The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1905-07-20
applause that had rewarded Maubi.

~ eihuS lASy WSIC OuL, some
OF the employees of the circus began
working on a trapeze that hung high
up above our heads. Ropes were
pulled. bars were raised in position,
and when the sustaining and guy
ropes We're made fast, there were two
fixed horizontal bars. with a hying
trapeze between them.
Suddenly a husn came over the
audience as a girl appeared and
walked to a spot directly under the
trapeZe.
Nlta Barlotti was, without doubt,
the most beautiful girl who had ever
appeared before a New York public.
Her features were matchless. She
had a wealth of dark-brown hair,
which was tightly drawn into a knot
so that it would not interfere with her
IN her performances on the bar. Her
lace was perfect in its contour, and
every feature was a poem. And yet
1t seemed to me that she looked sad
-Woefully sad-not like one who en-
Joyed the triumph of a successful ap-
pearance, but like one who was
ashamed. or who loathed the part she
played. or to whom some great sor.
row or bitterness had come that had
driven all the brightness from her
life.
The trapeze queen drew herself onto
one of the bars and hung lightly in
mld-alr, head downwards, with no sup
port but her toes. Then she swung to
and fro. and letting go from the bar,
she seemed to soa through the air
and chung to the flying or swinging
trapeze. On this she gave a marvel
Gus exhibition of her fearlessness and
wonderful skill, in all of which her
writing white muscles shone and
every beauty of her form seemed to
display to advantage.
The audience watched her in breath.
less silence, and when at last she had
finished. there arose an uproar the
like Of which was never heard before
in Madison Square Garden.
There were two men in that
audience who were evidently much in
terested in the queen of the flying
trapeze. l had seer Maubikeck, he
Lion Tanner, clad in ordinary evening
dress, looking like a handsome DOW.
crful mar of the world, standing near
the ropes. watching the beautiful. aero.
bat narrowly. There was a smile of
encouragement on his face. and he
was among the first in the applause.
Then as Nita reached the ground, a
tall, bla~ck-bearded, meanlookin Ital.
ian forced himself through the group
OF attendants, and taking the girls
hand in his, led her away from our
sight. ~
And noticed that, although her
c~ountenance was dead to us-dead to
the tremendous applause and greeting
she la won from the people-when
she passed Maubikeck it was to him
that her beautiful head was bowed,
and n bright, fleeting smile showed
itself on her lips when her eyes looked
into his.
The next act fell fiat, and as neither
Maubikeck nor Barlotti was billed to
appear a second time, we soon lost
interest, and before the crowd began
to get restless, we left the Garden and
went home.
Don't forget Graviscourt's stag to-.
morrow evening"" said the major, as
| was leaving him. "You will be there,
l suppose"
Hang Gra%viscourt!" I replied. Eyes,
will be there, if for no other reason
than to show the fellow l am still alive
and in the arena"
Good" said the major. "And good
night"
"Graviscourt's genius for entertain
ing is ~indisputable," said the major.
on the following evening, as he, Dill
kins and l sat together, among a score
OF more kindred spirits, all forming an
app%reciative audience at G~raviscourt's
stag" entertainment.
True" | replied, with a tinge OF
malice. "One almost forgets who his
host is, with so much to amuse."
The program was a sort of vaude-
vile. There were songs, skirt dances,
comic sketches by more or less ia.
nous artists in their line. and the time
was so well filled and passed so pleas.
antly that the hours glided by almost
imperceptibly.
Dilkins, with his usual curiosity and
push, was rummaging around in some
cabinets he had ~succeedNd in opening,
and he suddenly electrified us all by
.exclaiming:
by Jove! Dick! Major! Look at
this!"
The major, Graviscourt and |
reached him at the same moment.
"By Heaven! That facet" he cried,
thlusting a photograph into the ma
jor's hand.
THAT is a likeness OF Alice Gravis-
court, my brothers wife. taken some
four years before she died." said our
host, calmly.
"1s it?" almost shouted Dilkins. "If
it isn't the Queen of the Flying Trap.
exc, I'm a Dutchman!"
What do you mean?" asked Grayis-
court.
And the major told him about Nita
and Maligni's circus.
Probably more a fancied re.
semblance than a true one," he said
calmly, as he took the photograph and
replaced 1t in the cabinet from which
Dilkins had removed it.
Nothing more was said that night