The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-04-05
It was all over.

Lie was exceeding cruel, and love
had made mock of the wan-faced wo-
man who had once been starry-eyed
Babinette. Only death was kindly
thought Pcotin, as he turned away with
numb feeling of anguish and a bitter
remembrance of that which might hava
been, while his clowns existence
seemed, as it often did, the only natural
one upon this earth, where all went by
contraries.
But ever since that night new in,
terest had crept into his life.
The woman who had wronged him
had died in peace because he had prom
ised to be father to her child and that
OF the one man whom he had hated as
an enemy even while struggling to for
give.
Poor Picotin! Much had been asked
Of him, and as for the first time he
stopped over the sleeping infant and
marked how the mother had starved
herself to preserve the rounded soft.
ness of those little limbs, some of the
repugnance he felt for the father re-
coiled, in spite of himself, upon this
poor innocent he had vowed to cherish.
But suddenly 1t woke and looked with
baby wonderment up into his face;
then Growing with baby confidence and
delight held out It's chubby arms. AS
those arms closed round his neck and
the curly head rubbed against his
cheek, Picotin's heart expanded with
the consciousness that he had at last
found something to love. Henceforth
the Intercourse between these two
strangely beings was one lone
laughter and delight.
AS the years passed on only one fear.
that the real father might some day
claim his child, marred the clowns
happiness. He idolized her with a rapt
devotion far more satisfying and less
disquieting than that which he had felt
for her mother long ago. Nothing was
too good for Bebee. in the opinion of
Papa Picotin, and no amount OF
caresses were too many for Papa Pico-
tin, in the opinion of Bebee.
It was with a terrible sense of self
sacrifice that as she grew older he
placed the child in a convent school,
where she could be better cared for and
trained in those accomplishments he
vaguely believed necessary to a young
lady destined to inherit a considerable
fortune. AS for himself, he still con-
tinued his old career, partly from habit,
partly from love of that to which he
seemed to the manner born, and be-
cause he was still so great a favorite
with the public.
Not long after Picotin had taken the
painful step of sending Bebee to school
she fell III of some childish malady,
which suddenly taking a serious turn
caused them to send for him in haste.
He was just quitting the ring amid a
burst of laughter when he almost fell
over the white-faced messenger, who
gasped out his bad intelligence.
The clown stared at him wildly; the
audience were clamoring for their fav-
orite's return, and their acclamations
sounded like a muffied roar. To leave
now would be to spoil the whole even
ing's entertainment and throw every
one else out, and Picotin had always
been the most conscientious OF artists.
AS he hesitated it seemed to him con-
fusedly as If this Unsuitable public were
demanding his hearts blood shed for
their amusement, and the first shudder
OF repugnance he had ever felt for his
long pursued career shook him from
head to foot.
A quarter of an hour had scarcely
flown in that hurried drive when the
pious Sisters attending the sick child
were startled at the strange figure
which flung itself down at the little
crib. Picotin had not stayed to change
his dress; he had only thought of Bebee
delirious, tossing her golden head from
side to side while she called aloud his
name.
He bent with passionate anxiety over
the tiny. flushed face, murmuring
words OF tenderness, but the child
turned round on her pillow with cry
Of terror She did not know that white
and red appartion with the huge run
brows drawn almost to the roots OF the
hair. She sobbed and screamed with
fright Picotin rose bewidered as the
grave nuns shrank from him as II he
had been an incarnation of the evil
one; only the good doctor smiled little
at the scene as he whispered:
"Wipe the paint from your face, mon
sieur, and put this coat over your dress;
then perhaps the child may recognize
YOU"
Tonight will have been my last ap-
psarance." said the clown sadly. doing
as ne was bid. for 1t occurred to him
that II Bebee died he would not have
the heart to joke again.
Then he approached the crib once
more. hesitating, fearful of those large
eyes filled with feverish Apprehension
turned once more in his direction.
Papa Picotinw