, 1896-08-03
ABOVE THE CLOUDS.

Zone thing l could never under
stand" said the judge as he looked
around at three Or four guests after din
ner, sis why everybody seems to expect
a man when telling a story orally to
confine himself strictly to the truth
while no II ever demands anything Of
the sort from a writing story teller. 1t
isn't fair. Besides it is based on wrong
principles. When a mar tells a story,
he ought to make it just as interesting
as he can regardless of all considera-
tons of truth"
Dangerous doctrine. Might be eX-
tremely demoralizing," observed the
dominic.
II can't think so," returned the
judge. ''Take the case of a host, for in
stance. l hold that it is not only his
privilege but his duty to entertain his
guests with the best stories he can toll
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 l took around the world when l
was u young man, l presume
II believe so, " answered the major
doubtfully.
II wasn't, of course, exactly what we
picture when we think Of u tramp, but
l didn't have much money and natural
ly l fell in with all sorts and conditions
of men. l reached my lowest ebb imam
cially in Sydney, Australia. At u cheap
boarding house l became acquainted
with a man who was by profession an
aeronaut. His name was MIDGET,
though on the bills he scintillated as
Signor Campanella.
"He was an excellent story teller and
o good fellow, though, like myself. he
was passing through q regular Oakhurst-
ian streak of bad luck. He had lost his
balloon. 1t seemed that the thing had
blown away one particularly windy aft
ernoon just before the ascent, and the
poor fellow was waiting in hopes that
it would be found out in the bush some
where and brought in. 1t used to be
quite pathetic to see him search through
the want advertisements in the morning
papers, looking for the heading of
'Found-Bulloon, but he never came
across it. He also advertised it himself,
giving u full description of the balloon
and Offering Il reward of G1O for its re-
turn, but in this he was equally unsuc-
cessful.
cat last he gave up all hope. Some
woman found that balloon he would
say, and couldn't resist the temptation
to cut it up for silk dresses. Well, she's
fixed for n good while anyhow; that
balloon ought to make All ordinary sized
woman about 200 dresses, though I'll
bet n shilling she'll get tired of the
color along on the last half of the second
1907 1t was before the day of big
sleeves, so l dare say he was right about
the number.
But my friends fortunes changed
finally, temporarily ut least. He found
II man willing to furnish money for "a
new balloon, and after it was finished
he made regular daily accents for a fort
night. He asked me to accompany him,
and Ibid SO several times. However, ill
luck still pursued C~ampanella, and two
weeks after lie got his new balloon he
one day had IL row with u drunken sailor
md went to the hospital with u broken
head.
1.-THE manager came to me in despair.
Could not l make the ascent? l agreed
and went over to the grounds. Here l
put on the signor's gorgeous apparel and
climbed into the basket. There was a
trapeze below the basket on which the
signor was Won to hang by his toes and
otherwise to playfully disport himself
while going up, but l judiciously kept
off and stuck to the basket.
1.-The crowd made q great uproar
about this, feeling that they were not
getting their moneys worth unless they
saw u man endanger his life. l could
heal the manager explaining that /
would begin to perform as soon as I was
up high enough to make it worth while,
and later l understood that after / had
passed out Of sight above the clouds he
assured them that l was then doing the
most blood curdling feats on that ira
peze that any human being ever at.
tempted.
"There was a rather stir breeze
blowing and l sailed along at a good
rate. l had shot up 5000 or 2, 900 feet,
and far below was a mighty ocean Of
white cloud. Where I was the sun shone
brightly, and it was cool and pleasant,
but I could o o zee the lightning thrash
ing about below aud hear the thunder
growl. l had no desire to 60 down into
a thunderstorm, 30 l sailed on.
"At the end of two hours I was still
driving along at the rate. I estimated.
Of 80 or 60 miles an hour. I had grown
tired of watching the raging storm be-
low and looked of toward what l Sup
pose l may call the horizon. Far away
against the sky l saw a speck. l thought
it was a bird at first, but . we ap-
preached nearer what wa my astonish-
ment to see that 1t wcs another balloon.
1--WE were being driven BY currents
blowing at right angles and were rapid.
" coming closer together. Soon I could
make out another pefson In the other
balloon. l waved my hand 1t him. and,
a he was q hundred fest above me, I
threw out . few hardfuls Of ballast.
rose and instantly saw that we were
m "