Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-03-03
HIS LAST TRICK.
Why Ted and His Mother Left
the Circus.

Everything had seemed to come to
Ted by instinct until he was taught the
great ring trick He had been born
in the circus, and long before he could
walk was used to riding round and
sround the ring on the learned pony
swinging his bare legs defiantly and
< Growing with glee every time he passed
the starting post. He elm bed ladders
and poles. holding on by his chubby
little hands, as soon as he could toddle
alone, and crept into risky places
where, as the whole troupe used to say,
watching him with joy and pride. he
was obliged to chang on by his eye
lids"
When he was five years old he used
to perform regularly with old Benny.
the famous ''bare back rider" in the
''wild Indian" act All the glitter.
color, stir. life of the circus was the
JOY of the youngsters existence. He
was so used to the sight of expert
riders and acrobats going through their
parts he had no thought of any posi-
BILE danger attending their exploits.
and all that others could do he felt he
could do and longed to do. His father
had been the wonderful rider,
Llewellen, killed, unlucl1ily, by kick
from his favorite horses hoof just as
he carelessly stopped to feel the fet-
lock. That was when Ted was but
two years old, and Llewe!len had been
so much beloved that the company
adopted the boy. as it were, and took
pride in his cleverness and promise, for
there could be no doubt that nature
had given him the true eye, the steady
head, the indomitable nerve and the
quick sense of the laws of balance,
which are needed by 4 man whose pro-
fession it is to dangle 'twiXt heaven and
earth. His mother was farmers
daughter, who had made n romantic
match by running away with the
handsome Llewellen. She had re-
manned in the company after her hus-
bands early death as sort of ward
robe woman" 1t was she who refur-
bished the old costumes, braiding them
with tinsel, and sewing on fresh
sspangles; she regilded and restarred
golden crowns, and added fresh skirts
to the airy eXuberance of the circus
queens. She was called Mrs Level
len, and she and her boy lived in a
small compartment of the great prop
.erty van, which, when the show moved
from town to town, was drawn by six
white horses. Few experiences pleased
Ted better than this sort of royal
progress, which, in spite of its grand
eur. was extremely convenient, since
his mother could cook their meals OF
go ON with her sewing while they
were in motion, and Ted could eat his
bread and butter while he nodded and
waved to the boys gathered at every
corner to welcome the splendid pro.
>cession. Ted had learned to read from
the great, flaring hand bills: Greatest
Show in the Universe" 1.-The I'm
~cqualed and Matchless Troupe" etc.
and his heart had thrilled with a sud.
sden conviction of his own prominence
when he spelled out Master Edward
Llewellen, the Rem arlzable Infant
Rider and Acrobat" But, after all
his pride was in the fact of his belong
ing to the circus, and not in himself
For all the members of the troupe
were SO interesting, SO superior. There
was old Benny-not that he was old
but so called to distinguish him from
young Benny, the lion tanner Actual.
1y, there was nothing that old Benny
could not do; it was he who performed
the famous country pumpkin trick, al
which Ted was never tired of gazing;
in the first place mounting the horse
ON the wrong side and holding on by
the name as if he were going to fall
off; then. after committing every pos
-sible blunder, suddenly showing his
real powers and going through a series
of dazzling transformations until he
emerged the inimitable Benny, the
king of the circus. Then there was
the clown, great friend of Ted's; 6
quiet, melancholy fellow who played
the banjo. and the lady riders, chief OF
whom were Mrs Bill and Miss Fanny
rival queens of the circus. All were SC
accomplished, so splendid in their at
tire tat least on occasions) and So kind
and tender to Ted it was little wonder
if he thought it the finest life in the
world. At times when his mother
,sighed over her work it disturbed him
to think that she was not thoroughly
happy and contented. but no doubt, hi
.said to himself. she was thinking about
ibis father.
Still. much as Ted delighted in tn,
.excitements of his life,. the climbing
"vaulting. balancing, and above all thu
riding when he leaned forward drink
ing in the wind of his own speed" b,
was happiest on Sundays. when 1
seemed to him in the sudden hush as i