Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-09-10
THE LION TAMER.


you're just in time; we're going to
begin 1" and the man with the pallid
face and green eyes cried out his
programme in husky voice as he
walked up and down the platform of
one of the finest menagerie tents Mt
the Limoges fair. The canvas at the
right of the entrance represented a
tribe of monkeys in more or less
grotesque attitudes; at the left,
panthers with yellow eyes and enor-
nous names In the center the
artist had painted colossal woman,
dressed in dancing costume
Upon the platform, in the right
corner, four three cor
nets and a bass drum produced an
Internal noise as soon as the crier
ceased talking.
It was a holiday, and the peasants
had put on their newest caps and
cleanest frocks to come to the fair.
The working girls and peasant girls,
handsome b1unettes, with large
black eyes, wore the white muslin
caps bordered with lace which are
called affiquets in that country. The
uniforms OF the soldiers added gay
tone to this animated picture. Some
young cavalry officers were talking
with a group Of ladies living In the
neighborhood, who had alighted
from their carriages to visit the fair,
for amusements are rare in the
provinces, and every occasion to
meet ones friends is gladly seized.
A handsomely dressed brunette,
whom frequent applications of gold
en- water had transformed into a
blond, was leaning upon the arm Of
a middle aged gentleman, who had a
military air and gray mustache
This coquettish Partisan had come to
pass fortnight in the country, and
she examined everything with child
ish curiosity.
s'Colonel, she said, with q sweet
smile, pointing to the menagerie, 81
want to go in there"
"It must be terribly close in there,
madame" said tall young man in
dragoon uniform, who was walking
at the pretty widows right.
.Oh, little more or less doesn't
matter" philosophically replied the
young woman, whose name was
Nine. Clery. Twill you Gomez" she
asked, turning toward q group of
friends, who followed her.
After a moments hesitation they
all entered the tent which was al
ready well filed. A large man, who
seemed to be the owner OF the me-
nagerie, was seated at the door and
took the money. Hurry up" he
shouted; 1.-The performance has be
gun"
The animals were apparently less
numerous than the sign outside indi-
Gated the principal cage contained
two female lions and an enormous
male lion reclining idly on the floor
and looking disdainfully at the
crowd through half closed eyes.
Suddenly door in the rear of the
cage slid back and u young girl en-
tered. Her beauty astonished the
men, who were unable to conceal
their admiration, while the women
bridled at sight of her. She was a
blond, with dark blue eyes and fresh
complexion, and wore an elegant blue
and white costume.
'sWhat a beautiful childW the col
onel exclaimed as she stepped forth.
The lion had heard the cage door
shut, and he got up, stretched him.
self like a huge dog and gave a long
look at the little lion tanner. She
approached him, holding a circle in
one hand and a whip in the other,
Tho lion jumped through the circle
and the crowd applauded. Henri
Maurel, the tall young man who had
followed Mime, Clery into the menag-
erie, clapped his hands even moro
loudly than the others.
The performance continued; the
tanner made the animals go through
the ordinary exercises. Once one OF