The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1898-06-10

moments to be fraught with evil.
This evening the manikln was IN
worse humor than usual: his jecrs were
more biting and more bitter. and be-
meath the coat of flour covering his
scanned features he appeared not pale
but livfd. His eyes had n sharp and
menaclng flash IN them, and never left
Rita, who, gayly posed before her mir
ror. was having her bodice laced by the
handsome gymnast Icarus.
In the circus the orchestra was finish
ing waltz by Metra. The curious were
gradually quitting the stable and re-
turning to their places. The sharp cuts
OF the ring-masters whip were crack
Ing IN the arena; the show had begun.
Icarus placed a last rose 10 the hair Of
the equestrienne and ran TO chalk her
shoes. He stumbled against his dwarf
lsh comrnde.
The clown seemed very busy IN exam
lining the gas-metre. and pushed him
away with an oath Then. without
more ado, the acrobat sent him Keeling.
and lcaping ON ladder, cried, with a
laugh, "Out of the way, you pitiful
pigmyw
Aesop uttered roar OF rage and
anger, then suddenly calming himself,
returned TO the metre, and after having
followed with an eye of hatred the
ascent Of Icarus, began fumbling with
the mechanism of the stop-cocks.
A great clapplng of hands. A frantic
ovation. Two hundred pretty women
dropped their fans, and leveled their
opcra-glasscs, and, trifle pale, smiled
with a delicious dread. Icarus was up
thcre-high up at the top OF the circus
hanging to the last trapeze, and turning
over and over IN II, slowly and without
an effort.
At times he paused, and his face was
seen radiant in the foolish pride of trl-
umph. Below, IN the ring, the clowns
were stretching n circular net, and In
all the circus reigned deep silence Drok-
en- only by feminine whisper: How
GRACEFUL What handsome fellow
The gymnast then, finding his public
sufficiently warmed up, raised himself
at one pull, stiffening himself on his
wrists.
The trapeze, violently thrown back,
described n great are, and, letting 90
the bar. the man shot forward like an
arrow into space.
There was n feeling of apprehension
in the crowd, and an "Ohv Of alright
uttered by a thousand breasts. The
ncrobat reached the second trapeze, and
calmly let himself swing In its decreas-
Ing oscillations.
Slowly he thus darted eleven tunes
calm and smiling as he made the iouI
of the circus, and rejoicing at feeling
beneath him the immense painting Of
the throng.
At the eleventh trapeze he paused to
prolong this emotion--his glory-and his
eyes, sought out Rita, The equestrennc
saw him. and with the handle Of hei
whip threw him kiss.
The elatcd Icarus, hanging by ono
hand. saluted her; then he brought his
trapeze TO rest. He was about to com
plete his task.
Enough" said some voices
mol Bravo. Encorew cried the In
| ulf'N, tsiktI " ltti Oltt lliOlt llt Dtf
verse JOY of an enticing pain.
For the twelfth time the handsom,
gymnast, stiffoning his muscular arms
essayed his terrible flight.
But an appalling cry of terror. fran
tic shout arose.
In an instant, suddenly-like q candi,
put out by the flap of bats wing-~th'
thousand glistenlng lights of the clrcu,
were extingulshed all together. mt th'
precise and fatal moment when til,
man was darting into space.
At the same instant there rose from
the ring a laugh, terrible, vibratin.
with hate
Then in the black and hideons oh
security. In the pitchy darkness tina
filled the circus lately so blazing, polg
nant shrieks rolled from row to row
Women tainted. and the spectators
with their hearts crushed In hopeless
terror, shuddcrlngly sat as IL petriiic,
In their places, and peered Into thu
night that filed the dome. The net wa
empty, the acrobat must be looked TO
In the gloom. In the search. lanterns
were brought and carried toward th
top of the circus. Five minutes flv
centuries, elapsed. Some one cried
Bengal lights"
Then, while here and there peopl
were trying to rclght the burners.
blaze Of violet and red, of green an.
azure. flashed out and with powerful
illumination lit up at one fash ever
corner of the circus with Its fantasti
and trembling CLEANS.
And suddenly. rs IN the flames OF
transformation scene, was seen. rlgid
clampcd TO the trapeze. Prince Icaru'
hanging motionlcss.
An unheard of horror paralyzed hlr
, In supernatural frenzy. His hair stoo
/ erect. His distorted face. whittier tina
, that OF corpse, his haggard eyes. pr,
trudlng from their sockets, rolled cor
/, vulsively.
Soon his comrades were near hin
I, With the handle of his knife Aeso
, struck the gymnast's hands. and wit
! great difficulty detached from the ba
i. the clenched hands of the miserabl
man.
/. The gas was relighted, and the crow.
utlontfx. orJ ,,.lfhnt,f a breath xVaf.slts.