Year: 1871




turn your face to me. am so helpless


here, and shall so soon lose the face love
Come to me for these few precious moments
, Very gently she came up to me, and
}. laid her cool hand on my forehead.


She bent her head, and as | laid my
weak fingers on the soft curls, one deer
sob shook the little kneeling figure, but
when she rose her eyes were very bright


behind their glistening lashes. She did
not say word of farewell to me. With
a strange, brave, struggling smile, which
would have vanished with word, she hes
itated moment her cheeks flushing, and
her lips wistful. Then quite suddenly,
with Just the slight gesture with which she
acknowledged the plaudits of the crowd,
she left me.


/ lay and listened as the carriages rolled
past the infirmary gates; and presently,
across the river, could hear our own band
strike up merrily. | could follow in fancy
the whole performance as / lay with the
prog ramme before me, and the we'll
airs to guide me. At last, with quicken
ed beating of my heart, felt that the
time was come for Ninette's appearance.
knew the very tune with which the band
would greet her. All there it was but
drowned almost in a loud prolonged applause
Then-knowing she was performing-Il lay
there quivering in every limb.


1t was Just as one of the hospital physi-
clans and nurse came into my room, that
great shout rose on the other side of the
river, and rolled joyously across to me.
Ny blood burned in my veins,


"That is to greet her after her leap"
said, Speaking aloud and rapidly in my in
tense re. .ef. 4" Thank God it is over"


al, too, am glad it is over" said the
physician gravely; 'sueh a feat should
never have been attempted


"And yet every one has gone to see it,"
/ answered, passionately, as the nurse turn
ed my pillow. "Why did they encourage
her ?" -.-. ..- .-


such things would be done in any
case,n he answered, sat least we judge so;
though perhaps we do not try it /; for GER
tainly every one has gone to see this leap
to night; all our own household, like every
one else's. Yet how can we help disap-
proving such a dangerous act, performed
too by young and beautiful girl, whose
life must be one long temptation to display
if to nothing worse 2" .-.. ..-.


"Listen :" | cried, in sudden terror,
pushing away the nurse, and starting up
with painting breath, ibid the band stop
then-suddenly Hark it is all SILENT


I remember faltering incoherect appeals
to be taken to the circus; and 1 remem-
Der how they tried to soothe me, laying
me back upon the bed, and drawing down
the blind before my wild and staring eyes.
But in that hush across. the river knew
that had had my death blow.


They brought me no tidings for days.
They kept me in, darkness within land
without. But when at last my brain was
calm agsin, and my eyes had lost their rest
less fever, they told me some few particu-
lars of that fearful night.


Ninette had performed her dauntless
feat with dauntless success. While she
stood daintily upon his neck, Black Hawk
took his leap smoothly and safely. Bat
the astonished crowd had not been salts
fed with this; with a persistent cry they
had summoned her again; and summoned
her in my name.


"As the seats for tonight have been
taken at double price," she had said laugh
ingly, to Monsieur, al owe the audience
a double appearance"


And so she had ridden in again tri-
umphantly, and springing lightly upon the /
neck of her horse, had prepared again for
her wonderful leap.


Then came the hush-though no one
ever could tell me exactly how it had oc-
CURED some saying Ninette was unusu-
ally excited by her brilliant feat; and
some that she was tired. She fell-fell |
with light, sudden fall, which would not
have hurt her, perhaps, but that her tenn
pie struck the boards which separated
the front row of spectators from the ring.


Thank God that there had been no strug-
gle! There was one deep red stain upon
the soft, fair curls; but no anguish on the
young dead face when they lifted it SO
gently.


In the rare, sweet dreams which visit
me as lie here, always see Nnette Just
IS saw her first-just as / saw her last
And'when awake, am almost glad to
zee, in the faces round me, that the time
S drawing very near when shall see her
)pce again. LOa0LOJa ISOcietg i