The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-02-20
By COLIN S. COLLINS


anu DC 1OOllSu jest pSSuuSc yOu oSA
like Mrs. Burrows" he declared gently.
"She means WELL"
I'm going to be like her," insisted
the girl pointing to lurid poster rep
resenting a young woman in gay ap-
parel standing upon the tip Of her toe
on the back of spirited horse. "She
was one of 'em once. guess l can
ride that way as well as on saddle"
Huh" unused Peters. "a girl as can
cook as well as you amt got no call
to be trapesing round the country with
a circus"
Sally Burrows got down from the
wall. "All the same" she cried def
antly, I'm goin' with EN-" with nod
toward the circus posters. Il guess l
can cook for 'em until l can ride"
She darted off down the road. Peters
looked regretfully after her. He knew
from experience the futility Of seeking
to overtake her.
Things had been well between him
self and Sally Burrows until her father
had married a circus rider who had
been thrown from her horse and left
behind by the show until her fractured
leg grew well.
Long before that time she had won
the affections Of Hiram Burrows, and
she made him a good wife. Sally, how
ever, had refused to accept her new
mother, and there had been quarrels
ever since Hiram had brought home his
bride. The girl resented the intrusion
of another woman in her mothers
place and her own dethronement a.
mistress of the house.
Now she chafed to leave the quiet
home and make a name for herself
even as the rival had done, and jack
son Peters pleaded In vain.
He had strong ally In Mrs. Bur
rows, who saw that the girl In home
of her own would be far happier than
In her fathers house, but this very ALI
ance was against him, and Sally from
the barn saw him go into the house.
and her slender frame shook with sobs
az she realized that Jack was talking
over her new idea with her stepmother.
She did not, however, connect Jack
sons visit with his departure for the
county town the following day. nor did
she realize that he carried with him q
letter to the proprietor of Wells Grand
United Shows and Consolidated Men
ageries; therefore it was with no sus-
picion that she regarded that gentle
mans enthusiastic welcome Of her
proposition that she join the troupe and
act as cook until she could learn to be
performer.
"Just what l wanted" he cried 10
vially. you've got the very build for
rider. We lay over here tomorrow,
and I'll give you your first lesson in the
afternoon"
Sally wanted to wait, but Wells
would take no denial. The show would
stay on the grounds over Sunday, and
there was no time to be lost She
could slip away from her people, and
he could tell just what she could do.
Her stepmother had driven over to
the next town for visit after the
matinee performance Saturday, and
there was nothing to hinder her from
keeping her appointment with Wells.
One of the women furnished her with
a costume from her own wardrobe, and
Sally, blushing furlously at the bloom
ers, crept into the ring
Wells was teaching his own daughter
to ride, and to the center pole Of the
tent had been added a huge boom
which reached out as far as the cir
conference of the ring. From pulley
at the end of this dangled a rope with
the horrible suggestion Of gallows,
and beneath it stood a broad backed
white horse, his back sticky with pow
dered resin.
A man in his undershirt and overalls
looking very little like the ring master
Of the afternoon before, stood talking
with the tired faced clown. AS she
broad canvas belt.
This they fastened about her waist
hooking the ring at the back into the
dangling rope. The ring master lifted
her to the horses back, while the clown
pulled the rope tight, and with q few
brief directions about keeping her bal
ance the ring master cracked the whip
and the horse started of.
For two or three PAGES she kept her
balance. then. with yell, she realized
that she was falling Her feet went up
and the weight Of her body was thrown
against the belt
They let her down, gasping for breath,
until she clutched the horses name and
could regain her footing. Then the
Il f,t1 xxyi,tr. ov.a olzoJ crofO ond In
she hung by the belt wildly waving
her limbs. The boom was pushed
around so that she kept always over
the back of the horse, and by an effort
she recovered her balance, aided some
what by the slackening of the rope at
the end of the mechanic"
Twice around the ring and her am
bition to be a rider died within her.
She scrambled from the horses back,
trying to choke back the tears of hu-
initiation.
Wells was all sympathy. perhaps
you might be better as an acrobat" he
suggested kindly. you'd make a good
enough rider If you kept at it. Dolly,
here, was worse than you when she
started in. Want to try it againr
II think I'd rather be an acrobat"
she almost whispered, trying to choke
back the sobs. Acrobats were not left
dangling over horse, and they had
soft mat to fall upon.
The clown led the horse from the
ring, and two men unrolled felt pad
upon the sawdust Even without the
blue tights she recognized them as the
acrobats, and she watched them curl
ously as they fastened rope about the
belt.
'Now, when we say Now! cautioned
one, you throw yourself forward just
as though you were going to dive int
| water"
She braced herself for the command.
1t seemed ages In coming, but at last
she heard the cry and gave Jump
forward. She felt the rope around her
waist tighten; she realized that she was
! spinning in the air, and then she land
ed on hands and knees on the pad. She
had only turned twice, but It seemed
as II she had been revolving In space
for an hour.
For a moment she lay there, sobbang,
until the kindly faced woman took her