The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-05-20

you DO your act. BeppO cdlleu again
when next the gauzy figure flew past
him. Whereupon the little wisp Of
woman arose in her perch, folded her
cleaning bare arms. beat a tattoo with
the foot of her slipper, and urged her
steed to his utmost speed; but the eyes
behind the grinning mask that watched
the fluffy skirts and rose-hued tights
swaying like a reed with the horses
motion, guessed the panic that clutched
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 neighbours ear.
This here Mile What You-Call-'E
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
Timbuc'?" 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 red-faced boy. hoping the
peanuts might have created thirst;
red and white here, which'll you
have?"
Popcorn and chewinggum!" shout
ed second vender, seeing the foothil
contingent seemed a good thing.
s. used ter git the old mans
bosses out into the corral and play
circus when she was knee-high to g
grasshopper," 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 a third eager vender, in lin,
to be next
And while the foothill party gapet
wide-eyed after the little girl they hat
seen from her babyhood breaking colts
jumping bitches and riding bareback
over the hills, the 'actor-fellow" forgo
| that his sole purpose for living was Il
supply the button bursting" fun TO
which he was billed.
Pedro and Queenie were now canter
| ing neck and neck. The great On'
and Only had already put her act be
| hind it's schedule time by her della.
in entering the ring, and there was NJ
excuse for dallying longer At a givel
| sign the band struck up the long
I swinging measures of Jackie Heave
Ho," the horses were refined together
! the glittering little figure balanced
crouched, sprang into the air, de
scribed a rose-hued semi-circle an
landed upright upon Queenie's bar
back.
The crowd arose and shouted itsel
, hoarse. Thousands of eyes blinked in
credulously after the feat they ha
| Just seen, thousands of voices shrieke
and called and whistled The roar @
the Gagged animals came in deafenin
waves from the menagerie as the ban
played the gayest airs. And all be
cause little Babbie Petersen had pei
formed the greatest equestrienne fea
the sawdust ring had ever seen; Will
the foothill party began to think Peter
sens runaway girl mad turned out
great lady
Beppo, faint from his anxiety
sprang to catch the gasping Lad
Champion in his strong, reassurin
arms. THANK Cod" arose in hi
heart. "This is the last" he bega
to whisper, when the voice of the ring
master, in answer to the waves of al
plause that rose and surged through
out the tent and beat in deafenin
echoes upon the stand, shoute
Again."
Seeing nothing of the high-pressur
strain the rider was laboring unde
and eager to please the enthusiast
audience, the ringmaster took the ceI
ter of the ring, cracked his whip ;
Pedro as he turned to the exit, and o.
dered the feat to be repeated
''Oh, JIM" the voice of the One an
Only faltered as she passed him; bl
he was powerless.
Needless of his duty to his audienc
Beppo again watched the mount
Babette This is the last time 81
shall do it," he swore to himse
through drawn white lips, while h
turpnI toward a crni