demands anything Of
the sort from writing story teller. 1t
isn't fair. Besides it IL based OH wrong
principles. When man tells II story,
he ought to make it just NJ interesting
as he can regardless Of all considera-
tions Of truth.
Dangerous doctrine. Might be ex-
tremely demoraliaing observed the
dominic.
~ can't think 80. returned tho
Judge "1'ake the case of host, for in
stance. / hold that it is not only his
privilege but his duty to entertain his
guests with the best stories he can tell
and give no thought to truth. And I'll
undertake to show you that it is not de-
moralizing in any way. You remember
having heard me mention the tramp trip
which took around the world when /
was IA young man, presume.
IL believe so. answered the major
doubtfully.
II wasn't, Of course, exactly what we
picture when we think Of q tramp, but
didn't have much money and natural
ly fell in with all sorts and conditions
Of men. reached my lowest cbb finan-
cially in Sydney, Australia At q cheap
boarding house l became acquainted
with man who was by profession an
aeronaut. His name was Mudgett,
though on the bills he scintillated M
Signor Campunclla
'Ho was an excellent story teller and
good fellow, though. like myself, he
was passing through regular Oakhurst-
ian streak of bad luck. He had lost his
balloon. 1t seemed that the thing had
blown away one particularly windy aft
crnoon just before the ascent, and the
poor fellow was waiting In hopes that
il would be found out in the bush some
where and brought In. II used TO be
quite pathetic to see him search through
the want advertisements In the morning
papers, looking for tho heading OF
'Found-Balloon, but no never came
across 1t. He also advertised IL himself,
giving II full description Of the balloon
and offering reward of El0 for its re-
turn, but in this he was equally unsuc-
cessful.
"At last he gave up all hope Some
woman found that balloon, he would
say, and couldn't resist tho temptation
to cut it up for silk dresses Well. she's
fixed for good while anyhow; that
balloon ought to make an ordinary sized
woman about 200 dresses, though I'll
bet shilling she'll get tired Of tho
color along on the last half of the second
100 II was before the day of big
sleeves, so dare say he was right about
the number,
"But my friends fortunes changed
finally, temporarily at least. He found
u man willing to furnish money for d
new balloon, and after it was finished
he made regular daily ascents for IA fort
night. lie asked me TO accompany him,
and did 10 several times. However, i'll
luck still pursued CampaDclla, and two
weeks after he got his new balloon he
! one day had row with drunken sailor
and went to the hospital with broken
head.
1.-THE manager came to me In despair.
Could not make the ascent? agreed
and went over to the grounds Here /
put on the signor's gorgeous apparel and
climbed into the basket. There was
trapeze below the basket on which tho
signor was wont to hang by his toes and
otherwise to playfnlly disport himself
while going up, but ] judiciously kept
Off and stuck to the basket.
''Thc crowd made great uproar
about this, feeling that they were not
getting their moneys worth unless they
saw man endanger his life. could
hear the manager explaining that /
would begin to perform M soon ~ was
up high enough to make 1t worth while,
and later understood that after had
passed out Of sight above the clouds no
assured them that was then doing the
most blood curdling fcats OH that ira
peze that any human being ever at
tempted,
",rhere was rather stiff breeze
blowing and / sailed along at a good
rate. had shot up {, goo or z, 900 feet,
and far below was mighty ocean Of
white cloud. Where / was tho sun shono
brightly, and 1t was cool and pleasant,
but could soon see the lightning thrash
ing about below and hear the thunder
growl ! had no desire TO go down into
| d thunderstorm, so ] sailed on.
"At the end of two hours 1 was still
driving along at the rate, / estimated,
| Of 30 or 90 miles an hour. had grown
tired Of watching the raging storm be-
| low and looked off toward what | sup
pose may call the horizon. Far away
against the sky saw aspeck. thought
| it was "A bird at first, but ms we APP
preached nearer what was my astonish-
ment to see that IL was brother balloon.
"We were being { wen by currents
blow ing ut right angles and were rapid
ly coming closer together Soon ] could
make out another person in the other
balloon. | waved my hand at him, and,
Az ne was hundred feet above me, l
threw out few handfuls Of ballast. 1
rose and instantly saw that we were
going TO meet. prepared rope, and a.
the sides Of our great bags touched
threw one end into the oncoming basket
As the other aeronaut Strengthened up
from making the end fast was further
astOnished when my eyes met those Of
q beautiful young woman.
1.-The line was holding US only 10 or
IL feet apart. took of my hat and, az
total stranger, apologized for address
ing her. but hoped that the unusual cir
cumstances Of our meeting would excuse
my apparent rudeness Besides, / fan
cied that her face seemed familiar,
though this, Of course, was q fat lie.
She smiled and gracefully accepted my