St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-02-05
ALL IN THE DAYS WORK.

ALL IN HE DAY > WOKks
Between wet and glistening fangs
prfndle, the performing lion of the
cosmopolitan circus, let out a sound
+bot was half groan and half roar.
.ybut! You brutew said Berthels,
+ba elephant man, gesturing at him for
silence
"Don't abuse him." said the woman,
scorceIy more than a girl, who stood
beside Berthels. "He isn't in good hui
nor today"
"should say he wasn't" replied Ber-
+beIs. "Ill tempered, bad hammered
beast! Wouldn't wonder if he was 60
ing bad"
"Nonsense My lions don't go bad.
Resides, he's only two-year-old Look
of old ArchOn. He's ten if he's a day,
and YOU don't see him going bad, do
you?"
"Theres something wrong with Brin-
die, anyway" insisted the man.
"Of course there is. He's had rough
morning of it. He was clumsy and
stepped on Archon's toes at rehearsal,
and Archon boxed his ears. The hyena
in the next cage laughed, and that hurt
Brindle's feelings. You know how SEN
eitive he is. He sulked so that had to
heat him to make him perform at all.
He's awfully cut up about it, for you
know l really believe he is fond of
me-"
wish you'd believe that about some
hodv else, Sue" said the man Wistful-
IL, looking down into the clear, brown
ewes that were fixed on the lion.
"Perhaps I don't want to-" said the
Girl saucily. Besides Brindle is my
sworn slave. You can hear him swear
ine now" she added, laughing, as the
handsome beast muttered lionwise
deep down in his great chest.
"Aule Zelka, the feline empress"
was right in her half jocular estimate
of Brindle. Brindle was a lion with
feelings. Some lions are savage, 9th
ers are sullen, more are treacherous,
and all are absolutely cold blooded.
There are very few exceptions to
this rule, however, and Brindle was
one Of those very rare exceptions,
\ with a capacity for affection and 10y
atty. Mile Zellla had only faint in
n king of this. Berthels didn't believe in
It at all because he was the head of
h the elephant herd, and elephant men
IA are very wise and believe nothing but
a the worst about animals. That is the
4 only reason why all of them don't die
young. Berthels was anxious about
4 Mile. Zeia, who was plain Sue RAN
some to him. That she wasn't Sue
Berthels was not his fault. If she
ever did become so, he intended that
her lion training career should end,
and she suspected this. So it was
partly coquetry that made her leave
him now, walk over to the cage and,
# putting her piquant face close up to
M the lions, begin to talk to him.
Z But Brindle's Sensbilities had been
lacerated. To be beaten by his queen
l# was a humiliation of spirit beyond all
# Others Not yet had the smart of it
M passed away. Therefore he now arose
Viii baughtily. stalked over to the farther
M corner of his cage and affected ma
VI jestic disdain of his charmer's CONVEX
~ sation.
"a "Well, you aren't very polite this
u afternoon" she remarked as she turn
ed away. Hope you'll feel better
when it comes time for the show"
\ "And | hope you'll cut that beast out
of the programme tonight, Sue, dear"
said Berthels as he went to his ele-
a plants.
After they had gone the hyena which
had insulted Brindle that morning
chose to make some jeering remarks.
Arose Brindle then in wrath and
N spoke in substance as follows through
the network Of bars at which he claw
ed:
You snickering eater Of better peo-
pies leayings, if | could break into
that cage for about two seconds and
get one swipe at you I'd knock that
grin through the top of the tent"
"IIe, he, he, he! Ha-ah-h h-hrr- ha- hat!
tainted the hyena. 'Ha-ha"-
The hateful voice died away as ris-
8 ing growl from Archons cage gave
news that the king of the circus had
wakened-wakened with a strange fire
in his eye, before which the other ami
mails covered. For this was the fire of
madness and murder which no man is
NJ wise enough to know, though all ami
mails recognize it with terror. Archon
had gone bad. At one glance Brindle
knew it; knew, too, that the demon in
possession of the great lion might lie
craftAy in wait for long, but that soon
er or later it would glut itself in
& Slaughter.
Of the attendants surrounding the
cage where the feline empress ruled
her beasts that night one wore grave
and drawn face. Berthels should have
been with the elephants, but anxiety
had brought him into the ring when
Mile. Zelkas act was called. With q
# pang of fear he noted the intense nerv
BUSINESS Of the young lion, the most
% I1 lot mi