The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-02-17
HERNIA, THE LION-TAMER.

| erie came to Bucharest for the first time.
All the town was in a state OF great ex-
citement about the number and rarity of
the animals, the beauty of the lions, and,
aboveall aboHt the tanner, who performed
some remarkable feats OF strength
HERNIA DaIstrem was her name; she was
| a young Swede, beautiful, distinguished,
! bold and unapproachable. It is true that
she was supposed to be the mistress OF
the owner Of the menagerie; but the rich
! Boyards who lavished homage upon her
in order to win her good graces were met
only by a cold politeness and a sarcastic
haughtiness which drove them away
She lived with the Harsberg family at the
| first hotel in the town, went to the msn-
agerie and returned from it in carriage,
| like a lady of high degree; received no
visits and was never seen alone either in
the street or anywhere else. This vestal
severity puzzled the gallants as well as
the ordinary mortals, SO that the Swed-
ish ion-tameI soon became az popular at
Bucharest as La Catalani and Lola Mon
| tez.
One night Prince Maniasko, the spoil
ed child Of the ladies of Bucharest, who
had just returned from an excursion to
| Paris, came to the menagerie. He re-
| viewed the different animals in company
| with some friends, was highly amused by
| the explanations and by the feeding, and
at laat stopped before the lions cage
awaiting the arrival OF the celebrated
Swede with a skeptical smile on his lips.
| Suddenly little door opened in the back
part of the cage and HERNIA appeared in
| the midst Of frantic applause. She threw
of with an indescribable movement of
| pride tbs large silk cloak that covered
| her, and advanced into the cage dressed
in a costume of white satin bordered with
ermine, whip in her hand, tall, slender,
with the nobIest face in the world, to
which her golden curls and her fresh
| color impaired an irresistible grace The
Prince was at once fascinated; he follow
| ed each Of her movements with feverish
agitation. His heart beat when she plac-
ed her pretty head in the terrible lions
mouth, and he trembled, half for pleasure,
half for fear, when she began to harangue
the disobedient animals and kick and
fog them.
Hardly had HERNIA left the cage when
before her while she put on her cloak
With the aid Of Edgar, Harsberg's son,
young man Of remarkable beauty. She
fixed her blue eyes. sstonished and al
most frightened, upon that ideal of
beautiful, almost feminine figure; she
did not reply to his questions proudly
and coldly, but with embarrassment and
| with smile Of indescribable sweetness.
The Prince came every night, and Her.
ma received him not only with attability,
but she even looked for him with rapid
glance as soon as she entered the cage,
and when she left it she stamped her foot
if the Prince was not there to help her
on with her cloak.
But that was all the Prince could OBJ
| tain, and the more intrsctable she showed
herself to his prsyIn,, the more he was
| urged on by a diabolic desire to possess
her. An unexpected rival came to his
aid. Edgar said to HERNIA one night with
trembling voice before she entered the
cage, ''Up till now l thought you we're
my fathers mistress, and l have not
spoken; now I tell you, love you, and
will never consent to your lowering
yourself with that Boyard who is already
affianced to Princess, and who is only
| making sport of you" When the Prince
came to see her after the performance,
she said to him in a whisper, els it true
that you have fancee?"
cit is true" he replied, "but as soon
as you please I will put an end to that
tiresome romance and PROSTATE myself
at your feet as your slave"
"But you do not love me.
GLOW must prove that love you?"
She drew herself up before him.
"Come an hour before midnight to
| the little door of the menagerie," she
said in low voice and with courageous
resolution.
81 will come," was the reply.
| And he came; and when he left the
menagerie in the midst of the shades of
night, two straining arms were round his
neck, and two burning lips were pressed
against bis own.
Soon the talk in the clubs was of moth
ing but of the strange liaison of Manias-
ko with the beautiful lion-tamer, and the
young Princes father, anxious for the
future of his son, fastened as much as
| possible his marriage with the Princess
Agrafne Slobuda, to whom he had been
scene took place between the father and
the son; at last the latter yielded, and
one night he did not appear at the men,
agerie.
HERNIA passed a night OF anguish
Two evenings she again waited in vain
for her lover; then she wrote to him and
received no answer.
The fourth night, as she was coming
out Of the cage and wrapping herself in
her cloak, Edgar said to her: HERNIA,
shall l tell you why the wretch comes no
longer"
"Tell me-" she said, in smothered
voice: 81 am ready for everything"
''He will be married in three days.