| Show CAGE by courtney ryley cooper service copyright by courtney Court noy ryley cooper WHAT HAS transpired joe barry country youth in new york ekes out a living as caretaker in a poor rooming house and accordion player in loute louie Berto linis restaurant lured by the open country he be spends a night in n the fields near new baruh bertolini discharges him friendless and broke he Is offered by a man he knows only as A martin lartin to impersonate a liquor runner facing acme arrest it means the penitentiary but joe Is de desperate sperate lie he defers decision until th the next night and ana Is riven given 1000 on account next day joe deposits SOO in country banks div elving his name as joseph bradley outside a circus tent he sees an acord lon and Is tempted to play it A girl sue dayton niece of the owner who admires tho the music urges him to join the circus but joe says he must first return to new york on business he ha has decided to refuse Blar martins tins offer in his room four men accost him bewildered joe sees the men who are detectives find large laree amount of money a rn gun cun and two revolvers next day under arres arrest t joe Is a identified by men who hod had seen him the night be fore near newburgh eh when two prohibition agents were killed kille dand and robbed joe is accused of their murder and robbery A man known as Full house waiter at ber toll nis hurts joos joes case by his evidence e martin cannot be iuna found joe keeps silent as to his previous days doings tearing fearing to embarrass sue dayton his rell mate hemle gradke gives elves him 20 next day having secured a revolver shoots it out with w ith prison guards and Is killed in the confusion joe jo escapes using the 20 bradke had given him he flees new york draws some of the mcney ho be had deposited and finds the dayton circus looking upon it as a refuge CHAPTER V continued 7 joe carry barry was going away forever emi slie she must never see him again because lie no longer was the man she had met that lay day on the circus grounds but he could see her a fleeting glimpse he could watch her approach him and watch her h er pass he could follow her as tar far as eyes could see and then when she passed from his vision lie could say goodby good by to her he could whisper so that no one but himself would know it if he could only see her ii again gain lie he had told himself the future might be easier perhaps she would be smiling when she passed him that was why he now stood on the curbing in frederick thrilling strangely to the approaching music of the circus band steam had appeared far away floating over the asphalt colored hulks of heaving forms the elephants were in the distance and behind them the call calliope denoting the end of the parade anxiety struck joe barry that somehow he had missed her suddenly Y forgetful he stepped into the street for a better view only to draw back with something of impatience as a marshal rode along tine line of spectators to hold them to their places suddenly he gasped A girl trim in riding clothes was smiling down at him her hand baud extended I 1 1 I felt sure come today sue dayton sat said and leaned for far from her saddle to clasp the suddenly cold liand hand lie had ral raised ed to her 1 I told uncle dan be here today i then with a swift movement she had bad swung out of the saddle joel joe barry dazedly knew that he was laughing boyishly and telling some som e hastily conceived untruth about a delay beyond that he forgot all except that he was talking to her but the crowd was milling now sue dayton swung her horse about quickly as it if to mount 1 I saw you from halt half down the block she laughed queer it you see I 1 never go in parade except this way she glanced along the line of march ive got to get on out I 1 uncle dans not feeling well today ive got to watch ills his section too come back right after my act she caught her stirrup and swung to the saddle and turned to wave to him as the horse trotted on in the wake of the parade joe barry only stood there a lone figure now against the curbing in that vague tangled conversation in which joe had asked and answered questions he had made a promise yes he had told her hed come back to her tent right after she had finished her act in the sawdust ring I 1 it meant more hours of weakness and strength at last it meant capitulation there could be no harm barm in that the damage had already been done to talk to her again to look upon her in the graceful beauty of silk and tulle to stand alth her by the little dressing tent where first he had met her there must be no more than that the throngs of the menagerie found joe barry before the cages the instant sue gaytons Day tons act was koncir ocr he was out of hla his seat scat and hurrying for the marquee that he might round the tangled guy ropes of the big top to her dressing tent As lie approached her she waved excitedly to him and then turned for a moment within the tent to make her exit as hurriedly a professional fess ional lonal copy of sheet music in her hands band 1 I wonder it if yoi youie ie li eard beard it she asked bining him the music its just out think it wits was written especially for us you gee joe had looked at the title tie great it queen of the sawdust ring king ile he laughed you all right he said well well play that it Is sue site greed agreed a the real pretty and you ought to henr hear the band play it queer the orchestration and song came through the mail the lay day after we saw iou uncle e dan and I 1 said right away it would be just the tiling thing cert bert wilson the band leader you know tried it out and we ne started using it for the act yesterday but of course the real touch will be tile the solo hom you play and sing sin it dont you like the words ds joe nodded as he read the chorus youre my shimmering dream of the sawdust ring youre the hit of lifes show for or m me I 1 wonder if you know the joy you d bring if the queen of my heart be tinsel and spangle and fluttering tulle queen of the sawdust ring make mo me a king the world to rule wha youre queen of my diamond ring joe pulled in his breath deeply that sure was written tor for you he said at last ill bet somebody saw sav you in the ring and wrote that 11 foolish 1 the girl bantered but it does fit into the act wonderfully der fully the line I 1 like she added pointing she was bl beside him film now the soft touch of her breast against his shoulder sending through him film a stran strange pe almost delirious sort of thrill that fifth line tinsel and spangle and fluttering tulle that pretty the nice there too hastily ho be crossed to the chair and raising the gleaming lorio swung his head under tinder the strap play the th e whole thing over she said joe obeyed greedily everything else in life had momentarily faded except this except the fact that he was with her translating a tin pan alley creation into a serenade enade that in his mind at least had been written just to describe the only circus girl ulio ever existed i ted tinsel and spangle and fluttering tulle queen 0 of the sawdust ring make me a king the world to rule when youre queen of 0 my diamond ring a cracking good song said a voice from the rear and joe turned to grin a greeting to uncle dan dayton well boy you were a day or two late but its all right how do you like the song oh gee joes smile finished the sentence uncle dan stuffed his hands into the diagonal pock seem to be getting along seems to be getting along pretty well with it how about making the break tonight you mean sure you can memorize it in that time cant you if its rotten well be gone tomorrow anyway and youve had a rehearsal 1 I 1 I 1 dont know A certain ugly tinge of grayness had made its appearance about joes lips realization had returned suddenly he wondered nhat these people would do if he shout should d suddenly blurt forth the fact that lie he was a fugitte from a charge of murder I dont know about doing the act tonight he said id planned to write a lot of letters and get eel sort of cleaned up on various things uncle dan laughed and waved the objection aside just got stage fright all and at a call from a lot boss moved away be back in a minute sue dayton waited until her uncle had reached the big top if those other things can wait she said seriously do us all a lot of good wed really just be putting on p rehearsal we asked joe yes it come com e on she caught his arm you can learn that song in no time why you almost know it now dow there was considerable activity about slats bestons Bee tons trunk in clown clow a alley that night uncle dan as equestrian director wandered in and out carrying over his arm a pierrot suit which he fitted to joe barry yanked away from him and grumbling returned to tile wardrobe woman for more alterations te sue dayton came to the outer edge of the side wall and called through wanting to know if joe needed the song to run over cathouse Ca green menagerie superintendent and animal trainer sat on a trunk heavily absorbed with a cud of tobacco and thoughts of the value of a new act to the circus joe joe bradley as they knew him was being made ready for his entrance to the ring CHAPTER VI IT WAS best joe had figured somehow lies iles had refused to come to his lips it could not go gi on as lie he had told himself it must not go on tonight after aft er the show he must fade out of this longed for life forever A tortured brain had seized upon that arguing showing reasons prompting him to believe that lie he was doing a service by remaining ma ining just for tonight this was just a tryout try out as sue hid had said just a demonstration to see how an idea would work after that it make any difference who played anil and san sang to her so far as the circus was concerned and it if he could only mal make e it successful and point the way to what sue and uncle dan wanted that would be b e something to carry away with him when after the show avas loaded he faded into the night A halt half hour passed A groom stuck life his head into the side wall the perch acts on that newl new clown ready got the horses at the back door uncle dan moved forward to I 1 help joe button the neck of tile the pierrot suit some one handed him film a gleaming lorio with its brilliance and facile keys over his shoulder went the strap he swung his head and sang a bar or so of the hie tune time that occupied his brain then lie ran to the pad room entrance and the sight of her perched atop the back ot of a ring horse herse cloar clo or he moved unnoticed in the attention of the audience upon her gyrations as the ana amiable lable old loped about the ring and the band played the music of her new number the lilt and sway of it got cot into joes blood lie ile forgot about the tenth tent he forgot that lie never had done anything an tiling like tills this before e in his life lie forgot everything except to sing it to her to sing it as if he meant it ft an electrician threw a snitch and the tent was dark save for the flood lights bathing the ring and the spots which centered cent ered upon her and upon him as he made ills his entrance his fingers drawing the very soul from the beloved instrument within his grasp his lips sc forth the words of a love song that he be con could id sing because it was his song too and then the th e mounting roar of applause tor for her and for him at last he vaguely realized that they were outside and that she had leaped from the back of her horse to grasp him by the arms with strong oscat ed fingers oh you wore were wonderful she exclaimed and he could only talk of her excellence and ask her why he do a thing well when she was helping him then th en there was 0 o I 1 felt sure come today sue dayton said and leaned far from her saddle to clasp the suddenly cold hand slats hecton beeton lid a nd clown alley again after a long time uncle dan still very excited ducked under the side wall better get your grip just as soon as youre through here her e said uncle dan take it down to car one hundred and one where sleep ask tor for bill the porter then uncle dan grinned sues waiting for you says you might not know the ay to tile the til th e cars P I 1 yes es sir still he was allowing himself to drift these were treasured minutes naich went so swiftly each begging that another follow at last he was outside upon the moon swept lot and beside her sue was dressed now as he first had seen her going down to the cars she asked 1 I thought maybe id better show you the way sou aou might not know circus signals joe had taken her arm as it if to guide her over the ro roughness ugliness of the lot the warmth of her flesh had crept through to the palm of his hand and was thrilling onward to his heart the girl did not draw away onward they went past the where her little tent had been the circus was als dismantling in a dozen places for the first time joe really understood its magic the speed and system by which it worked no one seemed seem ed to hurry no one ran shouting orders no one gave an indication of excitement yet it was everywhere onward sue and joe went in that silence which Is so often eloquence sometimes the girl broke it by a few bars of her song often she only walked beside him in the contentment of newfound new found friendship joes hand had moved from its awkward position at her elbow ills his arm was linked with hers now at last as a jumbled glare showed from a bhart distance ahead she chuckled and reverted to a previous philosophy it queerly queer she asked so many people come to the circus feeling sorry for us because were show folk and wanderers really eally tt actually joe she used theriane ther the name iame in casual friendliness ive seen them peek in the cookhouse just to see if we eat like other people they were at the loading runs now where a tangle of men and horses and paraphernalia showed itself in the glearn gleam of the carbides carbines car bides shall we go to the grease joint the which oh it as bad as it sounds the circus name for the lunch counter smoky todd runs it through the maze of activity they went and to sandwiches and coffee at last sue dayton turned ton toward ard the dimly outlined sleeping cars 1 I guess youre tired she said joe barry raised a liand hand across weary eyes eye yes I 1 am a little tired he con I 1 tested saed so am I 1 the excitement and everything now that I 1 look back on it I 1 guess we were both pretty shaky and stage struck in the ring dont you posing that way and stage noting acting as we cull call it la is a lot different from straight circus work 1 I suppose so I 1 guess I 1 was terrible not half as bad as I 1 wits was I 1 was all hands she confessed anyway that was just a dress rehearsal hear sal well both be loads bett bettor err tomorrow joe did not answer ne he knew there could be no tomorrow SUP site dayton talked happily on im just dead arent you uncle dan told you where bunt bunk lie in the fl hundred undred and one car its just down two couches coaches this la Is my car here abie held forth a hand good lit night ht jo joe 11 she be sat said bood good good night sue came in a mumble lie he caught her hand longing to press it in both of his to raise it to his lips and hold it there cut but he only clasped it formally and said again good night sue she swung to the steps and within the car joe barry walked slowly back along the train stumbling in the shadows at last he halted in the fringe of darkness a car length away from the loading runs tomorrow 1 it caught at joes jo es heart ile he could only chink think of tomorrow as related to the past the fleeting invisible things which chased him the clicking wires the reward sheets and description circulars joe barry raised his hand to his yes eyes with that old tired gesture tomorrow and then a new thought came what would she think tomorrow when she came on the ane lot to find bad him gone without explanation without a word of gratitude for all she and |
