The San Francisco call., 1905-01-29

hers for one thing. Neither could
take in at first that the trinity skirted,
shirtwaisted little lady in front of me
was the glittering figure of the
trapeze. Then / noted the shoulders
and believed Besides, there was the
nose-surely from some old Greek for
bear it comes. We went then to the
dressing-room, Miss Capitaine making
for the trunk and for a chair.
Height" 1 began professionally.
looking down from my extra inch.
Miss Capitaine laughed, showed the
prettiest of teeth and confessed to o
feet inches. to 130 pounds. to Y
waist measure and 80 bust measure
She did not have to catalogue pair
of the clearest, kindest, finest brown
ewes that l know, lidded heavily yet
delicately. and without taking aught
from their merriment-arched over,
too, by eyebrows that Helleu would de-
light in. There is a mouth small and
very red. skin clear and fine as a
child's, the strong silken black of the
hair giving rightest value to Its warm
olive. And the nose-but I'm no Phid-
las; I'll have to let the nose go.
It was Just after this that Miss
Capitaine took off her shirt waist to
show me her upper arm muscle with a
little delicate hesitancy curious and
delightful in one who had been the
center of two thousand eyes only
short. while before. But Miss Capt.
tatne is that kind Of person. You
would give her recent convent IL you
knew nothing about the trapeZe. Or
it she is as simple modest, retiring as
a school girl. But to the muscles: Sne
showed me arm, neck, back ana chest
muscles whipping and writhing under
the smooth skin, punching up here
or there at her will, and then lying
dormant without a hint of their un-
usuaI DEVELOPMENT. Only in the egg
muscle of the arm is there any indica-
tion of abnormal development in re-
nose. The rest might be simple
plumpness.
As she was donning her waist asked
her something as to her habits OF
life.
Habits? I haven't any,"
Miss Capitaine laughed at the very
idea of her having any. Mr.. Blnns'
whom she then enticed into the room
by asking him to show me his Stroh
violin, laughed, too.
Miss Capitaine did not own up to an
exclusive diet of pickles and chocolate,
not quite: she did confess to almost
everything else. That is why l am un-
able to give you the regimen of a
strong woman. a neat little recipe for
becoming Capitaine In six
months. 1 was rather hoping for one,
too. for the budding Milos of our new
women's gymnasium. 1t is not my
fault. Mr. Harrison. Miss Capita1ne
confessed that she did not practice
every day, in fact that she never prac-
ticed. She takes no exercise at all ex-
cept during her performance. She
takes hot. cold or any other kind OF
baths exactly as the fancy takes her.
She wears corsets, long skirts' nlgh
heels if she so desires. She performs
Immediately after full meal or any
thing she has cared to eat II 1t nap
mems that way-she had eaten half an
hour before the performance that day.
Sleen much? OF course. didn't every
bodv? Drink tea and coffee? Yes,
why not?
Mr. Binns interpolated: "She gets
nm in the night to make black cof-
fee!'
His wife nodded a tranquil almost"
to me and I saw the tall OF my last
moral skimming round the corner.
But you used to practice?" I pro-
tested.
ooh. yes! Five hours day, at every
thing. tumbling, dancing and what
not" she said.
"Did you really begin it at two years
and eight months old?"
IT really began to perform in public
at that age" Miss Capitaine assured
me. when I was little older" she
went on, ct worked in Malta. The
King of England-then Prince OF
waIes-was there. He took me up in
his arms"-she laughed roguishly here
-.wouldn't dare to do it now!"
"You are Italian?" I asked. though.
through her dainty cockney English.
the Italian tang is only lightly discern
ible.
She is Italian, daughter of one Cap
tain Magnago, himself a captain of
,,or,nes who ran away from the service
TO become a gymnast Small wonder
that the Magnago baby took to max
ing trapezes out Of the bed curtains.
that is what the Magnagos would