Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-12

The girl Agatha stood idly leaning
against the ticket sellers stand. while the
darker" expounded her virtues as
trainer of animals. Even Babu, the black
bear, sported more tinsel and fewer frayed
edges than did Agatha. A flannel coat or
a one-tiue wine color was buttoned tightly
across the full chest. A doublet of ugly
brown was met by battered high boots Of
u still uglier brown.
Freeman watched her keenly, as he had
watched her daily. during the week that
the street carnival had ousted trade from
the village market place. The girls great
eyes of pure Irish blue were almost uncan-
ny. set IN the oval OF the olive face. The
olive face itself was perfect iI outline and
feature The great braid OF brown hair
covering her head ginted with copper
lights There was an alien quality to her
beauty, despite the blue eyes, that, while 1t
piqued FTeeman's curiosity, caught his
throat with its pathos-
She was very young, not more than TWEEN
ty In the week that he had watched her
she had seemed very much alone; mad
seemed to loathe her work, and yet TO love
it. Freeman never had spoken 10 her. lie
feared to break the spell of his fascination.
The hurdy-gurdy ceased grinding the last
notes Of the "Miserere.' and Freeman fol-
lowed the last of the crowd into the tent.
Battered cages around the walls OF the
tent sawdust and rough chairs for the
audience. the fearful heat of hot July
night. and gasoline torches surrounded by
q whirriug uimbus of mosquitoes. This was
Agatha s stage setting.
The puma lay quietly at the bottom of his
cage though his narrowed eyes were rest
less The monkeys were ASLEEP; 50 were
the lions snoring like puppies. But the pam
theirs ran screaming up and down behind
their bars Then the puma rose slowly to
hts feet and pulled back his upper lip Aga
L aTarr
toward the puma's cage. She slipped her
short whip through the bars and struck at
the animal
''Bmy." she said. sharply. get back from
the door
Billy answered with a snarl, but moved
slowly away. Agatha entered che big cage,
and, slipping her hand behind her, hasped
the door. The puma, in the corner, watch
ed her through eyes like Sits. Agatha
stopped to pick up the seat board at the
bottom Of the cage. The puma Crept
steaIthily forward. and crouching. spraug.
He was met with slash of the whip across
his face, and again he lay low in the far
corner reddish brown heap. with gleam-
ing eye Sits. Then followed in quick sue
cession sting of whip and leap of 1.-THE body
from seat to floor, from floor to seat, with
always a quick snarl after whip cut and
q sharp word OF command before il. After
a few moments Agatha slipped the hasp
and was out Of the cage. The audience
heayed q sigh. half Of relief half of disap-
all
The pauthere threw themselves against
the bars, and Agatha paused before them
The barker pike stick in hand, moved
toward her. She shook her head at him.
and he paused. drawing out his handker-
chief to wipe the sweat from his face. The
night was breathless Again the girl struck
through the bars with her whip. Back
Alice. Back kiugi Back Bahyr' and with
each a cut of the whip. Then she was
within the cage. the three cats lying at one
end. She walked to the small door at the
opposite end, which opened into the lions
cage. The latch opened with snap, and
at the sound the drowsy lions We're on their
feet, with lashing tails.
Agatha stepped back among the panthers
and herded them into the Hons cage des-
pite striking paws and sinister growls.
Once within the lions cage and the small
door shut Agatha began her lesson.
The barker leaned on his pike stick and
watched her. The crowd leaned forward
with sweating faces and tight-clnched
hands The air was uncomfortable with the
hot, rank smell of the beasts. And now 1t
was blow and leap, maddened snarl and
shrill command with always the Iashing
tails and great paws striking at the girls