Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-07-24

looked at him blankly. "If she would
only complain" he said to himself;
"if she would only get mad, anything.
anything TO wake her." But she did
not complain. She went through her
daily routine very humbly and quietly.
She sometimes wondered how Jim
could talk so much about her work.
but before she could answer the ques-
tion her mind drifted back to other
days. to a garden and flowers, and Jim
stole away unmissed and left her with
folded hand and wide, staring eyes.
gazing into tile distance.
The memory of these times made
Jim helpless tonight. He had gone on
hoping from day to day that Barker
might not notice the ''let down. In her
work, and now the blow had fallen.
How could he tell her?
One of the acts came tumbllng out
of the main tent. There was mo-
ment's confusion as clowns, acroba is
and animals PASSED each other on their
way to and from the ring; then the lot
cleared again. and Polly came slowly
from the dressing tent, She looked
very different from The little girl
whom. Jim had led away from the par
sons garden In simple white frock
one month before. Her thin, pensive
face contrasted oddly with her glitter
ing attire. HSs hair was knotted high
on her head and lntertwined with
flowers and jewels. Her slender neck
seemed scarcely able to support its
burden. Her short. full skirt and low
cut bodice We're ablaze with white
and colored stones. :.
"What's on, limp she asked.
1.-THE leap O death You got plenty
of time"
Polly's mind went back to the girl
who answered that call a year ago.
Her spirit seemed very near tonight
The band stopped playing. Barker
made his grarIliloquent announcement
about the wonderful act about to be
seen, and her eyes wandered to the
distant church steeple. The moonlight
seemed to shun 1t tonight. 1t looked
cold and grim and dark. She won
dered whether the solemn bell that
once called its flock to worship had
become as mute as her own dead heart.
She did not hear the whir of the great
machine inside the tent as It plunged
through space with Its girl occupant.
These things were part of the daily
routine, part OF the strange vague
dream through which she must STUN
bic for the rest of her life.
Jim watched her In silence. Her
face was turned from him She had
forgotten his presence. = ..'
"Star gain, Poll?" he asked at
length, dreading to disturb her reverie
81 guess I was, Jim" She turned to
him with little. forced smile. He
longed to save her from Barker's
threatened rebuke. "'.
How you fcelin' tonight?" 49,
"I'm all right" she answered cheer
fully.
Anything you want" ....
"Want?" She turned upon him with
startled eyes. There was so much
that she wanted that the mere men,
ton Of the word had opened well of
pain In her heart
81 mean can do anything for you?'
"Oh. Of course not" She remem-
bered how little any one could do.
what ia 1t, Poll?'' he begged, but
fhe only turned away and shook her
head with n sigh. He followed her
with anxious eyes. what made you
cut out the show today? Was 1t be-
cause you didn't want to ride afore
folks what knowed you-ride afore
him mebbe?" .0r .u..t.I...... ...-,.
'TIlm?" Her face was white. Jim
feared she might swoon. you don't
mean that he was ..f.. -
"Oh, no." he answered quickly, 'of
vourse not. Parsons don't come to
places like this one I was only figur-
In that you didn't want other folks to
see an to tell him how you was rid
In" She did not answer,