Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1895-05-16
CHAPTER l.

lTHE Belle Roulette was gaiIy
painted thing. with her name letter
- ed big and bright on her Sides q.
shut she was not q woman. No: she was
q house on wheels. and she served as the
travelling home of the Cascabel Circus.
.sSls. had rolled clear across the United
.States Of America. and up and down the
Pacific coast, and at this time-away back
In the sixties-she stood in suburb Of
San Francisco. How many people have
sometimes dreamed of travelling in
coach house. after the manner of photOg-
raphers and small show folks! Never to
have to trouble ones self about hotels or
lodgings. dubious beds, or still more dubi-
-oux cooking, when it is necessary to trav-
-erse region scarcely half settled! What
rieA amateurs do with their pleasure
yachts, where all the comforts of home
are brought. bears very little relation to
life in travelling house. 1t is navigation
on dry ground.
Caesar Cascabel. the stalwart proprie-
Tor Of the Belle Roulette. was speaking
II, his little band of performers: and, in
order to make their situation clear to the
reader, we will quote little of what he
said:
.'My dears," he began, for he was pro-
fessionally pompous and Oracular in his
manner always. ''you know well the mis-
, fortunes we have suffered. After tour
Of this great continent, and IN accumula-
zion of a modest fortune, we sold this es
adjustment and started overland for our
nativc France We had not gone far be-
fore we were robbed Of the iron box con-
ginning our money. That compelled us
t0 resume our labors. De have regained
possession of the Belle Roulette, and our
projected route lies northward into terri
tory which we have not yet visited"
Cascabel's attentive and respectful lis
teners were his wife Cornelia, his daugh-
ter Napoeona. his son Pierre, and Ned
Harley both family and
circus troupe. 1t is true that Ned Har-
ley was no blood relation Of the Casca-
bells, for he was an American; bat he and
IeOna, as NapoleOna was commonly call
cd, were sweethearts who expected to
marry, and thus make Ned an actual
member Of the Cascabel family. He al
ready figured under that name in the
performances. One of these had just
i,een finished. The Cascades had done
their feats of strength and skill on rude
stage sheltered by a canvas awning, be-
fore spectators who stood in the open
air, and contributed such coin as they
pleased to in payment for the diversion.
The assemblage had dispersed, and the
parental Cascades had gone snugly to
bed, but Leona still sat in camp chair,
while Ned smoked a cigar as he stood
by her side.
II have written to my father" Ned was
saying. II have told him of my wander
'ings and adventures. and of my love for
yon. He is a well-to-do merchant at Salt
Lake, and he has not for four years
known Of his sons whereabouts He will
1e glad to hear that am alive and well,
but"
But sorry to hear that you have fallen
IN love with wandering French tight
rope girl" Leona interposed. ''It is bet
Ter that you give me up, Ned
BE it better or worse, / shall not do
that" and he kissed her forehead ten
derby.
A laughing voice cried "Aha!' and
Pierre Cascabel emerged from the van.
Pierre was only boy, being fifteen years
old, or three younger than his sister; and
he was SO nearly a counterpart of her in
size and face that they might have passed
for twins. Her facial beauty was coars-
ened in masculine degree in his visage;
yet when, in order to exc out the meagre
numbers of the troupe, they appeared to-
gethcr in female costumes, as the Casca-
bel Sisters, the spectators didn't suspect
that one of them was the boy who had
clOwned grotesquely a few minutes be-
fore.
BETTER dispense, you two" Pierre said.
"Its midnight"
They needed the admonition, and soon
the inmates of the Belle Roulette's COM
partments were sound asleep.
Now let us 60 back few days in time,
and across the country to Salt Lake City
for place, in order to introduce Ned
Harley's father, Jonathan Harley, dealer
In groceries and provisions. He was a
Mormon in religion, and therefore be-
licyer in the doctrine of polygamous mar
Iriage; yet he was a widOwer, and had
never cared to fill his house with new
wives. He was stickler for matri-
monial proprieties, too, in singular con-
trast with the usages of his church, and
his wrath was great when he got the letter
from his Grant son, containing the news
that he was likely to have circus girl for
n daughter-in-law.
IF this is true" he exclaimed to an
Old crony. ''and Ned is capable of such
foliy-such infamy-as that. l swear I'll
move heaven and earth to hinder the fool
vidiot--imbecile-fr being taken in by
my such adventuressr
''Now, just take things sensibly," said
the friend. You can't expect to find
boy Of twenty-five as sensible as-as-
you or /.
The tone as well as the words par
ticularly exasperated Jonathan Harley.
take things sensibly," he shouted, when
uay son wants to marry some strolling
mountebank" and he brought his fist
down upon the little table at his side with
= crash that worked havoc among the
cups and saucers. .'Oh, what would his
mother have said, if she had lived to see
aim In love with tight-rope performer?"
The next day Jonathan Harley's old
Aousekeeper was amazed at the sight of
her master, making ready for journey
60 San Francisco. Never had such an
event been suggested in the years that she
had spent in the house.
You are going to Frisco she repeat
ed "You are going to Frisco. And how
long will you stay there, sir?" and she
booked him over in view of possible but
tons which might come of amid the
An~ - nfk~