The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1898-05-20

of his kind attendant She was more
than "a sister TO him, and her heart was
filling with more than a sisters love
for friend in distress.
He asked all about his accident and
the events following it. He was some
what bumiliated at his i'll luck and
vowed he would never again enter the
circus ring. Miss Ryland was fascinat-
ed with his stories Of circus life and lis
tened intently to every word that fell
from his lips.
The patient was interested in his fair
nurse. He fully reciprocated her attach
ment for him. a feeling stronger than
that of friendship endeared her to him.
He was in love with her, but he dared
not tell her. Her station in life, he
thought, was so far above his that TO
dream Of such thing were folly.
The days passed pleasantly for the
pair For hours and hours they sat talk
ing or she would read to him. Lovers
could not have been more companion
able. Neither could regard the other
mere highly, yet neither breathed a
word Of love.
Julian remained at the Ryland house
until he had completely convalesced.
When be left, it was as if the son of the
family had said farewell to those near
est and dearest to him. Alfred kissed
Elena gOOdby.
Il am going to study art again., " he
Eaid, land L will write you when l get
back to New Jersey. l shall always re-
member your kindness. Some day l
may be able TO repay it. "
Three months after he left George
Ryland, wealthy sugar planter, was a
business wreck. Faithless employees
had robbed him, his property had been
mortgaged, but there was not enough
money on hand to pay off the debt, and
the family were forced to give up their
elegant home and take quarters IN
poor quarter of the village. Tie blow
was too much for Ryland. The worry
and strain unnerved him, and he died
short while after of sheer physical col
lapse.
Elena Ryland and her mother were
in destitute circumstances. The girl re-
solved to be the support Of the family
and to that end sought employment in
the town. She was not successful and
in despair wrote to her friend Julian
in New Jersey. She begged him TO get
her a position in the circus. She was
fairly good rider and, with a little
practice, thought she could hold her
own III a second rate company.
Julian had made good start in the
east and offered the despOndent girl an
other way out of her trouble. He pro-
posed marriage. He had loved her, he
said, many months, but hesitated, be-
cause of his lowly position, to ask her
to be his wife. Now that they were
both on the same level financially she
might look with more favor on his suit.
Elena accepted the proposal, but she
could not, out of respect TO her father S
memory, marry within a year. So she
asked Alfred if he could not meantime
secure for her position with the circus
with which he had travelled
That's how Elena Ryland came to be
a bareback rider in a big circus. Why
she is not the wife of Alfred Julian is
another story. Alfred concluded to go
to Paris and finish his studies, while
Elena was waiting for the year to elapse
until they could be united in marriage.
Elena was successful as daring rider,
and within a few months after she
started with the one ring show she re-
ceived an offer from the Ringlings. She
has been with them for the last three
years.
Julian never came back from Paris.
He took sick and died of pneumonia.
Miss Ryland did not even know that he
had been Ill until she received word of
his death. His body was laid to rest IN
France.
The news of her lovers demise was a
terrible shock to Miss Ryland, and for
two weeks after the information reach
ed her she was too Ill TO fill her part
For ID year she rode in mourning cos
tune, and even now she wears black
most of the time. She is quiet and does
not mingle much with the rest of the
performers. Her mother travels with
her. The young woman rarely speaks
of her love affair and its sad ending,
and very few of her friends know the
story of her life. 1t is such an unhappy
story, too, that the young folks In the
big, jolly aggregation of performers do