Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-10-20
come past yet, and think how awkward


started off down the hill. She stood
and watched till the dogcart had turn
ed the bend of the road between the
tall hedges and was out Of sight
The evening performance was nearly
over. The clown had quarreled with
the ringmaster, had produced one by
one his time worn pleasantries and
rubbing barkcd ankle ard yawning
coyertly bclind his hand. The usual
pieba!d horse lad picked up handker'
cliicfs and waltzcd gloomily and with
out enthusiasm to the cracking Of the
snakclikc whip. The inevitable drunk.
Ell coi:ntryinan had forced his way
no!sly into the ring and, sprawling
across Il horse had. after many hair.
breadth lurches and studied slips, sud
denl, divestcd himself of his outer gar
ments and blOssomed out In blue and
silver tights, while the audience cheer
ed wildly, having anticipated this eli
max from afar.
A third horse. bareback and bride.
less, was led in for the lady equestrian.
She sat on its back smilingk, the fin
gers of one hand twisted I'm the coarse
name; she lifted the other to her own
dark hair, loosened by much jumping
as the horse loped gently around the
ring, keeping time with the training
lash of the ringmaster's whip. II
uuickencd it's pace, and the eyes OF tie
crowd followed admir.ngly the unerr
ing, easy movements of the slim pink
clad figure flying through the air.
Presently, making a little run to re
gain the horses back as 1t passed her
she missed. She tried second time
and missed again. The horse mcchan
ically slackened its pace. pricking one
ear inquisitively as it came around.
The third time she Judged her distance
better and was OH, bending forward to
secure her balance again while the au'
dience clapped. But at the same In
slant the horse, swerving ut the flick
of the whplash, stumbled on some
hidden inequality of the ground. He
caught himself up with jerk and
aInblcd on, but left behind q small
pink .::gure on the sawdust.
Very few had noticed the stumble.
and the audience supposed her dis.
mount intentional. But she did not
at once let up, and suddenly there fell
on the watching crowd the little in
stinctive second Of silence which IS the
first greeting Of an accident. Then
there was a murmur, low pitched and
gathering in significance, rs the ring
master walked over and lifted her up.
STOPPING on one knee. groom came
running from the tent doorway, and
between them they got her to her feet
and helped her out. The brown horse
had come to Il pause, his nose stretched
TRANQUILITY down to sniff ut the tram
pied turf that lay below. His breath
sent the sawdust stirring in little ed
dies. Presently the clown came back
and filled up cheerfully the gap before
the next turn.
A well dressed man had slipped out
unnoticed from the three shilling seats
and made his way round to the back,
unquestioned in the confusion. The
doctor, a young, keen faced man from
q neighboring township, was there be
fore him and had just risen to his feet.
He was talking to the manager, fat
and worried looking, with a raspine
voice and silk handkerchief which
he was perpetually pulling in and out
of his pocket.
She was lying on pile Of spare can
vas and green baize. Some one had
folded a coat and put it under hel
head. There was no very serious In
Jury. He listened mechanically to the
doctors easy, educated voice and the
managers, short, jerky, anxious fol
the disturbed routine Of his business.
He flung himself suddenly on his knees
beside her and touched her hand.
"RoSe"-
He did not quite know himself what
he was going to say. Only for mo-
ment the past gripped him-all that
he had missed; much that perhaps II
might not be too late yet to retrieve
ere time went forward and left him an
old man. Lying there in the soiled
pink satin aud spanclcs. she looked to
him very small ana childish. The years
faded and he was back in the old rec
tory garden. She had tumbled from
her swing, and he was clumsily wipine
the dirt from her grazed knee with his
handkerchief Perhaps she was not al. |
together right. Perhaps lie might have
been different If some one had shown
him how.
Somebody touched him on the shoul'
der. pushing him quietly aside. He
turned, to see man IN acrobat's dress, |
a commonplace man in the near glare |
of the lights, with rough features and
sun tanned hands. Instinctively he
rose and stood aside. They faced one
another, mountebank and prosperous
country business man. He found his
voice at last.
"You"-
The man had mistaken him for the
doctor. "I'm her husband" he said
simply as he knelt, taking her hand
and looking with doglike affection into
her face.
ooh, yes"
There had swept back all at once the
atmosphere of sawdust and tinsel and
flaring naphtha lights. He gazed about
him stupidity. He fitted his hat slowly
on his head and went away. Outside
the tent Ne noticed that some sawdust
had clung to the knees Of his black
trousers. He stopped and methodically
brushed it away.
He had forgotten just for the mo-
ment, that was all. He thought 1t
over walking back alone under the
quiet starlight. He had had his chance
long enough ago, and he had lost 1t.
There was nothing for which to rail at
fate. He was prosperous, well to do
a respected man in highly respecta-
BILE township, with comfortable house
and good balance at the bank. Yet
He thought of Rose In her shabby pro-
fessional finery, Of the acrobats face
as he had seen 1t in just that one mo-
ment, bent over the small figure
stretched on the ground. What was 1t
Itching Skin