Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-10-04
THE ROPE-DANUER'S STORY.
Fanny Dare. in waverly ]

u
dancer. Some girls learn dressnak-
iny, some 10 fashion lovely hats and
bonuets, and book keeping. Wen,
learned rope-dancIng. Ma SAID she
was able to take care of me, ana any
one knowing her would have said the
same.
AT first my pay was small, rs III All
my contracts had to include all eX-
nnuscS for ma. But we were always
able to save something toward the
house we intended to buy after
whilp.ana this was something II hope
tor. II was t. be II cottage III some
uuIrt village. with three or four
acre. attached. and Il lawn with
peacock. Humble enough you will
saw. but we could hope for this, we
knew, ana took comfort III saving iof
taking and planning about 1T wheh-
ever we were together.
improved rapidly i'll my profess
sion, aud NV second season out L oo-
tanned a splendid engagement with
first class circus that was To traVel
bv boat, and have things very COM
Portable, and knew, ii nothing hap
prned, the cottage, the lawn and pea
cock were waiting for us at the tnu
| of the season.
The first night | performed | was
| looking my very best, i'll soft gray
| turlctor, with flame culored ribbons,
and il great yellow rose on my bosom,
and dancing and balancing like
fairy. When through my act ana
once mere dressed i'll shawis ana
wells, as ma and | came out OF the
canvas drcssing-room, the ticket
agent Uhc person l owed my engage
ment tr) came up and said:
'sRhoda, | haven't got time to take
YOU down to the boat tonight, and
as none of the other ladies are going
vet, jeff Gcraud will take You and
vour mother down all right"
"Mavbc he WON'T" replied ma;
"who's jeff Gcraud p
"ile's Miranda, the bareback rider"
said George. "and a better fellow
J never livcu. Here, jeff, if you are
ready don't keep the ladies' all night"
| had seen Miranda early in tho
evening do wonderful two horse
g act, anu had admired the light, grace
: ful form, with its flesh tights and
t blue satin dressing, but as he came
: forward now in plain dark clothes
\ and shook hands with us in his gentle
d way, lnought-but never mind. lie
J. was not handsome, his face could
VI hardly be called good looking, but he
J. was the kind of looking man little
$ girls say they would lihe for u big
: brother.
: The next day ma said:
Is ''Rhoda, l uclievc if you were to
d fail III love with Mr.. jeff, and Mr..
It jeff was to fall in love with you, I'd
e be tempted to let you get married,
N though | always did say you should
l. never marry one OF the profession"
mi
l. said |.
5 ..GuOd-looking ?" said ma. ''Well,
II Miss Rnoda Cutler professionally
~ known as Sonora Roale CulettD if
s. us good looks you are after, hope
IN you'll find 'em, but in my very hum
ct BILE opinion (Which is not mas, nor
re never was there are better things i'll
y, this world than good looks, as you'll
IS sCe."
s- After that ma and jeff were always
le great friends, and thus three months
lg passed away, bringing us nearer to
h. The cottage, the lawn and the pea.
lg cock F; when one night there WAS a
le terrible storm, the tent was blown
nd down, nearly everything ruined, and
ly jeff had both legs broken about the
n knees.
If IYiey brought him to the boat
le, moaning with agony, and asked fol
N ma. 1t Was ma who sOothed anC
ne quieted him as though he was hel
own L. was ma who tenderly bount
the broken limbs /; it was ma who die
it all, though there were willing
hands enough, God knows.
nj That night my eyes were opened
for the first time knew [ loved JET
Gcrand. He recovered rapidly, poo
I.o, IL, tt,., i,p,
an till the end of the season, petting all,
,er w.. w 80 It'll o,ni1 M,
q. vicing with the other TO make hin
", dreamy day, i'll Indian summer, h
,o nc told me he was going TO leave us h'
". was whiting little stick, remem
nv ,s. Der, and l thought how beautifully
' '"s he cut and vcined the leaf he wa
aus ~" making. 1t was knack he had, AM
49, YOU rarely saw him since the acciden
.a1 without IL knife and piece of sol
.,s wood.
ne m IL can't live on you folks forever
is1 Rhoda," he. said; and though
nd haven't got n relative in the world,
sn think | can find some friends i'll NeN
,as York to help me and fiud somethin
,"e TO do. l once thought, maybe, thing
'''s.I would be different, Rhoda, but sine
,;s the smashup-'hisv voice broke dowi
,ar but he dashed away the tears an
'ha went on-"I wouldn't ask any girl
nnr tie herself to poor Grip" %
-. | have a very hasty temper, IN
,e, saws, and it showed itself right her,
her [ wasn't going to have any one
hIa loved Gail themselves q poor crippl,
ne and told jeff so, too, and gre,
arc deal more, and when ma found us
,od had my head On Jeil's shoulder in
Nv way TO make the blood boil, she sal,
raI Well, | married Jeff in spite {
,hn himself, and before Christmas "
nrs were in the cottage with the law
,nb and the peacock too and Christm8
s7 ans eve, as we sat by the fire, and nj
inn BUSTED in and out getting tea, as I'll
hor chimes of distant bells came softl
nor over the hill, telling of happy childre
M. and loaded Christmas trees, l claspc
20. Jetf's hand close III mine, and W,
,rv very, very happy. t
aid After paying tor our little hon
!. tn we still had small fund left, but
,nd intended to follow my vocation
.tv. rope-dancing, and d. what many
Nom better woman had done before-su]
+ ia port the man L loved.
no We had been married some montl
hon when jeff began writing letters to tt
he city, and received i'll return sma
d,s packages I; these he did not show
Iict any one, and one dav, when he aske
,nw me to fix up II small room up stat
do. for his own use, and then shut hin
ouv self in day after day with the dot
LET. locked, think had cause to be cur
led. Gus; and even ma began to hil
cx. things. | saw nothing wrong yet
and never for a minute supposed jeff, m
lid poor dHrling doing wrong. Ah Gt
:. forbid But he should have told III
thought, for who loved or trustC
him more than his wife Rhoda.
So things went on for three loI
weeks. ina limiting, some one-ft
Gus shame you'll say-sulking, and Je
and hiding something from us all, whe
be- one morning, as | was passing ii
l,a- door, not accidentally l confess, Je
aud looked out, and i'll his gentle way
t of said
icr- "Bhoda, little woman. you me-