Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-08-28

IarIner DacK sat Leander hocKwM with
Miss Terebinth and her friend, Hannah
Binns, beside her, a plain little seam
stress body, who had been asked at the
eleventh hour-''sooner than waste the
ticket" thrifty Miss Terebinth had said.
One by one the unparalleled attrac-
tons" had been put forward-the time
worn clown, the spangled columbine,
trained elephants, the bicycle riders and
the swarthy snake charmer, with the
gold crescents dangling from his ears
and the great glittering stage diamond
in the front Of his turban.
"Oh, isn't 1t wonderful" cried Alice
Ames.
pretty fair, pretty fair" answered
Capt. Cassell, tapping the ivory knob of
his cane against his teeth. But those
rattlesnakes don't compare in size to a
cobra capello once killed in our tent at
Dungapore when
And the rounds of applause drowned
the end of his sentence.
"Ahl tiger tanning actp said the cap
tain. consulting his programme. "'The
Marvellous Signor Mahmelh and his pupiI,
RajahP Call that Bengal tiger, do
they? 1 wish you could have seen the
jungles at Hoodah. My sister has his
skin on her drawing room floor now,
made into rug. 1t had killed four men
and a sacred OK, and the natives called
him The Scourge of the Shore Oh, yes,
l don't deny that the fellow handles him
very neatly, but
At that second, just when the Beast
of the Tropics" was drOwsily going
through with his list of accomplish
ments, the lash of his keeper struck
trifle sharper than usual, or some other
unseen cause ignited the powder maya
zine of the animals slumbering savagery.
With q ferocious roar he sprang forward,
telling the keeper with single blow of
his paw, and leaped toward the row of
footlights, whose fltful flicker seemed to
irritate him as red rag enrages bull.
There was shrek, rush, q moment
or two of wild confusion. Ally Ames
uttered a scream. Capt. CaSse1 had
turned as pale as tallow candle.
WED better get out Of this" said he,
hoarsely. Quick! quick!"
But Alice, paralyzed by fear, sat as
still as death.
IL can't mover she gasped. Il
think I'm going to faint"
The captain hesitated a second, and
finally decided matters by taking to his
heels, with the rest of the flying crowd.
Alice shut her eyes with a cold shudder;
she could not see the tawny death spring
upon her; but in moment she opened
them again at the sound of triumphant
shout that went up around her.
Leander Rockwell was in the arel;-
lately occupied by the vanquished band,
struggling with the savage monster.
She could see his set teeth, the veins
standing ont on his forehead, the red
fire in his eyes, and she knew that it was
for life or death.
After all, said the minister, "these
circuses are sinful risks to human life. /
shall never see my way clear to attend
ing one again. Suppose that brave
young fellow had been killed before our
face and eyes in the noble effort he
made to save our lives.
"Golly, though, pa, wasn't it grand?
said John Henry, the good mans eldest
hope. "'Most equal To Spanish bull
fight Everybody knows that Lee Rock
wells the strongest fellow in Durhill
Four Corners, but the old tiger'd got the
best of him if it hadn't been for that
lick Lee gave him over the head with
the sharp edge of the cornet that the
music men had dropped when they got
under the stage, like lightning. 1t was
as good as Damascus scimeter, Lee
says, and once stunned, it was easy
enough for the property men to kill him.
It'll be an awful loss to the circus folks,
though" reflectively added John Henry.
There amt many tigers Of that size in
the travelling ring in this country"
But wasn't it funny, husband" said
the minister's wife, "about Capt. Cas-
sells being found hiding under the man
ger in the trained ponies stalls, with the
door tightly locked. A man who, &C
cording to his own account, has killed
SCOIeS Vi lCODftlho c14ANA AoAA a OOGCh OAO-
plants in India, and is afraid Of nothing.
I'm told that the engagement between
him and Alice Ames is off, and that she
is spending a week with Terebinth Rock
well. The fright and the danger have
made poor Terebinth quite i'll"
But if the minister's wife had only
known it, Terebinth was a great deal
better now, and she and Ally were busy
making n gown of white surah silk, with
q great deal of soft lace and ribbon bows
above it.
Because" said Ally, laughing, lie
ander says he won't wait-and a man
who can conquer tiger oughtn't to be
contradicted by a woman"
"You really love me, them said Le-
ander.
81 really love you," repeated Alice.
"And oh, Leander! am so very, very
proud of yOu!"-Amy Randolph in New
York Ledger.