The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-01-25
A RoPE-DAHCER,s STORY.

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A ROPE-DANCER'S STORY.
HAVE yellow hair and gray eyes
and q complexion that look best in
browns and drabs, and l am a rope
dancer. Some girls learn dressmak-
ing, some to fashion lovely hats and
bonnets, others bookkeeping. Well,
/ learned rope dancing. Ma said she
was able to take care of me, and any
one knowing her would have said SO
too. At iirst my nay was small. as in
all my contracts had to include all
expenses for ma But we were al
ways able to, save something toward
the home we intended to buy after
awhile, and this was something to
hope for. 1t was to be . cottage in
some quiet village, with three or four
acres attached, and lawn with pea
cock. Humble enough, you will say,
but we could hope for this we knew,
and took comfort in saving for and
talking and planning about it when
ever we were together:
I improved rapidly in my profess
sion, and my second season out OBJ
tanned splendid engagement with
first-class circus that was to travel by
boat and have things very comfort
able; and knew, II nothing hap
pened, the cottage, the lawn, and the
peacock were waiting for us at the end
of the season..
The FIRST night 1 performed was
looking my very best, in soft gray tar
latan, with fame-colored ribbon, and
. great yellow rose on my bosom, and
dancing, and balancing like fairy.
When through my act and once more
dressed and wrapped in shawls and
walls, as ma and 1 came out of the can
vas dressing-room. the ticket agent
(the person owed my engagement toy
came up and said: "Rhoda, j haven't
got time to take you down to the boat
tonight, and as none of the other la
dies are going yet, JEFF Gerand will
take you and your mother down all
right Maybe he will and maybe
he won't" says ma, who's JEFF
GerandY' "He's Miranda the
bareback rider" says George, "and
. better fellow never lived. Here,
Jeff. if you're ready, don't keep the
ladies all night" had seen Miranda,
early in the evening. do a wonderful
two-horse act, and had admired the
graceful display of horsemahship; but
as he came up now in plain dark
clothes and shook hands with us in his
gentle way, thought-but never
mind. He was not handsome, his face
could hardly be called good looking,
little girls say they would like to have
for big brother. The next day ma
says: Rhoda believe if you were
to fall in love with Mr.. JEFF, and Mr..
jeff was to fall in love with you, I'd
be tempted to let you get married,
though I always did say you Should
never marry one of the. profession.
why. he's not good looking. ma, " says
I. "Good-lookingY' says ma "Well,
Miss Rhode Cutler professionally
known as Sonora Rodie Culetti), if it
is good looks you're after, I hope
you'll tind 'em, but in my very hum
bic opinion" (Which is not mas, nor
never was) "there is better things in
the world than good looks, a. you'll
see." Aftef that ma and JEFF were
always great friends, and thus three
months passed away, bringing us
nearer to the cottage, to the lawn and
the peacock: when one night there
was terrible storm, the tent was
blown down, nearly everything ruined,
and Jeff had both Of his legs broken
above the knees. They brought him
to the boat moaning with agony, and
asked for ma. It was ma who quieted
and soothed him as though he was her
very own; it was ma who tenderly
bound the broken limbs; it was ma
who did it all, though there were will
ing hands enough, God knows. That
night my eyes were opened. and for
the first time knew I loved JEFF |
Gerand. He recovered rapidly, Door
fellow. and we kept him on the boat |
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