Frederick citizen., 1895-02-08

| Dion. good DionT she cried, and the
lion retreated. drawing himself back
wards.
Elsie stood before her husband. he
rose to his feet and drawing her with
him slowly backward towards the door.
she still keeping her eyes on Dion. still
uttering the short circus cries.
| They were near hte door, with dex-
ferrous fingers he had unfastened II. not
foot between them and safety. when
fearful roar rang through the arena.
! all the wild lust for blood had reawak-
ened in the savage brute. over-mas-
tering the superficial discipline-he
| sprang-
BanGi
The pistol-shot, aimed by the truest
hand that ever surgeon possessed.
| pierced the brain OF the great African
monarch. With an awful yelp he drop
ped to the ground. tearing up all the
sawdust in the roll of his death agony
VIII and Elsie were safe. bespattered
from head to foot with blood and saw
dust; they stood. and all the riders.
the clown. the master. were crowding
round them.
Lucy Brandreth had tainted.
When she returned to consciousness,
the whole scene was changed. This
wild beasts were gone, fresh sawdust
was sprinkled, a gay quartette of pretty
people on horses cantered in. and the
audience were recovering from the
frightful anxiety they had been
through.
Are you better, Lucy?" said Colonel
Brandreth tenderly.
Yes yes, quite we'll Where is Max.
well? Oh where is he?"
He has gone down to the manager.
He must make good the loss of the
lion, my deari'
She had grown whittier than ever.
Let me go down." she said, now, at
once, I must see Elsie Condor"
Impossible, my love, among all these
people"
She would not be withheld So much
against his will, her husband was
obliged to take her down.
The riders were pleased by the wish
OF the pretty and charming lady to see
their comrade. they made way for her,
, with looks of interest, as they went
! through them. The manager conducted
, them into one of the dressing rooms.
, viii Condor was lying on heap OF
! cushions hastily piled together; he was
, CHASTITY white: there were blood stains
everywhere. Sir Maxwell Bede bent
over him. his fingers on his pulse.
Elsie knelt beside him with her arm
, supporting his head.
I rs he hurt?' gasped Lucy.
: mo, no." said the surgeon. The
s poor fellow has broken a blood vessel
h we must keep him perfectly quiet"
e Let me send home for whatever 4.
t wanted she said eagerly. And SiI
4 Maxwell took her at her word. and per.
suaded her to return herself to make
q sundry preparations.
e All night the good surgeon spent with
n his patient Elsie watching with hin
/. in terrible anxiety. In the morning
r as the bleeding had not returned, they
I ventured to move him on a stretchel
i to Brandreth Court at the owners ur
| gent request, and there all that tht
tenderest nursing, nourishing food, and
many comforts could do for him, were
= lavished on him.
: Very slowly and painfully poor viii
struggled back to life, and long before
4 he was restored even to convalescence
!. the circus must move on, their time
e at Middleton could be no longer pro.
longyd.
! The manager would accept no com.
: pensation for the loss of TIE lion, al.
2 though the loss not only X the valu-
able beast, but of two Of the best
members of his company, was severe
The riders made up n little sum OF
2 money between them for the Condors
: and Albert brought 1t to them with
I tears in his eyes on the morning of the
day on which the troupe was to leave
5 Don't forget me. Elsie" he said
holding her hands fast in his.
She could only shake her head and
falter out, God bless you for all your
I goodness to me, Albert" and he went
' on his way.
When poor Will began to creep about
} again, and as the summer approache d.
to bask in the warmth of the sun. a
terrible anxiety began to sieze upon
both him and his, wife about the fu-
ture What could they now do to earn
a living? Elsie shrank from the knowl-
edge that sooner or later. to earn
l bread to eat she must return to her
profession.
But one day their fears were set al
! rest. Lucie took Elsie's hand and bade
her put aside her fears and trust In
her.
They lived in the lodge. Elsie did
q certain amount of needlework. also
she was employed in other odds and
ends of ways. as riding mistress to
the Brandredth children and to otners
in the neighborhood. Besides the small
salary attached to the lodge, means OF
earning more we're found for Will him.
self. Colonel Brandreth's dogs were
put into his charge. the care of the
kennels viii Condor with the tact
and bright friendliness which had
made him a universal favorite in the
profession contrived to conciliate and
make friends with the game-keepers
after which his happiness and that OF
his wife seemed to be complete. espe.
cially after Sir Maxwell Bede told FL
se that though her husband could
never again be strong. yet with great
care and light work he might live tC
be an old man yet.