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Show J i fj COPYRIGHT. 1988. DY DODD. MEAD AND COMPANT I Here is a circus romance redolent red-olent of the fresh sawdust of the ring, vibrant with the incessant inces-sant clamor of the band, pano-ramie pano-ramie in ita over moving display of clowns, acrobats, horses and captive wild animats. You will read of Polly, the daughter of the circus, and of Bingo, on whoso broad back she rode ; of the "leap of death" girl; of "Mnvvcr Jim," the boss canvas man, and Toby, the clown, who loved the circus orphan and cared for her like father and mother of Deacon Strong, who hated a circus, and of Rev. John i Douglas, who grew to love a cir cus girl. You will read of gossip gos-sip that threatened to divide a pastor and his flock, of Ruth and Naomi, of a show girl's renunciation re-nunciation and of Polly's first and last ride on Barbarian, the circus horse. flriAPTRIl T. T I HE band of the "Great American Circus" was playing noisily. Tho performance was In full A suing. j Beside n slinbby trunk In the woman's wo-man's dressing tent sat n young, wistful wist-ful faced girl, chin In hand, unheeding tho chatter of the women about her or tho picturesque disarray of the surrounding sur-rounding objects. 'Her eyes had been so long necustomed to the glitter and tinsel of circus fineries that she saw nothing unusual In n picture that might havo held n painter spellbound. I Circling tho Inside of tho tent and wcrJ"partInlIyTmpaclcedtfunl:8 bclcli-lug bclcli-lug forth Impudent masses of satins, ' j. lnces, artificial hair, paper flowers and R pasto Jewels. The scent of moist It earth mingled oddly with the perfumed I B odors of tho garments heaped on the' EB grass. Here mid thcro high circles of, jBt lights threw a strong, steady glare.) H upon tho half clad figure of n robust H ocrobat or tho thin, drooping shoulders ' B of a less stalwart sister. Temporary! H ropes stretched from ono polo to an- B other were lnden with bright colored B stockings, gaudy, spangled gowns orl B dusty street clothes discarded by tho ! S performers before slipping Into their j B circus attire There wero no nails or B hooks, so hats and veils were pinned j B to the canvas walls. B The furniture was limited to one B , camp chair in front of each trunk, tho B till of which served as :i tray for tho B paints, powders and other essentials B of makeup. I B A pall of water stood by the side of B each chnlr, so that tho performers B A"S 1 -vgI , j in monument araxiny ftit tat a younj, wistful faced QlrL might wash tho delicately shaded tights, handkerchiefs and other small articles not to be intrusted to the Blow, careless process of tho village laundry. Some of these bad been gashed tonight and hung to dry on tho 1 lines between tho dusty street gar- S monta. I womoif wuoso "tuxno came into bu? about, half clothed, reading, crocheting or sawing, whllo others added pen-tiled pen-tiled eyebrows, powder or rougo to their nlicady exaggerated makeups. Hero and thcro n child wns putting her sawdust baby to sleep in tha till of her trunk beforo beginning her part in tho evening's entertainment. Young and old went about their duties with n Bystpmutlc, businesslike air, and even tho little knot of excited women near Polly It seemed tlmt one of the men bad upset n circus tradition kept a uhurp lookout for their turns. j "What do you think about it, roily?" asked a bnudsomo brunctto ns sho surveyed sur-veyed herself in tho costume of a llomnn charioteer. "About what?" asked Polly vacantly. "Lenvo Poll alonol She's in ono of her trances!" called a motherly, good natural woman whose trunk stood next to Polly'B and whoso business ! was to support n son and three daughters daugh-ters upon stalwart shoulders, both flg- I xiratlvely and literally. I "Well, I ain't Jn any trance," answered answer-ed tho dark girl, "and I think U'b pretty pret-ty tough for him to tako up with u rank- outsider and expect us to warm up to her as though he'd married ono of our own folks." She tossed her head, tho pride of class distinction welling high in her amplo bosom. "Ho ain't askln' ua to warm up to her," contradicted Mile. Klolso, a pale, light haired sprite, who had arrived late and was making undignified efforts ef-forts to get out of her clothes by way of her head. She was Polly's understudy under-study and next In line for the star placo In the bill. "Well, Barker has put her into the 'leap of death' stunt, nin't he?" continued con-tinued the brunette. "Course tha ain't a regular circus act," Bho added, ,Bomcwh!tJmoUlfled.i'nmtMBoafur,Bhe'A had' to dress" with tho freaks, but the next thing wo know he'll bo rlngin' her In on n regular stunt nnd be put-tin' put-tin' her in to dress with us." "No danger of that." sneered the blond. "Barker is loo old a stager to mix up bin Khecp and his goats." Polly had again lost tho thread of tho conversation. Her mind had gone roving to the night when the frightened fright-ened girl about whom they wero talking talk-ing had made her first nppcaranco in the circus lot, clinging timidly to the hand of tho man who had Just made her his wife. Her eyes had met Pol-ly's Pol-ly's with a look of appeal that had gone straight to tho child's simple hpurt. , A few nights later the newcomer had allowed herself to bo strapped Into the cumbersome "leap of death" machtno which hurled Itself through spaco at each performance and Hung Itself down with forco enough to break the neck of any unskilled rider. Courage Cour-age nnd steady nerve wore the requl- rlten for the job. so the manager had unld. but any physician would have told hi in that only a trained acrobat rou!d long endure the nervous strain, the muscular tension and the physical rui; of such an ordeal. What matter? Tho few dollars primed In this way would mean a r,vo:t deal to the mother whom the .Iri'H imminge had left desolate. Polly led, looked on hurgiily the li-hf tint the mother Irid taken the I'Mnh'ti tu her arms to say faivwoll ! ' t'io unto fciintry town where the r, h:'fl played befcro her nitirrhgo. " o rru'd re-npinter no womin'H nrais I ' x-A -. for It win fourteen years 1 -v tracer hiimls ii"ci curried her 'her from the p rfcrtners' tt'nt Into 'o tocullr !rt to dlo. The bnby wni used to welng "munisle" throw her- if wtr.'ily en the u round after com- in? out of the 'big top" c-:lnuted il.nt she crept to the woman' side, as ..".ml, that night and jmr.pd Inuithlngly I Into the sightless eye, gurgling and 1 prattling and stroking tho unrespoij plro face. Thcro wero tears, from those who watched, but no word was rpolccn. I Clown Toby nnd the big "boss can- vasman" Jim had always taken turns I amusing and guarding little Polly , whllo her mother rodo In the ring. So Toby now carried the babe to another , ! Bide of the lot. and Jim bore the life-' , less body of tho mother to the distant ticket wagon, now closed for tho night, nnd laid It upon tho seller's cot. "It's alius like this In the end," he murmured as ho drew n piece of canvas can-vas over tho white faco nnd turned away to giro orders to tho men who were beginning to load the "props" used earlier in the performance, When tho show moved on that night it was Jim's strong arms that lifted tho mite of n Polly close to his staJ-wnrt staJ-wnrt heart and climbed w'th her to tho high seat on the head wagon. Uu-cJn Uu-cJn .Tobtwaa intrusted with the brown satclier In widen Hie motljcr had always al-ways carried Polly's scanty wardrobe. It seemed to these two men thnt the eyes of tho woman were fixed' steadily upon them. Bnrkcr, tho manager, n large, noisy, good naturcd fellow, ot first mumbled roiucthlug about the kid being "excess Imggage," but his objections wero only iiulf henrted, for, like the others, he was already under tho hypnotic spell u tho baby's round, confiding eyes, and ho ovcntually contented himself with nn occasional reprimand to Toby, who was now sometimes Into on his cues. Polly wondered nt these times why tho old man's stories wore so suddenly sud-denly cut short just ns she was so I "comfy" In the soft grass nt his feet. I The boys who used to look sharp hecnuso of their boss nt loading time1 now learned tlmt they might loiter so long nt "Muvvor Jim" was "hlkln it round for the kid." It wan Polly who hatl dubbed big Jim "Muvvcr," nnd tho soli rli not had stuck to him lu spite of his si:: reet two and Bhoulders that an athlete might have envied. Little by Utile Toby grew more stooped, and siiialt Hues of anxiety crept Into the brownish circles beneath Jim's eyes, the lips that had once shut so firmly became tender and tremulous, but neither nei-ther of the men would willingly hnvo gone back to the old emptiness. It was n red letter day In tho circus cir-cus when Polly first managed to cll&fe up on tho pole of nn unhitched wagon and from there to the back of n friend- " POLLY DANCED SFJUINMLY OA' JUXQO'S JiAOIC. ly Shetland pony. Jim and Toby had been "neglectin' her oddlcatlon," they 1 declared, and from that time on tho ' blood of Polly's aucestors was given full encouragement. Barker was quick to grasp tho advantage ad-vantage of adding tho kid to tho dally parade. She made her first appear.-ance appear.-ance In tho streets upon something very Uko a Newfoundland dg, guarded guard-ed from the rear by Jim and from, the fore by a white faced clown who wus thought to bo all the funulei becauso ho twisted his neck so much. From the street parade to Polly's first appearance In tho big Urn had I seemed a short whllo to Jim and Toby. They were proud to see her circling tho ring In bright colors and to hear tho cheers of tho people, but u tfense of loss wus upon them. "I always snli she'd do it!" cried Barker, who now took upon himself the credit of Polly's triumph. And what n triumph It was! Polly dnucod us ereM f n Bingo's back ns she might hm k on tho concert boards. Htn- d grnce- fully with the iuukIc , tiny san- dais twinkled ns uhi ' ; nrst upon ono foot and then upoii 1. -ttior. Uncle Toby forgot t- - many of bis tricks that nJgbt. ui . jJiu left the antcting 01 ryoTsiiu itr tyftu Cam ut itself whllo he hovered noar the entrance, en-trance, muttons and bienthless. The pot formers ewwded nrouiul the ghi Willi outstrc-tehpd haud-j and cougrat-ulatloiiH cougrat-ulatloiiH a Hhe came out of the ring to cheers and applause. But "Big .Hui" Htfwd apart. Ho waa thinking of the button that his clumsy clum-sy fingers uod to force lino the ntltT. starchy hflle to small foi them and of the pigtails o stubborn at the ends, .mid Toby was remembering tho little chocs that had once needed to bo laced In the cold, dark mornluga and tho strings that wore always snapping Something had gone. They were not philosophers to rea son, like Kmersou. thnt for everything wo lose we gain somotnlng. They wero simple rouIb, these two; they could only feel. CIIArTEIt II. E' HILB Polly sat In tho dressing tout listening Indifferently to the chatter about the "leap of , death" girl Jim waited In tho lot outside, opening and shutting 11 small leather bag which he had bought for her that day. He was as blind to tho picturesque outdoor life as sho to her Indoor surroundings, for he, too, hnd been with the circus since his earliest recollection. The grass lnclosuro wlici'o ho waited wa9 shut In by a circle of tents and 1 wagons. Tho great red property vans wtv waiting to bo loaded with ttm costumes and tackle which wero con-1 otautly being brought from tho big top, wlioru the evening performance waa now going on. The gay striped curtains at the rear of the tor.: wero looped back to give air to tho pouting' musicians, who sat just inside. Through1 the opening a glimpse of the uudlcnco might bo hnd, tier upon tier, funning and shifting uneasily. Near the mall) tent stood the long, low dressing top, with tho women performers stowed nwny In one end, the ring horses In the center and tho men performers In the other cud. I A. temporary curtnln was hung between be-tween tho main and the dressing tent ri p m 1 - ' ' i in f li" . VJ " ' m to slim out i:io oiinoua niou tnacineu I to pcup In ut the back lot for a gllmpvo '. things not to be seen in the ring. Colored stronmora fastened t tho roofs of the touts waved and fioattC In the night air and buckoiK-J. to tho townspeople 011 tho other uldo to mnko hasto to get their places, forget theli cures nnd bu children ngaln. Over the tops of the tents tho lurid light of tho (llstnnt red fire Bhot Into the sky, accompanied by tho ciieH of the peanut "butchers," tfio popcorn boys, the lemonade venders uud tho exhortations of tho sideshow spieler, whose Hying banners boro tho painted reproductions of his freaks. Hero nnd thcro stood unhitched chariots, half filled trunks, trapeze tackle, paper hoops, stake pullers or other proper-tics proper-tics necessary to tho show. Torches flamed at the tout entrances, while oil lamps and lanterns gave light for the loading of the wagons. Thero was a constant stream of life shooting in and out from the dressing tent to tho big top as gayly decked men, women and unlmals came or went. Drowsy dogs wero stretched under tho wagons, waiting their turn to bo dressed .jis ilaua nt beers.- .Tho ,iv old goose, with his tuoduat gfay umlp, s. H peeked at the green grass or turned H hl head from side to Hitler watching S. H tho singing clown, who rolled up tho H painted enrcaus and long neck of tho jH imitation glratTc front which two prop- H ci'ty men had Just slipped, their leg H still incased lu stripes. IH Ambitious cuiivnsmou nnd grooms H wore exercising, feet in nlr. In the H hope of some day getting Into tho per- H I formers' ling. Property men ntolo n H minute's sloop hi the soft warm grass H I while thoy waited for moro tackle to H I load in the wagons. Children of tho H performers were swinging on the tone H ropes. Chattering monkeys sat astride H the Shetland ponies, awaiting tholren- jH trance to the ring. The sluiekB of tho H hyenas In the distant autinnl tent, tho H roaring of the lions mid the trumpet- H lug of tho elephants mingled with the H incessant clamor of the band. And H tuck of nit this, pointing upward in H mute protest, rpso n solemn church H spire, white nnd majestic against n H vast panorama of blue, moonlit hills H that encircled tho whole lurid picture. H Jim's eyes turned absently toward tho H church as he sat fumbling with tho H lock of the little brown satchel. H He had gono from store to storo In H tho various towns whero they had H played looking for something to In- H spire wonder lu tho heart of a miss H nowly arrived nt her sixteenth year. H Only the desperation of a Inst moment jH had forced him to decide upon tho lml- H tatlnn alligator bag, which ho now H held lu his hand. H . It looked smnll and menn to htm ns H tho moment of presentation approach- 'H ed, and he was glad that tho sateswo- H man lu the little country ntoro bad H suggested the addition of ribbons and H laces, which he now drew from tho H pocket of his corduroys, no placed jH his red nnd blue treasures very care- H fully In the bottom of the satchel and H remembered with regret the strand of; 'H roral heads which ho had so nearly jH bought to go with them, JM He opened the large property trunk H by his sldo mid took from it a laundry H box which held a little tan coat that H was to bo Toby's contribution to tho H birthday surprise. Ho was big hearted. , H enough lo bo glad that Toby's gift M seemed fine and moro useful than his. H It wiih only when the "leap of death"" H act preceding Polly's turn waa nn- H nounccd that the big fellow gave up M feasting his eyes 011 tho satchel nnd -M coat and hid them away lu tho big M property trunk. Sho would bo out In H a minute, and theso wonders wore not -r"J (o bo rivcnltilTtoHt,ritf-tho-closi S B of tho night's performance. 'B Jim put down the lid of tho trunk B and sat upon It, fooling Uko n ciimlual B because he was hiding something B from Polly. B I tin coi)i'.ciousne&n of guilt was In B croaBcd tin hi recalled how often Bhc B hod foiiilt'.don Toby tied himself to B rush Into i'ookli'.s extravagances for B her sake and how she had been more B nearly angry than ho had ever bcgii B her when they had put their month's B salaries togothrr to buy her the span- B gled drosH for her first appearance. It B had taken a great many apologies and JM promises as to tluir future hojinvlot to calm her, ami now I hey hud again B dlsoboyul hor. It would be n groat ro- B llof when tonight's "ordeal was over. jB Jim watchod Polly uneasily as sho B came from the drostdng tout and ttlop- B jied to gn '.( at the nearby church stoc- B plo. Thu Incongruity of the slang that B soon came from her delicately formed B lips wan lost upon him 11 h sho turned B hor eyes toward him. B "Say, Jim," she said, with a western v B drawl, "Ihupi's a funny lot of guyn B wlin goes to them church places, ain't B "Most everybody has got some kind B of 11 bug," Jim assented. "I guess they B don't do much harm." M "'.Member tho time you took mn Into M ono of them places to get 1110 outa thu M rain, tho Sunday our wagon broko M down? Well, that bunch wo butted M Into wouldn't 'a' glvo Sells Bros, nu M cause for worry Ith that show a' M thelrn, would Ihey, Jim?" Sho looked M at him with withering disgust. "Say, M wasn't that I he punltlcHt stunt that M fellow- lu black was dolu' on tho nlat- ftH form? Von said Joe was only ten mlu M ulos gotllu1 the lire on to our wheel; M but, say, you take It from mo, J lip, l( H I hud to wull nuolher ten minutes an tM long as that one I'd bo too old to -gn . 'H 011 n-rhlln'." M Jim '"lowed" somo church shown H might bo better than "that 1111," but Polly said he could havo her uud of? the bet and summed up by declaring H It no wonder thai "the yaps In those towns Ik daffy about clrcuscii If they H don't have iiothin' better 'an church . Khows to go to," H One of the grooms was entering thu H lot with Polly's horse. Sho stooped to H tighten one of her sandtils, nnd ns sho H rose Jim saw her sway slightly and H put ono hand to her head. Ho looked H at her sharply, remembering her faint- H iiess in the pnrado that morning. H "You nin't fcelln' right," he said un H easily. 'H "You Just bet I nm," Polly nnswered, H with an Independent toss of her head. H "This Is the night wo're goln' to mako H them llubes in there sit up, ain't it, H Bingo?" sho udded, placing ono arm affectionately about the neck of tho H big white liorso that stood waiting H near tho entrance. H "l'ou bin rldln' too reckless lately," H said Jim sternly as ho followod her. H "I don't uiifl IL .Thcro tUn't no need ot (To bo eontlnued.) SBPSMIiJjMMMMM"MiJMjnTSllMiMlPMaWSMMilfcaBMBM ii " - BBilBlllllllllfl |