Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1889 — LOVE IN k BALLOON. [ARTICLE]

LOVE IN k BALLOON.

“Bpeaking of flash literature reminds me of an Incident which or* curred some lime since i < connection with a deceased friend of mine,” said Bryan MeSwyny. “The person atlud td te was a man of ge due. I will not mention hts name because of his fam* iiy connections. He was engaged in writing a serial story for a well known weekly paper es the ‘Snake* Eyed Bob and Bully of the Woods’ order. The story had run so long that the publishers were getting tired of ti,and they wrote to my friend telling him to bring th« story to an end in the next installment. He did so in the follow leg unique manner: “The bf lloon rose slowly from the foet of the cliff, bump in,, along the face of the rock as it did so. Ange lioa, frigatened at the prospect of the perilous journey ahead when the bai lojn was 1000 feet from the ground, jumped recklessly cut upon a shelf of rock which projected frem the lace of the cliff Frenzied with fear Algernon fol'o*" d his lore at the risk or break* lag bis neck, and the balloon sailed away and left them In fheir precarious situation. There the lovers were, 1,0(0 feet frond tbe op of the oliff and an eq ai distance from the bottom. - Algernon seated himself b.side the lovely maiden and clasped her to hie bosom in a passionate embrace.— Slowly the sun ank behind the western hills. Its expiring rays lit up tbs forms of the lovers, eblivious of their awfal p >sltion. The shadows deep ened and night fell like a black pull upon the scene. *WUI you always love me, Alger nen?" said Angelina. Till death, darling, * wsa the reply. “the nun.” “Well.” ceatinued Bryan, “letters began to arrive at the office of publication asking such fateful questions ns these: “What became of the lovers? Did they dry up end blow nwav? Did tko bunzards fosd upon the form of the lovely Angelina?— Dld|tbey fall off the cliff and smash into pieces at the foot? Did a bowl dei roll over the edge of the cliff and orush them? Did the birds of the air bring food to the lovers? Did some one lot a rope down from the top of the cliff and pull ’em up?— For heaven’s sake, what became of them?”

"These Utters accumulated so far Id the office that the publishers became alarmed end wrote to my friend, asking him to write another installment of the story, which he gladly did, the concluding sentences of the la t chapter being as follows: "The long night passed slowly away with leaden tread- The eastern sky began to flush with the flrst beams of morning light. “Are you awak*, dearest?" whisp* eied Algernon in Angelina’s shelllike ear. “Th- white curtains over the beautiful eyes slowly lifted, and the nautical voice replied in a faint whisper: “Yes, darling, but I’m very hun» f?ry." “By the gods," replied Algernon, springing excitedly to his feet, “you shall have food! For see, dearest, the balloon approaches.” "It was. indeed, as Algernon had said, Outlined against the fleeev clouds, by straining those eyes es heavenly blue Angelina coaid see a faint speck about as big as a doork'taob The speck gradually trew larger as the lovers gazed bungrhy upon it, now taking upon it the du* ■tensions of an orange, then swellinr cut as large as a cocoanut, until it drew within their sight and assured them that they could not le mistaken; it was indeed their long-lost bai loon. The their ft arc were excited anew by seeing the balloon sway|as it was struck by a current of air.— Clasping her hands ground Algera* on s neck, Angelina exclaimed in ony: "‘Oh, darling, the balloon is going away!" “Wait, love,” said Algernen, soothingly; “another blast may strike it." “It was indeed so, as Algernon had said. A favoring gale from heaven, it seemed, directed the balleon toward the c'iff again, nd in a miraculous man ter it was wafted against the face of the cliff. As it came nearer and nearer to their resting place Algernon sail, in »husky whisper “Now, Lena, my heart’s love, jump when 1 jump.” “They jumped and olang like spiders to th > netting until Algernon had descended te the oar. Then, like tne hero he was Algernon res oued his darling one from her perilous position aud laid her upon the floor of the car. She was resuscitate ed by a drink of life giving brandy, which Algernon found in a hamper, and an hour later they were pleasantly engaged in viewi g the diver* sifled land cape over which th ■ bai loon sailed like a swallow in its flight. “Higher and higher fc e balloon rose until a band of Indians who ware watching it saw it gradually fad 1 ' away against the empyrean blue of the sky until it dwindled down ro <;he size of an apple, then faded awa>. until one speck like the head of a pin remained, and then was lost in the shadowy of spare. "rHEEKD.” “Weil, what did the publish-r* say this time?” “Oh,“ replied Bryan, with a smiir, “they simply discharged iuv fi that’s all.”