The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-11-06
A HERITAGE 90.
......OF FEAR 90.

few moments OF silence seemed like
| hours, till we heard n short below,
| and, tearing our handkerchiefs from
our eyes, we found ourselves sur
round~i by herd OF excited cattle,
brandishing their horns and paving
the ground and each other In their ef-
forts 10 reach the stump.
"Then IL dawned upon us that we
were on the salt lick for the herd. and
the cattle by dozens, as we saw them,
and by hundreds as they would soon
gather, would be trampllng us down in
their efforts TO get the salt always
found on the stump when that halloo
was given. Suddenly shot near by
brought down a great horned brute
and the others halted and closed in
about il, snOrting and paving the
ground at sight OF the blood. Roy had
tainted and fallen of the stump. when
a strange, brown, hooded woman
made her way 10 us, and, taking him
in her arms ordered me to follow.
'It was weeks before Royal was him
self again. As he grew stronger phys
ically he seemed partially 10 outgrow
his inherited terror. Once, years after,
when he mentioned the matter TO me,
he said. bitterly; It's worse than any
physical infirmity, or even insanity,
for it's bOtb-and yet the world will
never call IL anything but cowardicep
Somehow IL all came back TO me that
morning on the mOuntainside, with
sort Of paralyzing horror. After mo-
mcnt, however, ! got my grip again
and put the thing from me as / would
nightmare. II was certainly out Of
place at such n time-thcy were so ra-
dainty happy those two; | could hear
them laughing like children and see
Swccthcart's scarlet cap, not dozen
yards away, through the bare, frosty
branches. There was charcoal clear.
ing little further up, where the thick,
Stuntcd underground about it's edges
was dense with the piles Of Topped
branches, and Sweetheart started
game of hide and seek.
"No one remembered very clearly
aftcrward just how il happened;
didn't get upon the scene until just in
time for the appalling climax, but at
the edge Of the clearing man rushed
past Royal, calling:
'Climb-thc lions loOscr
His dart terror was infectious. Roy's
old fear swept everything before IL,
and he rushed blindly across the open
ing. plunging madly over Instructions
and past trees that would have proved
safe enough refuge. forgetting, in the
insanity Of the moment. Sweetheart
everything, until on the far edge OF the
clearing he came face 10 fac, with the
girl, paralyzcd before the lion, crouch
ing. lashing its tail To spring. 1t was
then that |, all unconscious of the sen
sation, and unconcerncdly rafting the
nuts in my pocket, sauntcrcd up-,n
time 10 see Roy's face blanCh and
violent tremor shake his whole frame.
Then he cOoly stepped between the
girl and the furious beast, and stood
there. his eyes on the balls of green
head. 1t seemed ages-it could scarce
~ have been secOndS-no one OF tie
-four Of us moved II musclc-till the
,ion. with cry that was like u howl
and a sob, turned ana SUNK Off into
the thick undcrbrush higher UP the
mountain.
"Thcn we both rushed 10 Royal, who
still had not stirred. Sweetheart put
her little arms about his neck ana said
all the things woman would say NJ n
time like that Still he did not move.
and there was something in his eyes
that chilled my marrow. Sweetheart
was frightened. too. when he would
not speak TO her. After n moment No
turned and went with us down the
mountain. We two talked at intervals.
and Sweetheart spoke 10 him. but still
no word passed his white lips Th"
girl insisted we should - 10 her cot
tagc and there her mother at last per
suadCd Royal to so to bed, a physician
was called and after days of anxiety
and consultation, the poor boy raving
in dclirium, il was pronounced brain
fever His life and ultimate sanity i'm
any case were despaircd Of. The Cali
fOrnia trip, OF course, was given up,
and SwCethearts mother nurScd the
hoy MS il he had been her own. | told
her of his terrible heritage and the
gypsy incident. and she understood. rs
a woman might. what Il vital crisis in
his life his love for her daughter had
proved. AftCrward we learned that
the lioness, who had been almost un-
manageable since the death OF her old
keeper n giant Swcde. Of whom she
was very fond, had become frantic on
the death of one OF her whelps and
broken from the battered cage, already
doCked for repairs. attacked the new
keeper and fled TO the woods. She had
not eaten during the whelp's illness,
and must have been raveuous when
she saw Sweetheart. Whether she
thought Royal was her old master, or
whether his supcrhuman sang froid
cowcd the brute in her, or whether
who knows. the love that conquered
hunger met the love that could con
qucr fCar-'Jove nodded TO Jovc' over
the shoulder OF n man and his brother
beast-we spcculated cndlcssly in whis-
pers during those weeks Royals life
hung i'm the balance.
"One night the doctor had called for
second time. III stay with him n
little while he had said. Sweetheart
and | sat together before the library
tire-her mother and the nurse were
resting. There had been something
unusual in the doctors manner. Pres
emily he bcckoned 10 us from the door