Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-08
pnoYEn HIS DEVOTION.
A LOver's Feat From Iho Nigh Bridge
Over ReCOh LklYcr.

To prove hills devotion 10 h6 sweet
heart Fired A. Darmon, u prosperous
young stockman, jumped from the
Gpeat Pecos River bridge 70 the water,
32s feet below. II WIS the greatest
bridge jump on record, The fight
through the adr was twice and a. half
ols high no thalD MON Brooklyn bridge,
which has so often proved FATAL.
Darmon had no pracidce, no lnstruc-
tlon no elaborate theories even, ye''he
is alive and well and us happy ais a
man whose love is fully returned can
be.
incidentally, the great leap spoiled
picnic on the river, OF which Miss
Anna Rivers, the motive power OF The
fest, wus the spoiled and wltul Dt~e
For u long slime Darmon had been
paving MISS Rivers attention. AL The
picnic he renewed his vows otundyang
'oye and his ardent wish TO prove n,
but the girl, cruel ae pretty girls oiten
are, said pettishly-ehe doesn't say IL
nClw-'ilo the pocr fellow;
"Oh, Fred, oan'r you talkaboutsome;
thing else? Why don't You prove itH
Why don't you show that you really
care for me?"
"What shall ] do?"
GLOW do | know? There are no
Hems here to loiM. Jump of the bridge
up there, or something; only lot me
alone"
And she pointed TO the great briddge
above them, hung like u spider web
in the cir Now, II Is u Nact chat
pretty girls are not no observant as
plaan oSes-perhaps beclusethey dGnt
have 10 be. II Miss Rivers had been
obser,Unt she might have seen Oar.
mon breathe q lidble more quickly and
set HIS tech hard,
At length enc OF the plcnlckers cast
a glance aloft. There swung the giaM
bridge, humming in the wind, it's huge
and massive braces looking like fila
ments of spun silk.
Upon the bridge a figure was NOV.
dng-a 'hny cash of black outlined
agls,lnst the sky.
"Why, There's Fred now, on the
bridget" cried out the one who had
seen the figure.
And then Miss Rivers became for
once observant. The memory of her
rash words nashdi upon her mind.
"My Cod" she shrleked, leaping to
her feet Don't jump, Fred! Fred!
Sbop Don't
The tiny figure on the bridge was
malClngSome gesture, dimly discerned.
Aaterward Darmon eldd he hadthrown
his love kiss. And then
And then the figure left the bridge!
1t was " DICT lin the sky, framed be-
tween the bridge and the far bankand
the walker.
They cay 10 faIN1lng body traveS so
many feet the fret second, so many
the neNi-that DarmOn must have
Reached the water in four or five Sec
onds a I mttH. 1t e,cm2d as manymin.
utcs, wh,,c these On shore watched
with their hearts Standing sill. And
vet, agcAizingly slow as seemed the
Ball, III was with fearful force that the
Little figure growing bigger as it de.
scended, half turning in the air, at
hast struck the waiter. Only a tiny
Boiling whirlpCOl on the surface re.
maIined to show where the body sank
The river, fortunately, is deep and
not very wide at thepolnt where the
bridge crosssS. John Addison, one OF
the party. threw Off his coat and
Jumped into the water, Another man
man followed. When the inert body
of Darmon rose to the surface they
easily brought ItGehore.
Presently Darmon began to breathe
He opened his eyes and went to NUT
tering ANNA name. On her part, she
came TO her senses just in time to be
told that her lover was alive and all
most unhurt.
But 1t waIs fun hour before she
was permitted to fall en- his neck and
weep HassiomsIte protestabons into
his ears.
ri never meant It, Bred she moan.
de. "0h, why were you so foolish?
Never do such q foolish ching again,
Fou wicked, wicked boy!"