Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-08-27
His Last Throw.
AN ACROBAT's ROMANCE.

A brawl in gambling hell, a bull
let through his lungs, and Jack
Spelt was dying. His friend needed
no doctor to tell him so; the flames
which now and again shot out from
the smoldcring embers showing him
the shadows of death fast falling on
his handsome face.
"COme Closer" said the dying
man. 81 can't die with the secret
of my life untold"
His friend knelt down beside the
coarse pallet on which he lay.
You have often asked me for the
story of my life, jim; you shall
have it now. Mine was not a bad
life, till l committed my great
crime. At the time 1 thought it
was a just act OF revenge, that only
TOOK the law in my own hands but
not for long. Remorse showed me
the truth; l was murderer.
81 must begin at the beginning.
My father and mother were show
people, travelling round from fair to
fair, and was brought up in the
same line. ] was trained to knife
throwing; ] dare say you have often
seen 1t done in the old country.
By the time 1 was eighteen l
was perfect at it. AT every village
fair, Jacopo Spelterini the champion
knife-thrower Of the world, was one
of the greatest attractions. At teight
yards I could pierce the pip of an
ace-card. Inever failed; my nerves
were like iron, and my hand was as
steady as rock.
But my greatest feat was done
with a girl. Lettie, as she was
called, used to stand with her back
against the board, with her arms
stretched out like cross, and I used
to throw the knives into the board,
one under and one above each arm,
one on each side of her throat, and
one just above her head. There was
not more than half an inch between
her skin and the blade. used often
to sec people in the audience turn
quite white when did that trick.
Lettie and l had been brought
up together. She was the daughter
of an old friend of my fathers who
had died when she was baby. My
father, with an eye to business,
trained her to work with me in the
same show.
AS a boy / loved her, as a man
loved her. 1 lived only for her, and
| had sworn to win her.
was often nearly driven mad
with jealousy. She had many adj
mirers, and she flirted with them
all. In the end, however, she threw
them all away and married me.
From that moment she seemed a
changed woman, and was as happy
as the day was long. Blind fool
that was, trusted her
One night, when the show was
over and l was tidying up bit he.
fore turning in, / heard voices in
the next tent. One voice belonged
to an Italian conjurer, an old ad-
mirer of Lettie's, a fellow I could
not bear the sight of. l stopped for
moment; 1t was my wife and
Salini talking.
An inexpressible fear came over
me. / drew close to the canvas and
listened.
Half a dozen words, and / knew
all. Lettie, whom l loved and
trusted, loved me no longer. She
loved Salini. From her own lips
learnt her confession. She was
going to leave me for that miser.
able italian.
Il shall be i'm at the last per
formance tomorrow night he said
'and while that husband Of yours is
packing up we'll make off. We
shall be out Of the country before he
knows we are gone.'
Then 1 heard them kiss. My
mind was made up. would show
her no mercy; she had shown INT
none. / meant to kill her."
The dying man paused. Grea
beads OF sweat stood out on his fore
head-he was living 1t over again.
"That night and the next day wa'
a time Of agony for me. My low
was changed to hate; lived for re
venge. -
i At last the time for the evening
performance came. The tent wa