CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1898-05-05

IN of his tinsel trappings and the
cneap appointments of the famous Sig
| nor Salviatoria as single handed and
alone he prepared the paraphernalia for
| his tight-rope performance which had
brought him his glory would have ever
imagined that there was time or space
in his busy life for a romance. The
signor was peripaietic perambulator
of the rope, and his field of perform
ance lay in country towns, where il was
his wont to stretch his narrow pathway
across a street from roof to roof of
b. uses whose owners were willing TO
| extend that privilege to him in ex-
change for tickets to -the Great and
or y Megatherian Concert" which fol-
lowed the outdoor exhibition. Yet he
| had a romance. and there were in it
those elements which one greater than
Signor Sa.yiatoria might easily have
icTysiallized into a melodrama that
would have stirred the applause OF
thousand galleries.
The greatest act ] ever done" he
said. with a natural and easy disregard
Of accent and synta1. II done in IN
Ohio town about ten years ago. l was
doing my turn there for week, and it
was the county fair season. and ! was
| following their trail like a sieuth. for
they brought people TO town and helped
my business, never none too good. The
third night of my performance, which
WAS a haif-hour exhibition in midair
before the concert had begun. had
eune up on the roof 10 git things ready.
and while / was pottering around snug
GIN up the rope and seeing that there
wasn't any loose eogs to be dropping.
] heard a screech mp through the scuit.e
bee leading TO the roof. and the next
second out popped a woman like one
5t these here jumping jacks. 1t give
me a hard pull on my nerves, but /
flew over 10 see what the matter was.
| II was my landlady-and here ! want
70 say that when l stop for any time
In a town ! go 10 boarding-house
where / can get rate that won't
I break me. Got 10 do IL in this line.
Cant give il all TO railroads and ho-
tells.
"In this case not only stopped at
,hi. clearinghouse. but the landiady
let me stretch my rope from her roof
TO she roof OF the house across the
way, and as i; was the main street of
The town. II was convenient all the way
round for me. The only drawback was
ths; the lady had half-erazy husband
that never had tione anything for her
when he had his senses, and now she
had TO supper. him and take his abuse
Of her every time he got = jes-ous fit.
which was every time she had a new
bodrder that was anything for looks
and style"
Siguor Saiviatoria stopped moment
at this remark, siroked his liiiie chin
whisker. and smiled reirospectively.
'.Sbe had only been polite to me be
cause had been polite to her, as az,
gent should be when there is a pretty
woman around. and the iandlady was
the preitiest little woman. about as
big as a piece Of soap. had met.
AS / was saying. when ] got TO her
she had slung the cover to the seu,tle
hole over il and was sitting on it with
her jaw set and trying 10 stick her
toes into the roof TO he'll hold it down.
In a mighty few words she told me
her hus and was on the chase after
her with a Ratchet 10 kill her, aud he
would be up from below in minute.
Snc wasn't as bad scared as ! was, for
didn't have much experience in that
kind of business and didn'; know what
e DO. didn't have anything to defend
nv self or her with, either, and the
more / thought of the situation the
more / began TO think how many things
there were that was more dangerous
tAae walking a tight rope so feet above
the earth, and me as innoeen; as
babe The little woman told me to
bring a barrel half full OF sand there
was over in one corner of the roof. and
we'd set IL over the cover of the scuttie
to hold II down. | done ii as fast as
| could, and when we had the barrel
there and about fixed, the crazy hns-
band came slashing up with his hatche,,
As luck would have 1t the sand fell
in on him and knocked him of the lad
der below, and the barrel got stuck
In the hole, so the little woman and me
had minute or two TO think, and she
done the thinking.
"'Are you afraidw says she.
Some says /. nodding toward the
scuttle hole.
"I mean OF mer' says she, smiling.
"'Not much says I.
".Are you strong?' says she.
".Tha;'s part Of my act says I. But
not against a crazy man with n hntchet,'
SAYS T. wondering what she word 10
ncS, r' ahaut how long i
tai the crazy man was on deck with his
t1DAhAwk cleaning in the aff. -
Il 3UkSn.s says shs, grab Nda q
n .EyioR and hsH. na --~SE