Smyrna times., 1904-11-09
The Price Of
A Threat
By ALEC BRUCE
Copyright, 1901, by Alec Bruce

whispered Pierrot, stepping noiseless-
" toward her on the little sawdust
circle before the performers entrance.
"Oui oui! liam in trouble-grave
trouble. Pierrot," she answered broken
ly.
"Ah, maamselle, and you know not
what to do. That is it?' he questioned
quickly and inviting confidence with
his earnest, searching little eyes. But
Marie. ma a'amselle," he muttered, step .
ping closer to her, 50 close that she |
felt the warmth of his breath on her |
cheek, 'maybe-maybe PierrOt might |
know-if-if you would tell him, hey !
"Ah PierrOt, non" she faltered, COW
ering her face with her hands. You
you could not, non, yOu-you'- No
other words would come Her lips
quivered. Her eyes filled.
Marie, Marie" he urged, maybe I
I-ah, you think not, hey?' And his
broad breast swelled with a smOthered
love. a love that had known no utter
ance. for he was "PierrOt, HE fool a
groom! And she? She was "Ma'am-
selle Mirabeau, premier equestrienne,"
in BarkalOw's big circus ring.
Suddenly ting-ting, ting-ting-ting.
"Ma'amselle, ma 'amselle," whispered
warningly, the first bell! You hear?
Thirty minutes and you go on. Just
thirty, Marie"
But still she did not answer.
"Ah, l am only PierrOt, Pierrot, the
fool" he murmured and yOu-yOu
will not tell a fool, ma'amselle. No,
no. Why should you?'
"Pierrotr From her tear dimmed
eyes she dropped two small, pink star
fish hands and faced him. 'PierrOt "A
fool? You said a fOOl!' she quavered.
"Ah, to ma'amselle you must not say
so once again. | know you. \ fool?
Non, non! You say l will not tell you,
will not trust you. mon ami. Leesten,
leestenI That Hercules, the dead
weight litter. BAH" and she shuddered
violently Again. today, he say.
'Maamselle. you will marry me, QUIZ
Already six times he haf said so. Oh,
Lala, how persistent! All, Pierrot you
do not know. And for answer l say:
'Mseur, n0-nO. NO-nO-no! Six
times say So and of heem l think no
more. But today, today, it is differ
ent. am afraid. He look so black, SO
terrible when he say: 'Ma'aInselle, you
will marry me. No? All, no more
trifing, | say. none ut all. Gif me your
answer. You hat till o'clock tonight;
that is all" And Pierrot, number
eight on the programme, Oui, number
eight. tOnight's. Look at it, and-and
1 you will understand"
Number eight, ma'amselle, number
eight on the programme, tonight'sE
have one somewhere" he mumbled
searching doubtfully among the frilled
wards of red, white and blue at his
pockets. "Ah." At last with trembling
fingers he unfOlded the crushed Grim
son sheet. Hercules, Hercules, Her
cules! The dead weight litter. To
night. tonight, tonightr' it read. "HeaC
downward from Il swinging trapeZ'
twenty feet above the circus ring this
worldwide champion will dangle i'll hi
teeth 100 pounds of solid steel Is tina
all? No. We tell you no! But Sc
for yourselves the most marvelou
sight ever seen. From ring beneat
the suspended weight he will hold fas
the added burden of our premier eques
trienne, and backward and forward i
midair She will swing and hang unit
at length she drops, dancing and phi
ouetting on her gallOping steed below.
Mon Dieu, mon Dieu" muttere
Pierrot when he had read the bill. o
understand, | understand, ma'amsell'
Tonight you must answer Out or /
will drop the dead weight from h
teeth when you hang below"
"PierrOt. Pierrot," she cried, Il cal
not. l will not perform tonight! -
-see-I tremble; | could not stand;
could not ride Comanche Bill. l mu
beg off. am sick II will tell Il
manager.
'Ma'amselle! No, no, ma'amsell
one moment. one moment! caution'
Pierrot OBTAINING her and pressing h
hand against the crimson diamond
his forehead
"But. Pierrot. PierrOt," she insiste
Il must, l must, =
"Non, non, ma'amselle, you mu
notv' he whispered. Il have 1t; Plt
rot has itv' And again he glanced
tently at the programme. "Bien, bic
l have it! In number seven you ri
Comanche Bill. Ride him, ma'amsel
Pirouette! Jump! Jump through t
drum. I hold it, maamselle Loo
number seven, 'Mirabeau on Coma
che Bah, beg off? Non, non; trl
Plerrot. Have no fear. You will 1
swing from Hercules weight!
"But, Pierrot, how? How? Y
must tell me!'
Ting-ting, Infringing!
Second bell, ma'amselle," he int
rupted, second bell!' and, grasping
curtains, he peeped through the fac
fringe. "Ah, the tiers; they are blf
with people-black, ma'amselle! Th
is no time, no time to tell Trust Pi
rot, trust, trustr And in a NOM
he was gone.
Fifteen minutes later, with an AM
TIororrIac tho da0d weight |