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

%7OLLY and Bingo always made
III the audience sit up" when
IL they swept into the ring. She
was so young. so gayly chad, 50
light and joyous in all her poses. She
seemed scarcely to touch the back OF.
the white horse as they dashed round
the ring in the glare of the tent lights.
The other performers went through
their work mechanically while Polly
rode.
AS for Polly. her work had never
lost its first interest. Jim may have
been right when he said that the spirit
Of the dead mother had got into her.
but it must have been an unsatisfied
spirit, unable to fulfill its ambition in
the body that once held it, for it some
times played strange pranks with Pol
". Tonight her eyes shone and her
lips were parted in anticipation as she
leaped lightly over the many colored
streamers OF the wheel of silken rib
bons held by Barker in the center Of
the ring and by Toby and the tum-
blers on the edge Of the bank.
With each change of her act the au-
dience cheered and frantically applaud
ed. The band played faster; Bingo's
pace increased; the end Of her turn
was coming. The tumblers arranged
themselves around the ring with pa
per hoops. Bingo was fairly racing.
She went through the first hoop with
crash Of tearing paper.
"Heigh, Bmgow she shouted as she
bent her knees to make ready for the
final leap.
Bingo's neck was stretched. He had
never gone so fast before. Barker
looked uneasy. Toby forgot to go
on with his accustomed tricks Jim
watched anxiously from the entrance.
The paper of one hoop was still left
unbroken. The attendant turned his
eyes to glance at the oncoming girl.
The hoop shifted slightly in his clum-
sy hand as Polly leaped straight up
from Bingo's back, trusting to her first
calculation. Her forehead struck the
edge of the hoop. She clutched wildly
at the air. Bingo galloped on. and
she fell to the ground, striking her
head against the ironbound stake at
the edge of the ring.
Everything stopped. There was
gasp of horror The musicians drop
ped their instruments. Bingo halted
and looked back uneasily. She lay
unconscious and seemingly lifeless.
A great cry went up in the tent.
Panic stricken men, women and chill
dren began to Chamber down from their
seats. while others nearest the ground
attempted to jump into the ring. Bar
ker, still grasping his long whip.
rushed to the girls side and shouted
wildly to Toby:
Say something, you. Get 'em back!'
Old Toby turned his white face to
the crowd. His features worked con-
vulsively, but he could not speak. His
grief was so grotesque that the few
who saw him laughed Historically. He
could not even go to Polly. His feet
seemed pinned to the earth.
Jim rushed into the tent at the first
cry of the audience. He lifted the
limp form tenderly and, kneeling in
the ring, held her bruised head in his
hands.
Cant you get doctor?" he shouted
desperately to Barker.
Here's the doctorv' some one called.
and a stranger came toward them. He
bent over the seemingly lifeless form,
his fingers on the tiny wrist. his ear to
the heart.
"Well, STRIP Jim faltered, for he had
caught the puzzled look in the doctors
eyes as his deft hand pressed the cru
ely wounded head.
81 can't tell just yet" said the doc
tor. "She must be taken away"
where can we take her," asked
| Jim. a look of terror in his great, trou-
bled eyes.
1.-The parsonage is the nearest
house, said the doctor. II am sure
the pastor will be glad to have her
there until we can find out how badly
| she Is hurt"
In an instant Barker was back in
| the center of the ring. He announced
| that Polly's injuries were slight, called
| the attention of the audience to the
| wonderful concert to take place and
babe them make ready for the thrill
ing chariot race.
| Jim, blind with despair, lifted the
light burden and staggered out Of the
tent, while the band played furfously
and the people fell back into their
seats. The Roman chariots Numbered
| and clattered around the outside of
the ring, the audience cheered the win
ner Of the race, and for the moment
| poI1v xras fnrvotteD