Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-05-25

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the heart beneath its spangled bodice.
The band arose in Haunting tones. The
audience, eager for the coming mo-
ment, held it's breath and leaned far
Their forward.
'Slick ridin', hey?" "hayseed" citi-
zen gasped into his neighbor's ear.
''This here Mile. What-You-C Call EN-
is winner"
"Know who that is?" a supervisor
from the foothill district leaned for
ward to say, bristling with his infor-
nation.
Nope" answered the first speaker,
Immediately forgetting his neighbor,
and doubling forward as the second
horse pranced into the ring.
The next burst of applause was for
Queenie as she trotted up to the side
of Pedro, crowded past him to the in
side of the ring, and, falling into step,
made a well-matched span.
Back, Queenie!" Beppo shouted,
forgetting his place as he noticed she,
too, seemed gayer than usual tonight
Clowns outside the ropes!" COM
manded the ringmaster, cracking his
whip, threateningly.
who" the hayseed citizen found
time to ask moment later, handing
the foothill man a handful of peanuts.
Remember old Petersen up here at
1imbuc'?' the supervisor crunched be-
tween mouthfuls.
yep"
''This here rider is his little gel, ran
off with an actor-fellow. Remember
that?'
''Lor' bless my soul, if it amt little
Babbie Petersen sure enough" ex-
claimed Madam Hayseed, wiping her
lips with her cotton glove.
Lemonade, sir? Ice-cold soda?"
persisted a red-faced boy, hoping the
peanuts might have created a thirst;
red and white here, which'll you
nave?"
Popcorn and chewing-gum!" shout
ed a second vender, seeing the foothill
contingent seemed good thing.
g. used ter git the old mans
bosses out into the corral and play
circus when she was knee-high to a
continued the woman.
"And by gum, that's old Pedro she's
a-ridin' now" broke in the supervisor;
well, I'll be durned!'
Balloons! balloons! going FAST"
persisted third eager vender, in line
to be next.
And while the foothill party gaped
wide-eyed after the little girl they had
seen from her babyhood breaking colts,
jumping bitches and riding bareback
over the hills, the "actor-fellow" forgot
that his sole purpose for living was to
supply the tton-bursting" fun for
which he was billed.
Pedro and Queenie were now canter-
ing neck and neck. The great One
and Only had already put her act be-
hind it's schedule time by her delay
in entering the ring, and there was no
excuse for dallying longer. At given
sign the band struck up the long,
swinging measures of Jackie Heave-
Ho,' the horses were refined together,
the glittering little figure balanced,
sprang into the air, de-
scribed rose-hued semi-circie and
landed upright upon Queenie's bare
back.
The crowd arose and shouted itself
noarse. Thousands of eyes blinked in
credulously after the feat they had
Just seen, thousands of voices shrieked
and called and whistled. The roar of
he Gagged animals came in deafening
waves from the menagerie as the band
played the gayest airs. And all be-
cause little Babbie Petersen had per-
'ormed the greatest equestrienne feat
he sawdust ring had ever seen; while
he foothill party began to think Peter
sens runaway girl mad turned out a
great lady.
Beppo, faint from his anxiety,
'prang to catch the gasping Lady
Champion in his strong, reassuring
arms. THANK God!" arose in his
leart. 'This is the last he began
o whisper, when the voice of the ring
master, in answer to the waves of ap-
clause that rose and surged through
>ut the tent and beat in deafening
echoes upon the stand, shouted
'Again!"
Seeing nothing of the high-pressure
strain the rider was laboring under,
md eager to please the enthusiastic
audience, the ringmaster took the GEN.
er of the ring, cracked his whip at
Pedro as he turned to the exit, and or
:ered the feat to be repeated.
"Oh, JIM" the voice of the One and
Only faltered as she passed him; but
le was powerless.
Needless of his duty to his audience,
3eppo again watched the mount of
3abette. This is the last time she
'hall do it," he swore to himself
through drawn white lips, while his
,rinning mask, turned toward a group
# small bays, elected shrieks of merrl-
nent.
Again Queenie fell into step with
Pedro, and again circled several times
Iround the ring. Through a mist that
lit not seem to be dust Beppo followed
very motion as the little silver ankles
on their airy perch. In the
lew light in which he had come to re-
lard the champion lately, the spangles,
he tinsels, the tights, the life of the
awdust ring, had grown hateful to
lin. This gauzy Ii creature, with
Ter painted smile, bore with her a rev.
renee unguessed by the gaping multi
ude
ooh, Jim!" the choking throat re-
|eafod mechanically when off aho