The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-26

ernoon. He thrust a sheet into Far | num's hands and waited.
 "So he's coming, is her" commented l Farnum, without enthusiasm, as he read | It. ''Well, we're lucky dogs, stettiner." !"
 ''The trouble is, your substitutes bet ter than Mcintyre can be in fifty years,'' ] grumbled the manager tasting his words l sourly. "Is Glover"-he smiled at the
 alias; then bit seriously into his cigarette again-"is this Glover coming tonight 20
 I've got his word, said Farnum
 quickly.
 "Gadi we've got to have him. I only wish we could keep him." muttered Stettiner. He put his cigarette back be- | tween his teeth and commenced to smoke eryousiy.
 Farnum was much too busy after that to think about Yaple but he did think, and worry, too. It was their last night in the city, and the crowd promised to be phenomenal. Advertising-the usual | mo6e of advertising--had not done it. Farnum figured that it was simply an
 outburst of wonder and enthusiasm gen. erated by Yaple and the Twins, which, flying from mouth to mouth, was going to flood the tent. He did not like to think just what a disappontment-t non appearance of Yaple-would mean to that throng
 It was about time for the performance to begin when Farnum got back to me
 nagerie quarters. He strained his gaze l for Yaple and felt a great relief at find- I ing him, already rgged for his turn, l standing by the Twins cage. He was 1 talking to them as he had the night be- fore, only there was a different touch I and meaning in his words Farnum real ! ized suddenly that the goodbys were being said and that he was an intruder. But | 1t was too late to get away, when Yaple i turned and spoke to him. Farnum came | nearer then, his eyes going from the
 Twins to Yaple, and from Yaple to the
 Twins, finally resting on the mans face and staying there.
 "You're so much like family or lovers, CT something, you three, that hated to disturb you" he began hesitatingly, and
 with an odd little laugh that was meant 1 to cover his embarrassment. "Pm going to be mighty busy later, and wanted to
 say word to you while there was time" | He cleared his throat, supposedly from I the dust. It was a queer place to speak
 what he had In mind--there in the midst | of the dirt-cholSed tent, in that strange, l alpable confusion of animal sounds and | stealthy movements, suggested rather
 than heard or seen, the voices of the cta xxt
 blaring of bands, the sputtering lights casting shadows athwart the cages. "Yaple, I've met few men, and never one ike you. thought knew you seven years ago. I didn't. And those seven
 years have made you seven times what you were I'm glad I've known you, but wish"-with a sudden explosion of pent-
 I'D feeling-"you'd stayed where you werel | What do you think of all this finance 1 tommyrot now-now that you've had an
 other taste of this? Can you shake it off
 without fight?"
 l "Fight! Yaple ground it out almost be- tween his teeth. Eve been fighting my self these two days Farnum saw his face and believed. What do you know about fght?-yes, you know, I see it in vonr syesw Yaple turned slowly and 1 ed at the Twins, so that his face was hidden as he added: "I've made my choice. Farnum. and I've got to Abide
 by it!'
 i eyes. you've made your choice" Far l mum said, and choked
 They stood there in silence, feeling that silence was better than words.
 After a while. they walked over and
 watch ed the crowds jam the main can
 yas. Stettiner came up in furry presently, saying something about Jer-
 rv the half grown elephant which