Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-05-28

Ike this for SIX months, we'd starve Go
death. You certainly must give 'em q
great show" she added. surveying him
with growing interest.
sit doesn't make much difference
about the show Douglas began,
but he was quickly interrupted.
THAT'S right; it's jes' the same with
a circus. One year you give EN- the
rottenest kind of a thing. an they eat
1t up; the next year you hand 'em a
knockout, an it's a frost. Is that
the way 1t is with a church shown
much the same" Douglas admitted,
half amusedly. half regretfully. Very
often when l work the hardest I seem
to do the least good"
81 guess our troubles is pretty much
alike" Polly nodded. with a motherly
air OF condescension, ''only there amt
so much danger In your act"
Tn not so sure about that" he
laughed.
"Well, you take my tip" She leaned
forward as though about to impart
a very valuable bit of information.
"Don't you never go In for ridin'.
There amt no act on earth so bard
as a ridin' act. The rest Of the bunch
has got 1t easy alongside OF US. Take
the fellows on the trapeze. They al
ways get their tackle up In jes' the
same place. Take the balancin' acts.
There amt no difference In their lay
outs. Take any of 'em as depends on
regular props, and they Amt got much
chance a-goin' wrong. But, say, when
you have to do a ridin' act there amt
never no two times alike. If your
horse Is feelin' good, the ground Is
stumbfy; II the ground amt on the
blink, the horse Is wobbly. There's al
ways somethin' wrong somewheres,
and you amt never KNOWN how it's
goin' to end, especially when you got
to do q careful act like mine. There's
a girl, Eloise. In our bunch what does
a snowy act on a horse what Barker
calls Barbarian. She goes on in my
place sometimes, and. say, them Rubes
applauds her as much as me, an her
stunts is baby tricks alongside OF mine.
It's enough to make you sick OF art"
She shook her head dolefully, then sat
up with renewed interest.
"You see, mine Is careful balancin'
an all that. al you got to know your
horse an your ground for that Now,
you get wise to what I'm a-teilin' you
and don't you never go into anything
which depends on anything else.1
Thank you. Polly. I won't" Doug
las somehow feIt that he was very
much indebted to her.
II seen a church show once" Polly
said suddenly.
"You did," Douglas asked, with new
interest.
Eyes" she answered. closing her lips
and venturing no further comment.
"Did you like it," he questioned aft
er a pause.
Couldn't make nothin' out Of it. /
don't care much for readin'."
"Oh, 1t isn't all reading" he correct
ed.
"well, the u I saw read all Of
his'n. He got the whole thing right
out Of a book"
that was . his text lasshed
Douglas.
'TextT'
"Yes. And later he tried to interpret
to his congrega"-
Easy Easy!" she interrupted.
"Come again with that, will your
HE told them the meaning Of what
he read"
"Well, I don't know what he told
'em, but it didn't mean anything to me.
But maybe your show is bettern his
was" she added. trying to pacify him.
Douglas was undecided whether to
feel amused or grateful for Polly's
ever increasing sympathy. Before he
could trust his twitching lips to ar
swer she had put another question to
him.
Are you goir' to do a stunt while
am here?'
~ preach every Sunday, If that's
what you mean. I preach this morn
ing"
SIS this Sunday" she asked, sitting
up with renewed energy and looking
about the room as though everything
had changed color.
yes"
"And you got a matinee?" she ex-
claimed incredulously.
1--WE have services" he corrected,
gently.
1--WE rest up or Sundays" she said
In a tone of deep commiseration.
"Oh, l see." he answered. feeling 1t
no time to enter upon another discus
sion as to the comparative advantages
of their two professions.
what are you goin' to spiel about
todayT
about Ruth and Naomi"
ruth and who?"
Naomi" he repeated.
Naomi" she echoed, fitting her head
from side to side as she listened to
the soft cadences of the word. II
er heard that name before. 1t 'ud look
awful swell on a billboard, wouldn't