The Yale expositor., 1894-12-14
q ROMANCE.

ago, when my brother Jim and ] be-
longed to the travelling circus company.
We were billed as the Chinese Jave-
lin-Throwers," which meant that ore
OF us stood motionless against frar'''-
work, while the other cast two-edg''d
knives all about him from measured
distance. Dangerous work, of course,
and work that required incessant Ira'.-
tice; but it paid, because we could nj
WAYS hold the crowds breath. Hund-
reds. for Instance, would pay Their
money just to sec that last trick, when
the thrower had to pin his targets hen |
TO the board by three blades hurk-i
in quick sucession-one on either SIDE
of the neck and one over the croWf.
our reputation for smartness was JustH
fled. | only remember one solitary NIT
chance: Jim, swerving ut shout. hal
once laid open my cheek. Quite 10y at
cident, of course, because l don't SUI
pose two men were ever mere
sincerely attached to one another tina Il
he and Until that first night ut Hat
ley lust before Christmas. Then tie
shadow OF n woman somehow glidtu
between us. But you have Suesst
that. There could hardly be romantic
without n woman.
They say that every woman has
kind of beauty to some mans way II
thinking, and perhaps that eXplali
why, when l first saw Lottie Some
set, | saw something which set ne
trembling for my peace of mind It
once. She had just Joined us, and wes
riding as BRITANNIA" in the town PR
cession, with dark hair waving loosS,
gauzy white robe fluttering, clear eyes
shining calmly down ut the crowd, AMI
slight figure swayirg atop OF the tn
umphal car.
That was nothing. Most Of them hal
more or less angelic look on that
lofty perch. The mischief began wher,
rs Lottie stepped to the ground. W.
found that distance had lent very little
10 her looks. l say we; for instinct
told me very soon that the same fever
had seized jim. Just rs l was coz.
scious that l threw my best that nighs
because she looked on from side dooI.
so ] knew that jim held his curly head
an inch higher for the same reason.
It was the same the next night, AMI
the next. Before l knew ii JEALOUSY
Of him and his superior looks had
sprung up in me.
He was handsome; more, he wa !
coolly confident. Night after night [
watched how. as he stood smiling there
in the bright light, with the knives
whizzing about him, his eyes were AZ
ways turned TO that side door. Un-
certainty alone checked any words b.
tween us AS the days went by, NJ
one could have said that either Of Us
had made a way into her affections.
Sometimes would believe had mado
her understand, and would 60 homs
on feet Of air, while Jim would ~.
modify quiet; then, next night ii would
he Jim with the flushed cheeks, AMI
myself white-faced and savage. w,
never spoke of it, yet the shadow grew
thicker between us. And it always
seemed to me that Jim. working il
the dark, would be the winner in this
silent desperate struggle.
For it had come to desperation. Orr
night (our last but one at Hanlcy) [
saw her give him the sprig Of scarl,t
berries she had just worn. That was
the match to the powder; my jealousj
famed up in Il moment.
He was excited. He talked fever
ishly as we walked back to our lodfs
ing. I listened. teeth and hands clencE.
cd. When he said. among other thingiI
that Lottie Somerset was thinking OF
leaving the circus. and had advised him
20 give up his dangerous profession,
felt rs though he had dealt me Il phys
t:nl blow 1t stupefied me. or 1 think
should have ended it then and there
because he spoke as though the secretS
and desires Of Lottie's heart were az
one with his own. BY the time that we
reached Our room 1 hated my brothef
jim.
Hate is the father Of evil sugGns
tons. l wanted those berries-or. rath
er, / meant to know how much the
gift implied. But he seemed too OK
cited to understand. lie set up oui
dummy figure against the wall and be
gar practice. but soon gave it up, be
cause the knives either went wide oil
pierced the dummy. Then he paced the
room, saying that his hand was losing
its cunning, and he should certainly
abandon the profession for more noble
one Finally he sat down and hung
dreamily over the sprig of berries, act
ing as though he had been alone with
some great delight.
And that maddened me. l was hard
~ conscious of it, but the truth is that
1 snatched up one of the knives and
took aim at him us he sat. No more
than that. He came to himself sud-
denly, and put up both hands with q
shout Of surprise.
Max. Max, you'd never do it to your
own BROTHER
Drop them!" 1 whispered, so fierce
~. that he began to realize.
He obeyed. "Oh, Maxi was all he
said, in n shocked voice.
The knife fell from my fingers. l
loved him while l hated; n soft word
from him would have brought meto my
knees But he only sat, staring from
me to the berries. In that minute each
tried to read the others thoughts. and
he must have read Alright He picked
up the berries and held them out.
Very well, them" he said, quietly,
take them"
Passion had made me perverse. IL
don't want them" l replied, harshly;
Il want her" / took up the knife
and went to the door. "Jim," said,
pointing it ut him, ''let that be enough.
IL means-don't come between u.s."
Most of that night 1 spent wandering
the streets, ready to cry like Il child
~