The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-10-26
his hat. save, flor Martyru nj" he add

words in such place!"
II say it every time see her, said the
| other. Look, man, and you will say it,
too. Don't you see the martyr in her
eyes?'
"You are sentimental, Hilton"
mo, it is only that you are dull, Dali
veil. One day-she will be less strong
| than usual or she will be distracted
the least little wrench during her SOM
ersault, and she will break her back. 1
have come here day after day to see it.
She knows that it will happen in all
probability. She is prepared for death
every time she steps on that stage. 1t
| is a race between her and DEATH
Il hope you are not right Hilton. II
| you are the Legislature should put down
such performances"
| ut will eventually, when some great
awakening comes to our country peo-
pie. just look at their faces. Those
women there have the very expression
of the Roman danes when they turned
up the thumb. What do you suppose
brings them except the chance of see
ing yonder little human flower smashed
to pieces?"
And you, Hilton?'
II come for the same purpose, but
| for another reason. Do you see the
handsome fellow in the wings who
gloats over the signora's beauty
"a lover?"
Eyes, and husband. 1t is for his
sake the child runs o race with death
every day. 1t is for his sake am here"
''Tell me more"
1.-THE man is dying on his feet. Any
great shock would kill him; but, on the
other hand, life of well-being might
prolong his indefinitely. This is the
signora's first lucrative engagement.
Every time she performs brings her one
step nearer to safety for them both.
She has promised me that she will take
him back to Sicily after her time here
terminates. There are a couple of old
people there who depend on her also"
"How much you know about her, Hill
toni" ~sc
''She called me in to see him. He has
been splitting blood"
docs he know her danger?"
''He sees the performance is danger
Gus, but he is used to it, and he has I'M
bounded confidence in her strength and
dexterity. They keep themselves from
thinking too much by planning the life
in Sicily when her peril is overall the
years are provided for They do not
ask much, poor children! They have all
the Italians frugality. Ipray the thing
may end well. But now-ah! there she
goes, like golden butterfly"
81 feel hound to be here" said
Dalvell. "No, l shall not see her leap.
1t is playing with flesh and blood. And,
good God, there are children here as
well as women!"
watch the husbands face, then" re-
piled the doctor. He is rapturously in
love with her, and yet their happiness
is so quiet. They were children. to-
gether.'
Dalvell looked at the man in the
wings. Unseen by the rest of the house,
he was kissing his hand to the woman
in the flies. His slender figure leaned
forward a little; his eager eyes were
| full of light.
| 1t must have been the moment of the
leap Dalvell heard the low sigh of
suspense of the people about him. He
still watched the husband.
Suddenly-he could not tell how it
| happened, it was in a flash of time
the man in the wings staggered and
| lurched forward. He had the impulse
| to rush to his aid. But there rang
through the hall the most terrible cry,
and then everyone rose up; there was
hoarse shout, pressing forward,
swaying, a breaking out of many voices,
and the mass of people was rushing
confusedly in one direction.
"Come with me-" said Hilton. "What
feared has happened. I'm afraid l can
hardly do much for her. 1t is damnable
she should have been allowed to Kill
herself. But that poor lad!"
81 don't think he will know" said
Dalvell, in a hushed voice, looking to-
wards the huddled-up figure in the
wings. "At least, he did not see her
| fall Thank God for that"
The Flower of the Air" had been
carried behind the scenes.
DR.. Hilton hurried there, made a
hasty examination.
Her back is broken" he said; "she
will not live very long. She is smashed
to pieces"
"Come with me-" said Dalvell. II
think they have not found him, but her
husband is lying in the wings"
HE saw her fall?'
mo. / am afraid she saw him. 1t
must have been that that caused the ac-
cident."
"Ah. saw her poor little face. Then
she came crash!"
Beppo was carried to the dressing
room. There was nothing to be done
for him. He had died quite suddenly.
angina pectoris, no doubt" said DR..
Hilton. Perhaps, poor lad, he realized
suddenly that she was in deadly peril.
Perhaps not. Anyhow, he has gone be-
fore her"