The record-union., 1891-02-22

~ 'algSty SHe iidu neNeT-enulnS sup
ply. Show folks are very gregariouS,
and so she possessed heaps of acquaint-
ances; and there We're always the dogs
and Doynes.
In summer things were pretty pros
porous. for the dogs took well, and their
keep was not costly; besides this, Doynes
was such slSillful forager that he usually
managed to get poultry and vegetables
Tor absolutely nothing. But as the pub
| lies captured most of his hard cash in the
prosperous season--for Doynes was con-
vivial soul and adored beer-they were
generally hard put to it in winter to make
both ends meet. They lived in the cara
van then just the same, only they kept it
stationary, and hired the horse out TO any
one who would take him; and when they
got very hard up-not before, though for
he objected to toil-Doynes would con-
trive to get hold of an odd job. And so
things were kept -going-somewha ezra
ucally, 1t IS true-but stoppage was al
ways prevented.
when Liz had been at this game a
couple of years, Doynes, acting on a
happy inspiration which grew from the
hint of one of his cronies, invested in a
secondhand pair OF tights and spangled
tunic from peripatetic circus proprie-
tor, and, hcnceforward, Liz put the dogs
through their PAGES herself. The girl was
good-Iooking in way. She'd got wild,
fierce sort of beauty, which seems to
grow with this kind OF Iife-strong. blacl,
hair, you know, and fine, dark violet
eyes and good figure and she drew
larger houses than Doynes had done
And that is not to be wondered at, seeing
that he is heavy looking brute, rather
OF the jaii-bird type. She liked the job;
Doynes fully appreciated change which
gave him more money and less to do; the
dogs preferred Liz's 'suaviter in Inodo' to
Doynes' 'fortiter in re- and SO the ar
rangement suited all parties. But still
LlZ'S pecuniary circumstances remained
unaltered. There was no particular secret
made of this. Doynes openly boasted
that he was a gentleman now, for he got
all his work done for nothing, and no one
| ever suggested that Liz had any money
And although she may at times have felt
the need Oft, she never struck out for a
regular salary.
''She might easily have done so had she
wished, for outside offers were not want
ing. One Of the young women from
| Coles Imperial Shooting Gallery had
eloped with a rich American, and Liz was
asked to take the vacant tube-her board,
keep and eight shillings per week. The
proprietor and acting manager of 'Fitz-
gerald's Theater of Varieties said he'd
! give her a2-per-cent. share of the profits
| il she'd play boys parts for him; and the
owner of a ,'Saccharine Refreshment
Caravan offered her n co-partnership and
a loving heart if she'd join him. But no.
unaccountable as it may seem, Liz
laughed ard said she'd stick to Doynes ;
and to Doynes she stuck.
Liz is rum un,' Doynes' friends
would say to him; but Doynes would
only chucl1le and wink, and remark that
he'd have another pot o. the same.' And
so things went on, Liz doing, by yery
visible gradations, more and more. and
more, and Doynes less and less, TIL at
last he was never near the show at all ex-
| cept when it was OH the move, and then
he lay indolently in his bunk
''Li2's friends among the show-folks
used to comment on these habits of
| DoyneS' pretty freely and pointedly: but
Liz would always laugh in a cheerful
| sort OF way, and say, ''Oh, never mind
t,lad; 'e's allus fearful dry, an likes ter
| sleek hissen.' cSleck' in her dialect
means moisten.l But all the same she
gave him good, sharp lectures on the
quiet, and he would swear by all his dogs,
| by his caravan, by his eyes, by every
thing he held sacred, in fact, that he'd
not touch drop of liquor for month.
And then when the tent was pitched once
more he would slip Off with jolly laugh
turning out time And Liz quite I'M
concernedly would shift the platform
across to the entrance end of the tent. so
that she could guard the door after the
money was taken and put the dogs
| through their PAGES AT the same time.
! But at last the climax came
They were at village tide in the
dales here, and she had squared up for
! the night and was patiently waiting for
Doynes return. The day had been a hot
one, and as he had plenty of money in
| his pocket, she philosophically expected
! him to make wet night Of it. But half
past eleven and twelve struck by the
church clock, and no Doynes came. She
! began to get anxious. He usually con-
| trived TO bring himself or be brought to
| the caravan before this. Half-past
| twelve! He must be back directly now.
! One! He has gone to sleep somewhere.
One-thirty! She put shawl over her
head and opened the door with the in
tention Of going to look for him. By the
pale moonlight, which illuminated the
! paper-strewn ground and the scattered
encampment, she saw half dozen men
carrying something on sheep hurdle.
Close TO her was Ran ayant-courier, in
whom she recognized Signor Roberto
Valtolski of the Royal Marionette The
ater,' but commonly known as Dolly
| Bobs.
is he very bad, Dolly?' she asked.
anXiously, for experience had taught her
that an ordinary drunk took only a
couple of bearers, or three at the outside.
Aye, lass, an 'e's 'appened haxi-
dent an all 'I wer' liggin i'm dahn i t,
road-blind-an' Jabez 'Olroyd's cart run
over i'm. They fotched t. docter, but 'e
sez e cannot do ote for i'm. Pm right
grieyed fer thee, lass. 'Appen tha'd best
so sleep along VII my nlissis, an to leave
me to stay along o. imp
Here the bearers brought the i'm
promptu ambulance to the door, and the
sympathetic moonlight showed Doynes'
CHASTITY paleness.
NO, 'e amt dead, Liz answered
Dolly Bobs in response to her inquiry:
AM mebbe 'e won't type out fer yeres ef
! 'e's properly tended on, docter says. Nah
! thee get thee gone to my ole woman. an
Well taxi i'm ini'
But Liz refused. Lift him up she
said, am then go, please. 'E's used ter
me, is Doynes. I'll sit up an watch
| And she insisted, and they obeyed.
I'm the morning a new trial awaited
! her.. great country boor knocked at
! the door, and she answered it. He. too.
had been enjoying himself over night,
and he wasn't sober even then.
| Ave coined for thee,' he remarked
with a malty leer.
Liz naturally did not understand, and
so the brute explained that Doynes had
sold her to him the night before for twelve
/ shillings and bottle of whisky.
But I'm not his to SELL, replied Liz,
as quietly as she could. Besides, he was
drunken, and got almost killed last night. ,
Ar care note abaat that,' exclaimed
this interesting person, with a good deal
of bad language leveled at the head of the
injured Doynes; ar wants thee; an as
arye paid fer thai, arm balm ter ave
thai And he tried to clutch her wrist
Listen,' said Liz. And those black
! eyes of hers shone 50 fiercely that the fell
low took step or two backward invol-
UNFAIRLY. You see all these people
| ut?'-waving her hand toward the
! they're all my friends. If calls EN- and
| tells 'em what you're wanting they'll kick
! 7 life out on Yer. And that's n true But