The Portland daily press., 1882-02-11

| You glt.' cried Scullyi ana go leil olu
Bridge l said SO, if you like. I'll not see
Hazel annoyed. She amt herself tonight.
Mrs. Bridgeman went away after that, with
her head in the air and the tread of tragedy
queen.
Hazel pnt her face up against Scully and
began to sob. He sat strokiag her head,
very much as he would have patted one OF
his favorite animals, and in kindly sort OF
way $50 it's Clyde?' he said, after while.
''Look up and tell me about it. Hazel. |
won't give you away"
cts not Clyde" she said shortly, and sat
| up by herself.
"Nor nobody else?''
s'Nor nobody else," she replied.
'tThen what is it? I'd like to know"
$50 would l." she said, trying to laugh.
''Tm not sick, and it's something worse
than the dreams l told you of, Tom. It's
something that goes with me to torment me
night and daylight and day." =,
"rve heard men talk that way" SAID
Scully absently, still stroking her hair;
women, too, once in while. But you
haven't the same reason for it they had"
"Don't mind me- she said. ''Try and
forget it; that's what l try to do. Tom
forget ali the time And tonight it just
seems as if I couldn't forget any more. Pm
| lust done for. The time has come to put
down. can never be good for anything in
| NV lie again. l. u0 RdLuC up Wltii LIuASi
| after this"
Nonsenser' rot! said Scully, angrily; but
| he could say nothing to divert the girl mind.
| 81 wish you'd go away and leave me,
Tom,' she said, after awhile; 81 want to be
| alone" 49,
| He left her, but before he went he did
what he seldom did now that she was not
| child and had given up climbing on his knee;
he laid his lips to her lips and kissed her
good night.
In the morning she was haggard looking
| and.white, and there were dark circles under
her eyes, She tried to laugh it off with
| him. and said, sLook as if I'd been on a
tear last night "a regular bowling racket, as
the boys say-don't I?'
sNo.'' said Scully, 'sjust little off, ,
that's all. You'll be all right by night"
Hazel returned his glance in way he
| never forgot. A smile crossed her lips, but
she did not speak.
| sD-n himr' said Scully, under his breath,
as he thought of Clyde.
s'The worst of it is that he doesn't care
shucks for her, said Bridgeman.
Sculy kept lookout all that day for Clyde.
After a while, he saw the Texan moving
among the horses, and stopped him as he
was going away. "You heard Hazel dis
| appointed the house last night?" he said.
'sNo,'' said Clyde, with scarcely con-
cealed Impotence at being detained.
''She didn't follow the bill-wasn't up to
| the Leap"
''No?'' said Clyde again.
"Have you seen her IN that?'
"No."
| "Good Lordw muttered the other; "can't
I get anything out of the man but mop"
CLYDE was pulling at his moustaches in a
bored, Indifferent way.
| Scully wondered what Hazel could see in
him to like. 81 want you to be front, to-
| night" he continued, 'and see her when
she comes on for the Leap" It's the best
| thing she does"
eyes," assented Clyde, with an uninterest-
ed air.
"You'll be sure to be there? Sit close by
the ladder if you will. I'll have place
kept for Won. You can be there easily
enough, if you will. You don't ride after
half-past; and what do you generally do
| with yourself after that timer"
go to bed, believe"
! "Join us tonight for supper, Hazel and
me-"
"Thank you; but my digestion is every
| thing to me. don't eat late.'
eau right" said Scully, and be let the
| young man pass.
Mrs. Bridgeman seemed to be waiting for
| him a little further on. The two walked
away together.
Hazel came up directly and took hold of
| Scully by the arm ssShe likes him, Ton"
she said without any sort of preface; land
| she's always putting herself in his way and
speaking to him whether he will or not"
''What's there in him to like?" asked the
man, putting in words the thought that was
uppermost in his mind
"I don't know said Hazel. He's differ
| ent from any one else I ever saw"
"He's a-' began Scully, and suddenly
| checked the word on his lips. He had
| caught the electric flash in the girls great
dark eyes and the rising flush on her face.
ga what?" she demanded imperiously.
ga pretty decent sort of chap, l guess"
'He's a gentleman, Tom, through and
| through
ssMy poor grip said Scully to himself;
ssyou're hit hard, and no mistake"
"You were talking to him just now, Tom.
| What did you say?"
"Asked him to supper tonight; but ne
wouldn't come. Thinks sight too much of
| his id digestion for that"
'sHe said nothing more?"
eyes. believe he wants to see you from
| the front tonight. Asked me to keep
place for him by the ladder"
s'No?-not reallyr' cried Hazel, and it
was sight the other hated to see, the little
| dimples of pleasure that made radiant her
| face.
| Slo Was unusually dlliludlcu oil Vic lSoU Va
| the day. She even seemed to have forgot
| ten or overlooked her disagreement with
| Mrs. Bridgeman last night Possibly Mrs.
| Bridgeman had not forgotten, but deemed 1t
| wisest to overlook. She seemed nervous
and agitated as the day wore OF, starting
whenever suddenly addressed, and trying to
avoid HazePs eye
Sculy sent out while Clyde was riding
and got bunch of nodding roses and Glove
pinks from florists just across the way.
As Clyde came off, hot and flushed, he met
him and fairly thrust the flowers into his
hand. "Will you give these to Hazel as she
mounts the ladder?' he asked.
Certainly" said Clyde; "but must have
time to change my dress first"
I've looked out for all that. Bridgeman
is to go on with his trained goats before in
stead of after the Leap"
Scully was not prepared for the sudden
dark flash of annoyance that stained the
Texans face. 1t actually seemed for the
moment to him as if his intelligence was un-
welcome-that Clyde, for purpose OF his
own, preferred the usual arrangement OF
the nights performance in the ring.
Bridgeman was making his entry with the
goats, when Mrs. Bridgeman stopped Scully
to speak to him. She wore her street things
and seemed impatient to be off.
s'Pm going home," she said; "Fm not
neeQeQ any more bO-ulSHt. Wou you o0iA
my husband where Pm gone? I'd like him
to know, so he needn't worry. And you
may take him off to supper with you, if you
like"
Scully thought nothing of her giving him
this message-she had done SO several times
before. He went to Hazel's door and raped.
The girl was ready and full of confidence
again, he saw.
SIS Clyde THEREOF she wanted to know.
s'Yes-in an overcoat. He's just gone
round"
Hazel was eager enoughto go now. After
the first burst of applause, and before it had
done echoing to the roof, she ran to the lad
der at the side of the ring, her eyes fastened
on Clyde, who was seated there in listless
sort of way, and saw the flowers in his hand.
He half rose and extended them to her, say
ing something that evidently pleased the
girl. She took them from him and fastened
them securely at her belt. Another round
of applause for the simple action from the
house, and Hazel began her preparations
for the act. She did not see Clyde slip away
and edge himself out through the crowded
house till he was behind the high wooden
barrier that screened the view of the ring
from loungers by the entrance door. She
onIv caupht sioht of him out there as she