The Somerset reporter., 1908-11-19
JlM'S
HOT FINISH.
By COLIN S. COLLINS.
Copyrighted. 1908. by Associated
Literary Press.

What luckT' asked Ben Strome, as
Jim Petite his partner and the other
half of the Affair Brothers, emerged
from the red ticket wagon. where Rich.
ard Clnte was counting up" the after
noon receipts.
Worst sort of luck" was the reply
81 thought If | tackled the old man
after a good matinee | could catch him
In fine humor, but 1t seems that the
sheriff held him up just before l got
there. One of the grafters he pinched
told that the old man got a rakeoff,
and the sheriff came around to get his
and got mine. The old mans going
to send Daisy to boarding school, and
he mentioned a place | might go to-
but It's nowhere near Daisy's school
You can bet on that"
Cant you two hook it?' suggested
Ben. Its pretty close to the end of
the season. II we lose couple of
weeks, l can stand my share of the
loss If don't get a chance to work a
single act at some of the late fairs
See what the kid thinks"
Il don't have to see," was the gloomy
response. II know now what her an
swer would be. She won't beat 1t.
She's going to have regular wedding,
with the old man giving her away or
there won't be a wedding. She's told
me that dozen times, and she means
1t when she says It,"
Strome nodded. Ever since they had
joined the Clute show in midseason
Petite had been making violent love to
Daisy Clute. the owners daughter. 1t
was not large circus-a one ring af-
fair-though they Travelled by railroad
instead Of by wagon.
The performers all lived in a single
car and In theory formed one large
family. Daisy and her father had a
car to themselves, but she was much
around the tents, and her preference
for the clean limbed young gymnast
had soon become a matter for COM
ment.
By supper time the fact that the old
man had refused his consent to their
marriage was all over the dressing
tent, and you'd not need Dalsy's red
trimmed eyes and Pettie's frown to con-
firm the report
Daisy was standing near the en-
trance when Petite came out for the
double act. He did a turn on the fly
ing rings earlier on the bill. while
Strome did strong man act in the
ring Their double act In the air was
the ring feature of the show 1.-The hot
test act in the business" they claimed
and Daisy always tried to be near
not bear TO watch them.
Strome did the bearing" catching
Jim as he leaped from his own trapeae
TO Strome's hands. He was a reliable
worker, but Daisy always feared that
some night those steady nerves would
fail and that Jim's body would go hurl
ing through the air until 1t struck the
ring bank or the seats, a limp and
lifeless mass. Che had seen one acct
dent. and 1t had remained vivid in her
memory.
Presently Strome Joined the pair as
they stood talking. and an instant later
the four horses used in the double
riding act dashed into the tent, followed
by Paul and Lefty Murphy. who boast
ed very different names on the bill.
The band struck up fheir music, and
the two men ran into the ring. 1t was
the work of moment to climb to their
perches. The apparatus consisted Of
two trapeze swings. one long one
used by Petite for the leaps and the
shorter one from which Strome hung
when he made the catches. On Pettie's
end there was a platform from which
he leaped to gain momentum. and this