The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-20

T. NA WAD uoo0 70 Rang
EsY AN round and round the
EsAnGl.NS ring on the 'lsarned
pony" swinging his
M bars logs d,hantly
~ and growing with glee
every time he passed
the starting post. Hs climbed ladders and
poles, holding on by his chubby little
hands, a. soon a. he could toddls alone.
md erept into risky places whore. 40 the
whole troups used to say, Watching him
with Joy and pride, he was obliged to
hang by his eyslids."
Whom he was five years old he used to
perform regularly with old Benny, tho f.
NOUS bareback rider" il the wild In
dian act. All the glitter, color, stir, life
Of the circus was the Joy Of the %youngster's
existence. He was 30 used to the sight
OF expert riders md acrobats going through
thsir parts that he had NO thought Of any
possible danger attending their sx-
ploits. and all that others could do he felt
he could do and ionged to do. His father
had been the wonderful rider, Llewsllsn,
killed, u%nluckily, by q kick from his favor
ito horses hoof Just ~ he carelessly
stopped to fesl the fetlock. That was when
Ted was bus two wears Old. and Llewellen
had been 10 much beloved that the company
adopted the boy, IS II wors, and tool pride
in his clevernsss and promise, for there
could be no doubt that nature had given
him the true eye, the steady head, the in
domitable nerve. and the quick sense of
tho laws Of balance which are needed by a
man whose profession ii is to danglo twixt
heaven and earth. His mother was a
farmers daughter. who had made a ro-
mantle match by running away with the
in the company after her husbands early
death as . sort Of wardrobe woman" It
was she who refulbishsd the old costumes,
braiding them with tinsel, and sew
ing on fresh s%panglss; she regilded
and restarred golden crowns. and
uherancc of the fairy queens. Sho WAS
called Mrs. Llewellen, and she and her boy
lived in \ small compartment OF tho great
property 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 grandeur, was o.
tremsly convanient, since his mother could
cook their meals o. 90 on with her sewing
while they were in motion, and Ted could
eat his bread and butter while he
nodded ard waved to tho boys gathered at
every corner to welcome the splendid pro
oessicn. Ted had learned to read from the
great flaring hand-bills: "Greatest Show
in the Univcrse,'' .'The Unequalled and
Matchless Troupe" etc, and his heart had
thrilled with a sudden conviction of his
own p~ra-eminence when he spelled out
Master Edward Llewellen, tho Remark
able Infant Rider and Acrobat" But, after
all, his rrlde WAC in the fact of his belong
ing to this circus, and not in himself. For
all the members of tho troupe were 10
interesting, 80 superior. There was old
Benny = not that he was old, but SO
called to distinguish him from young
Benny, the lion tanner. Actually, there
was nothing that old Benny could not do;
it was he who performed the famous coun-
try pumpkin trick, at which Ted was never
tired of gazing; in the first place mounting
the horse on tho wrong side, and holding
on by the name as if he were going to fall
off; then, after committing every possible
blunder, suddenly showing his real powers
and going through a series Of dazzling
mations until he emerged the in
lmitable Benny, the king Of the circus.
Then there We're the clown, a great friend
Of Tsd's;a quiet. melancholy follow who
played the banjo, and the lady riders, chief
Of whom wore MIS-. Bill and Miss Fanny,
rival queens of the circus. All were SO ac-
complishsd, 20 splendid in their attire lat
least on occaaions), and so kind and tender
to Ted it was little wonder if he thought it
tho finest life in tho world. At times when
turbed him to think that she was not thor
oaghly happy and contented, but no doubt,
no said to himself. she was thinking about
his father.
Still, much as Ted delighted in the Ok
elements Of his life, the climbing, vault
whom he leaned forward drinking ia tho
of his " speod," he was happiest on
Sundays, when is seemed to him in the
sudden hush as if the very heart of the
world had stopped beating. Then in bad
weather he and his mother could shut them
selves up in their own little nest, OF, if it
were fine were frce to wander outside the
town into thu felds. II was only at such
times that his mother really talked, but
alone with her boy she would string out
about the old farm where she had
spent her happy. flee girlhood. Ted heard
about the old house with it's pent-roof and
gables; the we'll by its side. with it's long
sweep, which moved with a mournful,
oreak whom the bucket was low
ered. He was used to lions and tigers, and
there was satisfaction in the descriptions
the soft-cyed oxen II oows-All tho
tender, patient creatures Of the farm, be-
tho fierce turkey eobblers, hens
fluffy, downy chickens. Close by the
larm ran = little river, whore the geese and
ducks padded, and on tho other side was
The wood. where there wero ALWAYS rustles
nurmuta, whero nuts battered down in
autumn and squirrels whisked their
ais and chartered in defiance of the in
lrudeis who poached on their winter stores.
Ihe garden and the orchard. too. were !
to hear about. Ted knew svary
DOVER which grew in the borders, and hin
mouth wsterad at tho account of tho apples.
white and rod, which ripened on the hill
side. 1t is q great deal to know ~ much
bout the world US Tod did, 30 ho used to /,
'all old Benny about the farm which was to
linn such Il wonderful fairy tale. /
PITY now your mother couldn't 20 home =
md take you to see her folks said Benny.
g home and take me-" said Ted. +,
WHY. could sha?'
why not?'' said Benny. :
This new and startling idea daWninp ON !,
Ied's mind took his breath away. .
Mother he cried, running to her. "whv ,
ont you take ms down TO SEQ grandfather !
md grandmother and the flowers and the
pples?" +
ttAAh. VIII seot2" burst out the homesick /
With a Sitter cry. because l gave /
IL that IN when I ran away with your i
Because they wouldn't speak to \
ne; no, not if l went down ON my knees to
/.
Why wouldn't they speak to you'll" said .
aGhast. n
licd. /
Ted comprehended tho pain behind hin i
lothsr's words. although no did not an n
crstand the words them selves. He vAa I
decd really amazed that anybody should v