Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-04
ROSE QUEENS LOVER.

animals. Some people have gift that
way, am told, and | believe It; for Ger
tainly Jenny could do anything with the
widest horse or the hercest dog about the
place | think she would have done well
II she had taken up the Lion Queen bust
ness and gone into the cages with the
lions and tigers But then her husband
never would have let her do such q thing.
He could not bear to let her run such risks,
| know, for be was mortal fond Of her.
though he did treat her shameful some
times when his blood was up. Not that
he ever drank. but be was that jealous
that he could not bear to have her look at
another man or to have another man look
at her. It was hard to help that last
though. for handsomer thing on horse
back than Jenny Wilson it has never been
ny lot to see. and the people used to
flock to the circus just to see her in her
two acts We called her Nile Zoe from
the Paris hippodrome, on the playbills,
but she was Jenny Wilson from Yorkshire
for all that. and her husband was our
chief clown
Joseph Wilson wasn't what you would
call good clown He had morose,
hangdog look about him; but he could
make people laugh with his sarcastic
jokes and odd ways. and be was great
hand at poking fun at political characters.
or at anything that happened out Of the
way in society or at court. He could
make up things as he went along. too.
about people in the audience in way
that was very taking Altogether. though
/ have seen better clowns-that is, fun
nier ones-than Joe Wilson. | never saw
one that could interest people as he did
fl,,+S Ia ea ha ip- nd nil
a fellow as you would wish TO see. He
never drank drop. was always up to
time at his duties and if be had not got
ten into the way of going on at his wife,
there would not have been fault to find
with him. do not mean to say that he
ever struck her or kicked her; but he
used to fall into perfect crazy fits of
jealous rage. all about nothing ST all, and
storm and swear at her till he was per-
fectly exhausted with his own fury. She
would shrug her shoulders and sit by
looking like stone till he had worn him
self out, and then she would walk off
without word he was always very
sorry when be came to his senses, and
would buy her flowers or fruit, or some
bandkerchiefs or ribbons, or some other
little thing. to try to make up: but she
cared as little for his presents as she did
for his furies- Half the time she would
turn her back on him and his gifts too,
and go off to White Devils stall to feed
him with carrots.
Jenny could do anything with that
horse. He was a terrible kicker. and used
to lash out ct every body that came near
him; but I've seen her walk up close be-
hind him and pat him on the crupper and
smooth down his long tail. and be would
look round at her as gentle and sensible
as child really believe that the only
happy moments Jenny ever knew were
those when she was On his back
One day Mrs. Marmaduke, who was tho
wife of our bandmaster and the best old
soul In the world. said TO her:
Jenny Wilson. how did it come aboue
that you. such good looking lass and
such q rider you are. ever CHANGED to
marry such an i'll conditioned tike as Joe.
the Clown
We'll. Mrs Marmaduke." said Jenny,
looking bit put out at the question. and
throwing back her handsome head de-
family, when the man one is promised to
Is dead, and another man comes and SAYS
he is dying for you, what is lass to dor"
And Of she went without stopping to say
or to hear anything more But after that
it came out that Jenny had been engaged
10 young man, one Oliver Lybrook, OF
Hull. who was mate Of merchant vessel
He had sailed for India, some three years
before and Iad never returned. and fin
ally news came that he had died of cholera
In Calcutta And SO. when she learned
that be was dead she took pity in an evil
hour for herself. on Joseph Wilson. and
consented TO marry him
Y . l. = -
came to Liverpool, aud stopped there TO
give series of performances in the sub
urbs. Joseph Wilson and Jenny were
both still with the company. and Jenny
was e greater favorite than ever. both
with the manager and the audiences She
had invented 8 ve1v cetty new act to 90
through with White Devil, called the
Rose Queen" She hung the handsome
creature all over with pink artificial roses
and pink ribbons. and wore ever so many
roses on her dress and in her hair, and
she taught him at one point in the riding
TO turn back his head and take bunch
Of real roses out of her hand She was
always the one that had to dress the horse
ap-there was cot another person belong
ing to the show that would have ventured
within reach Of his heels to plait the pink
ribbons in his tail As for her husband.
his temper was nastier than ever. and he
tormented his wife beyond relief. He
was always extra savage whenever he
stopped at seaport town. and was ever
ready then TO make himself unpleasant.
used to wonder why the sea sir lad such
an effect upon him. but he WASH man
that one would like TO question about his
own affairs. SO held NY tongue.
On the particular evening en- going to
tell you about. sir. the show was more
crowded than ever. It was beautiful
summer weather. and ever so many ships
had come IN ell together. and. Of course,
the crews were mad for bit of pleasure,
and lots Of them trooped to the circus
The manager had advised Jenny TO give
up her riding habit act for that evening,
and to do the Rose Queen instead of il,
IS thst wsA new and sensational, and
both she and White Devil looked lust
splendid In it. So IS Ii was July weather.
and roses were cheap and plenty. che filed
a basket with them and trimmed 1t I'D
With ribbons
Then they led out White Devil. and
She sprung on his back. and OF they went
Round and round. just as II they were
flying. and tie people fairly shouted with
uengnt, and the band played ITS nreues.
But all Of q sudden. in the midst of the
music and applause, heard one name Ut
tered. In a loud, shrin cry-"Jennyl" She
was just gvtng to feed White Devil with
the roses when this cry came. and she
seemed to lose her footing. and Was down
IN the sawdust and almost under the
horses feet before we could well make out
what was the mstter. If it had been