The San Francisco call., 1897-06-06
ALONE WITH A LION.
A "Ca1l' Writer Left IN a Room
With Adgie's Terrible Pet.

A swish of eaudy silk draperies, clang
OF iron bars, and Aogie. the graceful
dancing-girl, bounds out of her cage of
lions on the Orpheum stage. The gate
bangs behind her, and the shuddering
spectators clap their acknowle dgments
of the woman's nerve.
Gasping and painting FOR breath, the
dancin ng- girl runs into the wings. You
are frightened ?" l ask, as she wraps q
cloak round her heaving neck, brown and
swarthy beneath its poudre de riz.
"a Iion-tamer must never be fright
ened-never," she gasps. "If you are
frightened, it is all up with you
She wraps her cloak closer round her,
and plunges down a narrow flight nf
stairs. Don stumble" she says; ''it's
dark down here, and my loge is away
under the stage"
Adgie unlocks the door OF her dressing
room. drags forward a chair for me and
leans against the doorway, still painting.
On the rough dressing ia able large picture
of Calye as Carmen stares out OF a frame
with inviting, impudent eyes. Dio mio !!
what likeness there is between the two
Womeni Adgie has Calves aQuIline
| features, her fathomless, burning eyes,
and she has fallen unconscioualy into
| Calves pose of careless, insolent abandon.
An but it's dollars to douGhnuts that she
has consciously copied the picturesque
dress OF the worlds greatest Carmen.
Every detail of Calves Carmen costume
Is on the lion tanners back. even to the
| founced silk petticoat of Haunting red,
| that Ia diva wears for luck, because she
picked 1t up for a song in a pawnshop,
''Outside the Gates of Seville" where
some cigarette girl, down in her luck, sold
I . 10, xsNFA atnaa Qnl
"Signora, but your likeness to la Calve
| is great" l say, taxing a step toward the
picture. Suddenly l start back in fear,
| for l catch sight OF two great feline eyes
that glow like smolcering fires from out
| of the half darkness unde. the dress
ing-table and l see the tawny outlines of
| a croucning lion.
He's my pet. Duke is not a year old
vet. He's such a baby that he does not
know mis- own strength" says Adgie.
| Baoy indeed Duke is bigger than
many ful!.grown panthers, but his mis-
| tress makes pet of him and tells lovingly
how he tears shoes and carpets to,ribbons
| in playful sport.
Duke" she cries, noticing his fixed
glare at me. "Why, Signora, he is trying
! 10 hypnotize you. Go to hlm-hit him
across the nose with your pencil, then he
will respect YOU and know better than to
stare so rudely
1 hesitate. If a cat may look at king
| why may a ion not look at a reporteT2
| Adgie throws off her wrap and walks
| over 10 the dressing TIA BILE, talking caress-
ingly to Duke and pulling long strings of
| paste pearls through her long, supple
! fingers She gaZes into the mirror and
as her eyes catch the reflection OF her
swarthy figure she puts her hands to her
throat wi, b cry: MY beads! Ny Indian
beads Dlosi l left them on the stage and
| they will be lost!
With a hasty word of apology Adgie
| flies to the door, bangs 1t after her, and
scuds along the passage crying: my
| beads. nv Indian beads" She is in de-
! spair at the thought of losing the baubles--
| no doubt superstition, a fetch. Destiny
| may be against her if she loses her beads /;
these Calve-like women are the slaves or
superstition.
| As the door bangs on Adgie the
crouching lion rises from his lair under
| the dressing table and walks stealihlly
over in my direction, lashing his tail. In
her anxiety for her beads Adgie has for
| gotten all q bout Duke. | shrink back in
my char, trembling, but glued to the
spot, WHAT di Adgie say? "f you're
| frightened it's all up with YOU" Every
| thinz is up with me. / am dead, if 10 be
| horribly, abominably, sickeningiy frig ht-
| ened is to be dead. / can feel my bands
growing clammy and tremb bling and my
sand times worse-the lion can feel it too.
He charges straight at me, banging his
great head against my knees. A cannon
| ball dangled against me would seem like
a cushion or little red balloon compared
10 that skull. Mon Dieui why did not the
ancient Romans use hons heads for bat
tering- rams? Dukes cranium is hard
enough 10 heat down the fortitcations at
the Plesidio.
The lion has nearly pounded me to a
| Jelly, and l do not dare TO move or cry
out. i, is only in play, l tell NV self, but
oh kind Saint, Una, you who had no fear
of lions. pray you give Augie back her
beads quickly. Send her TO me, SAINT Una !;
/ do not crave for n martyrs crown.
Una needs not nv appeal, and Duke,
VINO doesn't know his own strength. be-
gins to find it. With a deep cultural
growl that ought to bring assistance, tut
does not, he puts great paw in my lap
and stretches up his tawny head, with its
cleaning eyes toward my face. / gaze at
hia fascinated. his paw is wider than
my hand, and take six and a quarter in