The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-04-08

somewhat Inclined, 'and SO Lar Sne 3
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."
"NO 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
gone straight to the child's simple
heart
A few nights later the newcomer
had allowed herself to be 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 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
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
so used to seeing "mumsie' throw her
self 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 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 VIII"
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 Il Polly close to his stall
wart heart and climbed with her to
the high seat on the head wagon. In
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, 4 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, confiding eyes.
and he eventually contented 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 We're so sud
denly cut short just as she was so
comfy" in the soft grass at his feet
The boys who used to look sharp
because of their boss at loading time
now learned that they might loiter SO
long at "Muvver Jim" was "hikin' il
round for the kid" 1t was Polly who
had dubbed big Jim "Muvver." and
/ the sobriquet had stuck to him in spite
OF his six feet two and shoulders that
an athlete might have envied. Little
| by little Toby grew more stopped, and
small lines Of anxiety crept into the
brownish circles beneath Jim's eyes,
the lips that had once shut so firmly
became tender and tremulous, but nei-
Their of the men would willingly have
| gone back to the old emptiness.
1t was red letter day in the cir
Gus when Polly first managed to climb
up on the pole of an unhitched wagon
and from there to the back Of a friend
4 I'm md ohx,h oI
been ''neglectin' her eddication," they
declared, and from that time on the
blood of Polly's ancestors was given
full encouragement
Barker was quick to grasp the ad-
vantage Of adding the kid to the daily
parade. She made her first appear
ance in the streets upon something
ed from the rear by Jim and from the
fore by white faced clown who was
thought to be all the funniel because
he twisted his neck so much
From the street parade to Polly's
first appearance in the big top had
seemed short while to Jim and Toby.
They were proud to see her clrcling
the cheers of the people, but sense
of loss was upon them.
Il always said she'd do it, cried
Barker, who now took upon himself
the credit Of Polly's triumph.
And what triumph it was.
Polly danced as serenely on Binso's
back as she might have done on the
concert boards. She swayed grace.
fully with the music. Her tiny san.
dals twinkled as she stood first upon
one foot and then upon the other.
Uncle Toby forgot to use many OF
his tricks that night, and Jim left the
loading Of the wagons to take care o,
itself while he lowered near the en-
trance, anxious and GREATNESS. The
performers crowded around the CIR
with outstretched hands and congrat
ulations as she came out of the rims
to cheers and applause.
But Big Jim" stood apart He wa
4 %hiut;po of tho br,ttons fbat b;S c1pr,