The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1902-07-31

: be If such a divinity could exist In
= mining camp. Hooey, who had a rain
. tight lean-to in connection with his
store. and had been cherishing a sneak
2 ing feeling all summer that he might
as well have a wife and coy hreslde
of his own, could stand the strain nc
longer. As he waited for the inter
, mission, which was to give the perform
, ers moment of relaxation, he formed
} his plans, and was ready TO start FOR
the greenroom tent the minute he saw
the star of the evening temporarily ex-
tingushed under the old army cG9e
Time was precious. he reasoned. for the
show would be moving on early the
next morning, so he wasted no time on
preliminaries.
"See here honey he said. laying his
great paw on her shoulder, as If he ex-
peeted her to vanish into thin air If he
did not detain her, there amt much
society in these parts, but think you'd
like us all if you knew us better, and If
you're wilin' I'll join your show till
we strike a town with a parson to It,
and get splieed."
The eyes of the flying fairy darkened
and wdened as he proceeded. although
the language he spoke was not wholly
ineligible to her
And ye'd live just like a lady he
continued; I'D never allow my wife 10
work. You might do the cookln' and
washn' for me, and some of the boys,
maybe, and a few little odd jobs like
that, but you'd never need to do reg
lar work unless you wanted to-" He
ended with confidential whisper as to
the size of his pile of dust which had
been about as honestly come by as her
own peroxide locks.
A dawn of understanding began to
break over her puzzled mind. But,
m'sieur ees so vaire-so vaire--" she
laughed; and Hooley's heart jumped
into his throat But while she hesltat-
ed for the right word the bell rang, and
the next Instant there was n twinkllng
Of heels In his face, as, with n double
handspring she was in position for her
next flight, leaving the big man won.
derIng.
Upon her temperance, the audience
already grown hoarse from shouting,
began, after the good, old miner fash
ion, to shower the ring with silver dol
lars. Thick and fast they ralned about
her. sliding through the air like hail
stones. but mercifully missing a vital
spot. Then, with courtesy and plr-
ouette, she stopped, ana taking off her
slipper proceeded TO gather up the sill.
YER shower
Pierre, always on the alert for some
such happening. had overheard the in.
teryiew IN the greenroom. and the
monster had marked him
for its own. For having only eyes In
his head TO see with, he could pene.
trate no deeper into her heart than the
spangles on her bodice
Hooley's temerity fired the acrobat
with a desperate resolve that tonight
should see the finish one way or the
other. He determined to grasp the
first opportunity to speak, but to his
surprise found 1t was not SO quick in
coming. The catch-llne, which he had
to hold in his teeth to keep the swing
moving, precluded all possibility Of
speaking during that feat. He held her
eyes in a long devouring look as she
swung back and forth working up the
momentum of the bar. "Now or new
cr" he swore to himself. as he saw the
red-shlrted miner take his place beside
the ringmaster as If the whole show be-
longed to him.
Mon angel" lie whispered. when II
her next flight she turned with out
stretched arms to him, aud he longed
to drop to terra firma and catch her
to his heart, but remembered Just In
time that this was the nying-jib act In
which she hung head downward and
caught the lower bar. He grasped her
firmly by the ankles as she reached
him, describing blue circles In the at
mosphere; but holding her ankles was
not satisfactory substitute for press
ing her little hand. and lie did not seem
able to translate his meaning thereby.
Meanwhile, Hooley, his hope of hap
piness hanging literally by thread
stood with arms upreaehed to catch
her, almost hoping she might fall.
easy, easy, little 'unl' he called. IF
that blamed idiot isn't careful you're a
gonerr in proprietary tones.
The aerial artist rolled her eyes M.
ward until they reached downward
and saw the bearded IIooey directly
underneath.
but. m'sieur, ees So" she began
again; but the bar swung back. there
was shower Of golddust in his eyes
as her peroxide ringlets swept above
him, and the next minute she was soar
ing through the air to the arms of the
resolute Pierre
"And say!" the bearded face shouted
after her, 1--WE got a claim against
Murphy's Dead Luck, too"
adorable ange," the second greatest
artist muttered, for he held the rope
In his teeth aud although he saw the
man on the ground making Roadway
he knew her safety depended upon that
line, and dared not unclonch his teeth.
He had no need of formulating his aus
ton, however, for he had often asked
1t, and she had as often put him Off.
But, no." returned the angel, mis-
taking his inartlculate mutter for a re-
buke for losing time. zone, two.
three she counted as she prepared for
the grand finale, high swing to the
top of the tent, from which she was to
swing in aerial somersaults over the
head Of the faithful Pierre.