The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-08-18
ABOVE THE CLOUDS.

stand said tho Judge as be looked
around at three or four guests after din.
ner, "is why everybody seems to expect
a 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 1t is based ON wrong
principles. When a man tells story,
he ought to make it just as interesting
as he can regardless Of all considera-
tions of truth"
Dangerous doctrine. Might be ex-
tremely demoralizing," observed the
dominic.
II can't think So" returned the
judge. "Take the case Of host, for in.
stance. I 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 I took around the world when I
was young man, presume.
II believe So" answered the major
doubtfully. .....-.
I wasn't, Of course, exactly what we
picture when we think Of tramp, but
didn't have much money and natural
ly fell in with all sorts and conditions
Of men. reached my lowest ebb flnan-
cially in Sydney, Australia. At cheap
boarding house I became acquainted
with man who was by profession an
aeronaut. His name was Mudgett,
though on the bills he scintillated as
Signor Campanella.
HE 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
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 DO
quite pathetic to see him search through
the want advertisements in the morning
papers, looking for the heading Of
'Found-Balloon, but he never camo
across it. He also advertised it himself,
giving full description of the balloon
and offering n reward Of e1O for its re.
turn, but in this he was equally unsuc-
cessful.
Eat 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 good while anyhow; that
balloon ought to make an ordinary sized
woman about 900 dresses, though III
bet shilling she'll get tired of the
color along on the last half of the second
100 1t 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
q man willing to furnish money for
new balloon, and after 1t was finished
he made regular daily ascents for fort
night. He asked me to accompany him,
and I did 80 several times. However, ill
luck still pursued Campanella, 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 l make the ascent? l agreed
and went over to tho grounds. Here
put on the signor's gorgeous apparel and
climbed into the basket. There was q
trapeze below the basket Oh which the
signor was wont 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 great uproar
about this, feeling that they were not
getting their moneys worth unless they
Jaw man endanger his life. could
hear the manager explaining that 1
would begin to perform as soon as was
up high enough to make it worth while,
and later understood that after had
passed ont of sight above the clouds he |
assured them that was then doing the
most blood curdling feats on that ira
,eze that any human being ever at |
empted.
There was q rather stiff breeze
blowing and l sailed along at good
ate. l had shot up 8, 900 Or z, 900 feet,
md far below was a mighty ocean Of
White cloud Where was the sun shone
rightly and it was cool and pleasant,
mt could soon see the lightning thrash
ng about below and hear the thunder
,rowl. I had no desire to go down into
thunderstorm, so sailed OH.
"At the end Of two hours l was still
irving along at the rate, estimated,
f 80 or 90 miles an hour I had grown
ired Of watching the raging storm be-
ow and looked of toward what l sup
ose may call the horizon. Far away
gainst the sky saw speck. I thought
was bird at first, but as we ap-
reached nearer what was my astonish-
,ent to see that it was another balloon.
1--WE were being driven by currents
lowing at right angles and were rapid
? coming closer together. Soon I could
lake out another person in the other
alloon. l waved my hand at him, and,
5 be was hundred feet above me,
lrew out few handfuls Of ballast. l
$50 and instantly saw that we were