Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-06-05

W ll'll wv y W. NlllllN '''''I' - ''',.
asked Il handsome brunette as she sur
vCyed herself in the costume of Il
Roman chariorccr
"Ahout what" asked Polly vacantly.
Leave pull alone. She's in one of
her frances" called a molherly, good
natured woman whose trunk STOOD
next to Polly'S and whose business
was to support Il son and three daugh
terS upon SAlwart shoulders. both zig
Uratiycly and literally
"Well, | amt in any trance answer
cd the dark girl, land | think it's pref
~ tough for him to take up with .
rank outsiteS and expect us to warm
up to her as though he'd married one
of our own folks" She tossed her
head. the pride of class distinction
yelling high in her ample bosom.
He aims as4iu us to warm up to
her contradicecd Mile. Eloise. Il pale,
light haired spritc. who had arrived
late and was making undignihcd 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.
"Wcl, Barker has put her into the
! leap OF death stunt, amt hef" con-
tiNued the brunette Course that
mint 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 regular stunt and be put
tin her in to dress with us"
mo danger Of that" sneered the
blond. "Rarkcr 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
encd girl about whom they were talk
ing had made her first appearance in
the circus let. clingng timidly to the
hand Of the man who had just made
| her his wife. Her eyes had met Pol
ly'S with look of appeal that had
gone straight to the chid's simple
heart.
4 few NIGHTS later the newcomer
had allowed herself to he strapped
into the cumbersome "leap Of DEATH
machine which hurled itself through
space at each performance and flung
itself down with force enough to break
the neck of any unskilcd rider Cour-
age and StcaGl 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 4
great deal to the mother whom the
girls marriage had left dcsolate.
Polly had looked on humgrily the
night that the mother had taken the
daughter in her arms to say farewell
in the little country town whore the
circus had played before her marrAr"
She could remember no Woman'S arm
about hC", for 1t was fourteen year
since tender hands had carried her
mother from the performers tent into
the mocnlit let to die. The baby wa
SO used to seeing "mumSie" throw her
self Wvalilr ON the Ground after com
ing out of the "bi" top exhausted
| that she "rcpt to the woman'& side. rs
usual. that night ard @azcd laughin@Iy
into the Si@h,leSS eyes. gurgling and
prattling and stroking the unrcspon
sivc 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 it upon the sellers cot.
ITS alluS like this in 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 beginning to load 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 Polly close to his stall.
wart heart and climbed with her to
the high scat on the head wagon. Tn
Gle Toby was intrusted with the brown
EatChcl in which the mother h%l al.
ways carried Polly's scanty wardrobe
It seemed to these two men that the
eyes Of the woman were fixed steadily
upon them.
Barker, the manager, a large. noisy.
good naturcd fellow, at first mumblcd
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. confiding eyes
and he eventually ContCntcd himself
with an occasional reprimand to Toby,
who was now sometimes late ON his
cues. Polly wondered at these times
why the old mans stories were 50 sud
denly cut short just as she was 50
"comfy" in the soft grass at his feet.
The boys who used to look sharp
hr>aN.r e their e. a.; a,.H. 4 .,
now learned hat they mi-ht Ioi,rr $.
long ut "Nluvyer Jim" was "hikin' T.
round for the Kid" 1t was Polly VIII
had dubbed biz Jim "Muvyor," ard
the ,ahrirur' h1d stuck tO him in spite