| Show CLOWS V VENGEANCE I 1 that evening there was a great concourse of people on the place do de la liberte the rosati circus was giving its last performance and the pub lie he of toulon was flocking in crowds to this farewell representation at the doors beneath the flickering gleam ot of the rows of gas lights was a ceaseless crush and movement an endless line was slowly winding its way in halting baiting at every step and hammering the sounding planks with a confused clatter all around on the notice boards stuck in the ground the colors of 0 the flaming posters were displayed and bathed in the garish light dazzled the eye in the crowd of spectators and idlers everyone was reading aloud the placard which stood conspicuous in front positively the last time this evening LAST PC performances 1 of 0 PRINCE ICARUS I 1 i the flying man 1 1 ot of MLLE R RITA ITA and of AESOP the tha grasshopper clown cl within the I 1 pincu s p the seats were all al ready overflowing and the sama names repeated from rom mouth to mouth blended into a general murmur deadened deade hed by tha th q canvas over the ring some of the circus men meia were raking the sawdust on the track and above the door to the stables the musicians were lan ian tuning their instruments or at times add addressing ti lends tho who passed beneath the gallery k that you marl ashow goes it etc in the upper rows the alive with impatience tor for the expected spec spectacle ac e and irritate by the passing af pf the fashionable first n ag yg avi s envied fre ire qu enters behind the scenes who pressed in a crowd to the narion entrance leading to the greenroom officers in civilian dress and students ship brokers and idle dandles dandies all wished for the last time to get near the fair mile rita the celebrated equestrienne who fir a month had bad been the subject of 4 conversation in every meBa room and every club they stepped along the elbowed and the el bowers between the he walls that were covered with sets gets of varnished b harness arbeia and begged pardon every time they jostled a groom they stopped at the stalls of blue devil end and djian the two trick Am arabians blans and under pretext of giving some sugar to the horses fluttered 0 S s AN IDIOT GRIN about the extemporized dressing room where rita tranquil and smiling was donning her ber attire I 1 lien hen came in succession the commonplace compliments to which the star of the circus unheeding beeding un scarcely deigned to give an answer without se seeming eining to note the ardent gaze of her admirers admi reis she was a handsome girl a cameles caro leBa gypsy with the sun in her eyes an and d her blood accustomed to the atmosphere of admiration and sho she finished her toilet without hurt hunyong ying at times however impatiently and witha with a pretty rebellious movement she elie gave her shoulders a shake and made the pearls of her necklace rattle it was then the little clown aesop hei bet husband who all be floured and painted was walking before the loom his bis huge topknot at every step drew near and with his sharp fal falbetta betto voice launched some taunt at the aillet s courtiers they laughed they even applauded but more often they lowered their eyes bufore the cutting cold gaze bt bf the dwarf whose wan and grotesque face in spite of the smile of his bis blood red and too largo large lips seemed at some moments to be fraught with evil this evening the manikin was aas in a worse humor than usual hla his jears cepro apro more biting and more bitter and beneath the coat of flour covering his seamed features he appealed not pale but livid his eyes had a sharp and men menacing menal aIng ng flash in them and never left rita who gayly posed before her mirror was having her bodice laced by the handsome gymnast trams icarus in the circus the orchestra was finishing a waltz by metra the curious were gradually quitting the stable and returning to their places the sharp cuts of the ring masters whip were 0 cracking in the arena the show had bad beun begun icarus placed a last rose roee in the hair of the equestrienne and ran to chalk her shoes ile he stumbled against his bis dwarfish comrade the clown seemed very ery busy in examining the gas gaa meter and pushed him away with an oath then with ont more ado the acrobat sent bita reeling and lea leaping piri on OB a ladder cried with a 4 laugh out of my way you pitiful pig pigmy t aesop uttered a roar ot of rap rage and an gw car then suddenly calming himself returned to the motor meter and attar after having followed with an eye ot of hatred tb recent ascent of icarus began tumbling fumbling with the mechanism of the A great clapping of hands A frantic ovation two hundred pretty women dropped their tans fang and leveled their opera glasses and a trifle pale smiled with a delicious dread icarus was up there high up at the top of the circus hanging to the last trapeze trape ae and turning over aud and over in it slowly and without an effort at times he paused and his face WILs was seen radiant in the fo foolish foolas rido of triumph below in the iho ring the clowns vere stretching a circular net and in all the circus reigned deep silence broken only by a feminine whisper illow how grace graceful full what a handsome fell fellow owl I 1 the gy gymnast then finding hla his public warmed up raised himself at one pull t stiffening himself on oil hla his wrists the trapeze violently thrown back bach described a great are arc and letting go the bar the man shot forward like an arrow into space apace there was a feeling of apprehension in the crowd and an ohl oh I 1 of affra affright uttered by a thousand breasts the acrobat reached the second trapeze arid and calmly let himself swing in its desreis ing oscillations slowly he be thus darted eleven times cal calm find smiling as he made the tour of t the e circus and rejoicing at feeling beneath him the immense panting of the throng at this ibis eleventh trapeze he be paused to prolong this emotion his glory and lits his eyes sought out rita the equestrienne saw him and with th the a handle of her whip threw him a bikles kiss the elated icarus hanging by one ona hand band saluted her then he be brought his trapeze to rest lie iio was about to complete life his task I 1 enough said some voices not braill En encore corell cried the ladles pager eager to feel once more the perverse joy of an ent enticing leing pain por for the twelfth time the handsome hand somo gymnast stiffening his ble muscular r arms essayed his teril ble flight dut but an appalling cry of terror a frantic shout arose in an instant suddenly like a candle candie put out by the flap of a bats wing the thousand glistening lights of the circus were extinguished all together at the precise and fatal moment when the man was darting into space at the same instant there rose from the ring a laugh terrible vibrating a tins then in the black and hideous obscurity ity in the pitchy darkness that filled the circus lately so blazing poignant shrieks rolled from row to row women fainted and the their hearts crushed in hopeless terror sat eat as if petrified la in their places and peered into the night that filled the dome the net was empty the acrobat must be looked fur for in the gloom in the search lanterns were brought and carried toward the top of the circus rive minutes five centuries elapsed some one died cited uen gal lights then while heie and there people were trying to relight the burners a blaze of violet and red of green ond and azure flashed out and with a powerful illumination lit up at one flash every corner of the circus with its fantastic and trembling gleams and suddenly as in the flames of a transformation scene was soon brigil rigil clamped to the trapeze prince icarus hanging banging motionless an unheard of horror paralyzed him in a supernatural frenzy ills hair stood out ills distorted mouth grinned an idiot grin terrible to see and his face whlter whiter than that of a corpse his haggard eyes protruding from their sockets rolled convulsively soon his comrade 4 wro were near nea r him with the handle of hiu knife aesop struck the gymnasts gymnast a heridi and with great difficulty detached from the bar the cien clenched ched hands bands of the lui rui man main the gas was re lighted ind the crowd sile silently atly and without a breath watched as it slowly lowered down the descent of the living corpse there Is today near marseilles in the tb asylum of saint pierre a poor madman who stalks straight forward hla his arms arma held in front and contracted in an imaginary grip it Is a frightful sight it ts Is prince icarus I 1 do not know what jail holds holda aesop As to that fairy rita she is now a princess somewhere in germany adapted from the french of paul Donnet aln |
