The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-18

POoICAS DIS DlS DIS your Qln1nB TOOTH
wall. posters as big as the side of your
suburban villa, all over Paris and 9TH
| er great capitals, representing a lovely,
fair haired, blue eyed girl doing the
trick. Advertisements in French and
English papers, and others which none
but the native born could understand;
huge announcements at railway sta
lions of express excursion trains for
those who wished to see the great per-
formance-for one week only-sand-
wich men and balloons. And, at last,
the agents had to announce that no
more tickets could be sold as there was
not enough space left for an upright
broomstick to find standing room, and
that now they were obliged to refuse
the offers of various monarchs to pur
chase boxes at any price.
/ Meanwhile La Comtesse de Bigarada
sat up in the garnet of her venerable
| lie Soir" on the Boulevards till the
"Gasping Grasshopper' had performed
that truly great financial trick of al
| lowing her 100 francs a week out of her
wages of rs francs, and smoked cigar
cites with her parent, and talked about
the other great trick she was now so
soon to perform.
only don't break your precious back,
minette," the old woman grunted as
she got her shriVelled lips round
What would become of me and all my
little comforts if you were taken
away?''
BAH" said the Grasshopper. Never
fear. I touch the five thousand francs
before 1 step on the stage. You will be
all right if I'm broken all to pieces.
But shan't be. Never fear"
What courage!" the old woman said,
clutching the neck of the absinthe bot
! tie. Like a lions. Just like your poor
father the morning before he was
guillit-'
Shut up-or, rather tails toi.'' the
gasping one said. Don't talk of that
| Father fell before the face of the enc
/ contempt in their teeth. That's my
story; keep to it. tell it to my wealthy
admirers when they ask me where L
| got my superb courage from"
| A week later the great night came,
| the first night of the seven in which
La Sauterlelle Respirante" was to
/ double loop the loop and fly over
| yawning gaps and chasms. The people,
some of them, who had bought louis
| tickets. which were not for reserved
seats, arrived at 8 o'clock in the morn
ing (the performance being at at
mighty, for all the world as if they
had been London theatergoers- By mid
| day large crowds had assembled, and
1 by o'clock the cuirassiers had charg-
ed into them and ridden down quite a
goodly number, with a view to pacify-
ing them and making them quiet At
| o'clock the crowd was singing the
! 'MafSo1ldlSe IN the pouring ram, Cotl-
| squeezing the government, yelling "VlNe
| is Sauterelle" and ''ViVe la Comtesse
ct la FFrancer' and at half past the
doors opened inwardly, and the mob,
| falling over each other, managed to
| trample the life out of a few more peo-
pei After which every one settled
down comfortably to what promised to
be a most enjoyable evening.
At quarter past eight the band
began to play that touching and beau
\ 10 fol
lowed by a few operate selections to
pass away the time. as well as La
Priere de Ia Verge and Nicolas.
Ha! Ha! HaH'
Then, amid a hush, followed by
roar of greeting and applause, the cur
tain went UP. and La Sauterelle
strolled onto the stage, which was in
truth a boarded floor. With an easy
grace which approached nightly near
to vulgar familiarity the incompatible
artistic who was dressed in the cos
tune Of a vivandiere. and was smok-
| ing a cigarette, winked and nodded at
and kissed her hands to the audience.
After which she spoke to one or two
of the stage hands who were hauling
at and tightening the ropes that hold
| the great wheels steady, kicked one IN
a jocose manner, and then, selling
| bicycle that stood on the prompt side.
! rode rund the unencumbered portion of
the stage while standing head down.
ward on the saddle.
But now the great moment was near,
the silence was painful. the excitement
at fever heat. Holding out her hand to
the manager, La Sauterelle received
five 1000 franc notes in it. which she
1 thrust into her baggy trouser pockets.
after which she approached the slant
| ing board down which. a few moments
| later she would come like the wind.
and, slowly wheeling her bicycle,
walked up it, while brushing the
planks occasionally with her handker-
chief to remove any trifling obstruc-
/ ton.
Arrived at the top, outside a small
hut, which looked like a diminutive
| bathing machine, she leaned the bicycle
| against the closed door, and going
4 down one one knee-she forgot to take
/ the cigarette out of her mouth, though
! she claSped her hands and looked up
i ward, a la. picture of the Maid of Or
! leans kneeling to the Duke of Bur
i gundy. Then she unlocked the door
of the hut and entered it. The hush
was awful, agonizing A minute latar
however, the band played 'Partnat
pour Ia Syrie," the door opened, the
bicycle with its fair rider flew down
the slope, then up, safely up! the first
wheel-over the chas1n-on to the next
wheel, down and up again and, next
while women tainted and screamed and
men howled crashed down on to the
stage, having fallen short at the sec
Ond gap. A moment later the head roll
ed from the huddled-up figure to the
footlights, the fair hair caught fire
and the curtain came hurriedly down.
But the head was a wooden onA. Il