Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-04-12

song of birds and flowers and sunshine such
rs he loved The people appiauded loudly
few even came forward with voluntary
contributions Beppo must sing again
he stepped forward and essayed to sing
but no sound came; great ringing was III
lis ears, the air seemed fiery hot before his
eyes, he cast one beseeching look AT Seppa
aid swaying forward and fell unconscious to
background. 60,
When he next new life he lay in little
attic chamber of the tavern, tended oy
Nella, who wore the old red kerchiet tied
about her head. His hands were burning
hot and his head did not seem to belong TO
him, it was 80 heavy and full Of pain.
Strange faces came and went. but BepPo dii
bot heed them he only babbled OF childish
things and seemed TO play with Ionu
Poor Toni who crouChed beside him treno'
ing and charteriug all day long. GA the
bird day the doctor told old Seppa when he
asked, that should the child recover his
voice was gone, exposure aud hardship had
done their work, heuceforth he would earn
Seppa no more pennies. Seppa gesticl-
lated and rolled his eyes towards the cell.
ing and called all the saints to witness that
he had cared for the child before
himself; but alas he was poOr-was there
no hope? The doctor said gravely none,
and went his way. That night Seppa and
his family disappeared why should they
linger, he reasoned, for child who would
never be Of any use again? Bl: lying on
Beppos pillow was little silver locket,
Nella only ornament, with lock of her
hair inside and Beppo knew that she was
loath to leave him. And now came a happy
day for Beppo; at first he lcould scarcely
believe that Seppa was really gone, every
hour he feared TO see his evil face peering
in at the doorway, or feel his heavy hand
But days grew into weeks and still Seppa
did not come, and at last the child breathed
freely. And how good to him were the
kind people of the house, from the fat land
lord himself to Tim the errand boy
who brought him rude playthings
made in his leisure hours. But
kindest of all was the good wife herself who
had boy half worn clothes and treasures
packed away in a silent room where no one
else ever went. There was an odor OF
dried rose leaves about the place, and their
fragrance seemed to have entered her kind
y soul As be grew stronger, Beppo made
himself useful IN many little ways he
brought his master pipe and tobacco and
held the wool for the good mother, he drove
the COWS TO pasture, and caught the fowls
for the lazy cook No one ever spoke
of sending him away, he was too grateful
for that, too willing 10 90 the work Of any
one for that, and all soon grew to love the
gentle child. He was learning TO spell
little at good Mrs. Wilson's school
and losing some Of his unciv'
ilizcd ways now, but he never
lost sight Of the fact that that wonderful
circus was coming, and all his leisure time
was spent IN gazing at the wonderful
posters, One day kindly guest gave the
child some money, and now he knew that
he. too. would see all the wonderful teats
which Tim assured him would really be per-
formed. At last the slow days went by
slow indeed for Beppo, who was longing for
bis pleasure with all the intensity Of his
nature. What g wonder to him was this
circus, seen fully now for the first time, for
Seppa had always stunned the towns where
he must compete with others for the pennies
Of the people At last, one August noon, it
came, the long procession, the faded little
ponies, tossing their weary heads impatiently,
only to make the bells on their harness
jangle louder. The gaily painted cars,
filled with lions and tigers in their drugged
sleep, then painted men and women who
laughed and nodded at the gaping crowd.
Bedpa looked with open eyes, dazzled at
what seemed to him such splendor.
There she goes cried Tim, who stood
beside him. The woman as goes through
hoops of fire on the little pony" Beppo
turned hastily, only to catch the last glimpse
Of a scarlet skirt flash around the corner.
Madame Xuila Tulli was evidently in no
humor 10 be stared at.
At last Beppo was seated in the tent with
hundreds of eager people about him, the
fresh saw dust in the ring turn
ing to gold in the bars of
sunshine that came through crevices. And
how Beppo laughed and applauded at
every Joke of the clown, though he only half
understood them, applauded the pink.
suited men who tossed cannon balls and
turned somersaults all over the ring; ap.
plauded the performing dogs with little
pang al though'Eof Tonti, whom he should
never see again. And now they stand ready
for Xuila, four men with hoops OF fire
through which she will float presently, to
fall unscathed on the back Of her pony.
In she comes smiling, nodding, kissing her
hands right and left, her dainty pink dress
floating about her little body like a sunset
cloud Here she comes now she's off!
Through the first, the second-ahl she faces
Beppo now, q blackeyed woman who
mods and smiles -. a cord seemed to snap
in Beppo's brain, mist is before his eyes.
he cries out Mamma Mamma" in a loud
voice and then he finds himself on the edge
Of the ring holding out his little arms.
How it happens no one ever knows, she
was poised for the leap, perhaps she swerved
little. perhaps the.man who!holds the hoop
turns his head-no one can ever be sure.
She leaps torward-it is TOO late to turn
back-and then there is terrible cry Of
"Fire?' The pink dress is mass Of flames,
the frightened woman rushes through the
ring. Its moment or two hours it seems,
before they throw a. blanket overther and
crush out tho. fire.
An hour later, they had Beppo weeping
and trembling into a dagkened room to see
his mother She lies faint and white, her
great eyes fixed not in a smiling, applaud
ing crowd but on eternity. With great
cry she reached out her arms to Beppo.
"lIe is found at last, my child, my child
And then there Is little gurging sound
and Madame Xuila Tulli has made her last
leap, and this time ii is into the dark. The
neXt'day's papers contain few lines con
corning the yiolen: death OF circus rider,
people read il in their mornings paper and
then forget Perhaps some good clergy
man uses her death to point a moral. Only
a few simple people weep over dead
woman, and little child feels that
life has nothing for him. The
people who were her friends tell him with
tears, how, after baby Lii died, she left her
cruel husband and came TO America to seek
the boy she only found too late.
Bcppo himself is famous circus rider
now, Tor these kindly people took him in
their care and did their simple best for him
u Lao, ~. -,,- y