The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-04-23

| Hoi' COntTAulcteu MILO. ElOlSe, pale,
light haired sprite, who had arrived
late and was making undignified eff
forts to get out of her clothes by way
Of her head She was Polly's under
study and next in line for the star
place In the bill.
We'll, Barker has put her into the
leap Of death stunt, amt hep" con-
tinued the brunette. Course that
amt a regular circus act" she added
somewhat Modified, land so far she's
had to dress with the freaks, but the
next thing we know he'll be ringin'
her in on a regular stunt and be put
tin her in to dress with u.s.
mo danger of that" sneered the
blond. Barker is too old a stager to
mix up his sheep and his goats"
Polly had again lost the thread of
the conversation. Her mind had gone
rowing to the night when the fright
ened girl about whom they were talk
ing had made her first appearance in
the circus lot clinging timidly to the
hand Of the man who had just made
her his wife. Her eyes had met Pol
ly's with a look Of appeal that had
gone straight to the child's simple
heart.
A few nights later the newcomer
had allowed herself to be strapped
into the cumbersome '1eap Of death"
machine which hurled itself through
space at each performance and flung
itself down with force enough to break
the neck Of any unskilled rider Cour-
age and steady nerve were the requi-
sites for the job so the manager had
said, but any physician would have
told him that only trained acrobat
could long endure the nervous strain,
the muscular tension and the physical
rack of such an ordeal
What matter? The few dollars
earned in this way would mean a
great deal to the mother whom the
girls marriage had left desolate.
Polly had looked on hungrily the |
night that the mother had taken the |
daughter in her arms to say farewell |
in the little country town where the
circus had played before her marriage
She could remember no woman's arms
about her, for It was fourteen years
since tender hands had carried her
mother from the performers tent into
the moonlit lot TO die. The baby was
90 used to seeing "mumsie" throw her
elf YEARLY on the ground after COM
Ing out of the ''big top" exhausted
that she crept to the woman's side, as
usual, that night and gazed laughingly
into the sightless eyes, gurgling and
prattling and stroking the unrespon
sive face. There were tears from
those who watched. but no word was
spoken.
Clown Toby and the big "boss can
vasman" Jim had always taken turns
amusing and guarding little Polly
while her mother rode in the ring. SO
Toby now carried the babe to another
side Of the lot, and Jim bore the life
less body Of the mother to the distant
ticket wagon. now closed for the night,
and laid 1t upon the sellers cot
ITS allus like this i'm the end" he
murmured as he drew a piece Of can
vas over the white face and turned
away to give orders TO the men who
were 10 lOhu the props
used earlier in the performance
When the show moved on that night
It was Jim's strong arms that lifted
the mite Of a Polly close to his stall
wart heart and climbed with her to
the high seat on the head wagon. I'm
Gle Toby was intrusted with the brown
satchel in which the mother had al
ways carried Polly's scanty wardrobe.
1t seemed to these two men that the
eyes Of the woman were fixed steadily
upon them.
Barker, the manager, large. noisy,
good natured fellow. at first mumbled
something about the kid being excess
baggage" but his objections were only
half hearted. for. like the others, he
was already under the hypnotic spell
Of the baby's round, confding eyes,
and he eventually contented himself
with an occasional reprimRnd to Toby,
who was now sometimes late on bis
cues. Polly wondered at these times
why the old mans stories we're 30 sud
denly cut short just as she was 20
comfy" in the soft grass at his feet
The boys who used 10 look sharp
becsu-e Of their boss ct loading time
now learned that they might loitsr 30
long ut ~Muvver Jim" was ''hikin' It
rouAd for the KID" II wns Polly who
bad dubbed big Jim "kuvver,- and
the ssbriouet bad Stuck to him in .pAts
u his SIX feet two and shoulders that
IN athlete might have envied. Little
by little Toby grew more stopped, and
mall lines Of anxiety crept into the
1rovnish circles beneath Jim's eyes,
he lips that had once shut so firmly
became tender and tremulous, but neil
her of the mon would willingly have
Tons back to the old emptiness.
1t was a red letter day in the cir {
us when Polly first managed to climb
lp on the pole Of an unhitched wagon
Ind from there TO the back OF a friend {
y Shetland pony. Jim and Toby had [
,esn ''neglectin' her sddication," they [
and from that time on the G
blood Of Polly's ancestors was given '
ull encouragement. T
Barker was quick to grasp the sd- {
'antage Of adding the kid to the daily {
'arade. She made her first appear |
Ince in the streets upon something {
cry Ike a Newfoundland Dog guard
d from the rear by Jim and from the '
ore by white faced clown who was i
bought to be all the funniei because
lie twisted his neck so much. 5
From the street parade TO Polly's {
Irst appearance in the big top bad q
eemed short while 10 Jim and Toby. v
hey were proud to see her circling