Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-06-11
RANDALL'S
BEST CATCH.
By Colin s. Collins.
Copyright. 1908, by Associated Lit.
erary Press.

Winter quarters had Weakened from
It's long nap. Over in the car sheds
men were touching up the brilliant id
vance cars with vermillion and gold
leaf. In the wagon shop stood rows of
chariots respondent in gilt and Grim
son. In the loft last touches were be-
ing given to the big tops" the huge
canvas structures which went to make
up the city of tents From animal
house and training barn could be heard
the sounds of activity as trainers put
horses and elephants through their
PAGES, while the performers freshed up
their. acts. In three weeks the show
would take to the road, opening in the
south to escape the frosts and to get
an additional month of season"
Galley Randalls appearance in the
ring barn was the signal for d general
stOppage Of work on the part of those
who had been with the show the sea-
son before. Randall had been q gen.
aral favorite, and even the equestrian
director, the autOcrat of affairs in the
ring, came over to greet the newcomer.
1.-THE rest of the boys are here and
have your traps all up" he told Galley,
with Il glance aloft where the trapeze
rigging of the Randall Ransome troupe
glittered in the light. filtering through
the wire glass. The other troupe is
here"
'Who the mischief are they?" de-
manded Randall curiously Il never
heard OF the Barnard troupe"
Neither did any one else" agreed
the director. They do a ripping good
casting act, though, and they'll work
well i'll the big act. Come over and
III introduce you"
He led the way across the tanbar1
to where stood a little group of men
and women curiously regarding his APP
proach. Randall was famous in the cir
Gus world, and the Bannards. accus-
toned to the drudgery of obscure one
ring wagon circuSeS and small vaude
vile: performances, looked with awe
upon this star of the big show. Some
of Randall's boys were standing with
the group; but, after a pleasant nod to
his own men and an acknowledgment
of the introduction to the strangers,
Randall saw only one of the troupe,
1.-THE, graceful girl not yet out of her
teens.
Barnard hurried to compliment Ran
dali on his work. but Galley scarcely
heard him. His attention was conferred
w fri, .1 bn
ing black eyes, and when at last he
moved on to the dressing room to see
that his trunk was all right he turned
to his bearer" who did the catches for
his leaps.
What was the old chap saying" he
asked. 4 didn't quite catch"
C1lte laughed.
Better get that idea out of your
head" he advised. The girl is the
whole show with that troupe, and the
old man doesn't want her marrying
into another act"
you be hanged" said Randall. "If
you think you're funny 1 don't mind
telling you that you're not"
you agreed to a rehearsal at 3
o'clock" said CIute. Its all right, Ca
fey. I'd be- stuck on her myself if
wasn't married. Come out and get n
bite to eat
Randall followed Clute across the lot
to the hotel, where most of the per-
formers stopped, and by 2 they were
in practice dress and up in the dome of
the practice ring, getting the stiffness
out of their joints.
1t was the custom with the show to
mass all the aerial acts into one big
troupe for q finish to the show While
the arena was being made ready for
the hippOdr0me races the attention
was centered upon the one big act, and
in this Bannard's troupe worked with
Randall's. A huge special apparatus
was provided for this act, and it was
to get used to this that the two acts
were to rehearSe together.
To his delight Galley found that Ban
nard;s daughter did the principal leap
ing for their act and was to share the
narrow perch from which he worked
1t was scarcely more than a shelf,
high above the ring, but to the gym
naStS it was as secure as the ring it
self, and Galley found time to chat with
the girl while they worked out the de-
tails of the routine of tricks.
But once the rehearsal was over and
Galley, hurrying into his street clothes,
reached the exit to wait for Grace Ban
nard he realized that what Clute had
said was right. Barnard Whisked
Grace and her sister off to the board
ing house where they were stopping
before Galley had chance to say
word.
But opposition only made him the
more determined. There was little
time to talk up on the shelf where they
for either Galley or the girl
was flying through the air while the !
other rested, and at best conversation
was fragmentary.
Two weeks passed, and Galley be-
came more and more certain that his
interest was returned. Evidently Ban
nard was not ignorant Of the state of
affairs. and he redOubled his watchful- |
ness.
For years he had played in the small |
circuSes. 1t was only Grace's work |
which had enabled him to get with a
big show, and he was not minded to |
lose this advantage the first season out. |
Some time he knew, she would get |
married. ami he would have to go back |
to the wagon shows where the artists |
had TO help with the horses and even |
drive q van to the neXt stop VI lean |