Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1909-03-13
JIM'S
HOT FINISH.
by COLIN S. COLLINS.
Copyrighted 1903. by Associated
Literary Press
by COLIN s. COLLINS.


ard Clute was counting up" the after.
noon receipts.
"Worst sort Of luck" was the reply
II thought II | tackled, the old man
after good matinee could catch him
In n fine humor. but II seems that the
sheriff held him up just before got
there. One of the graftcrs he pinched
told that the old man got rakeoff,
and the sheriff came around to get his
and got mine. The old mans going
10 send Daisy to boarding school. and
he mentioned place | might go to-
but It's nowhere near Daisy's school
You can bet on that"
Cant you two hook ltY' suggested
Ben. Its pretty close to the end Of
the season. II we lose couple OF
weeks. can stand my share OF the
loss II don't get chance to work a
single net at some OF the late fairs
See what the kid thinks
II don't have to see" was the gloomy
response. Il know now what her an
swer would be. She won't beat II.
Shes going To have regular wedding.
with the old man giving her away or
there won't be wedding. She's told
me that dozen times, and she means
1t when she says It."
Strome nodded. Ever since they had
Joined the Clute show In midseason
Petite had been making violent love TO
Daisy Clute. the owners daughter II
was not large circus-a one ring af-
fair-though they travelled by railroad
instead of by wagon.
The performers all lived In single
car and In theory formed one large
family Daisy and her father had a
car to themselves, but she was much
around the tents. and her preference
for the clean limbed young gymnast
had soon become n matter for COM
ment
BY supper time the fact that the old
man had refused his consent to their
marriage was all over the dressing
tent. and you'd not need Daisy's red
trimmed eyes and Pettie's frown to con-
firm the report.
Daisy was standing near the en-
trance when Petite came out for the
double act. lie did Il turn on the fly
Ing rings earlier on the bill. while
Strome did n strong man act In the
the ring feature Of the show the hot
test net In the business" they claimed
and Daisy always tried TO be near
In case OF accident. though she could
not bear TO watch them
Strome did the bearing" catching
Jim as he leaped from his own trapezc
to Strome's hands. He was n reliable
worker. but Daisy always feared that
some night those steady nerves would
fall and that inns body would 20 hurl-
Ing through the air until It struck the
ring bank or the seats. limp and
lifeless mass. She had seen one acct
dent. and II had remained vivid In her
memory.
Presently Strome Joined the pair as
they stood talking. and an instant later
the four horses used In the double
riding act dashed into the tent followed
by Paul and Lefty Murphy. who boast
ed very different names on the bill
The band struck up their music, and
the two men ran into the ring. 1t was
the work of moment TO climb to their
perches. The apparatus consisted of
two trapeze swings. one long one
used by Petite for the leaps and the
shorter one from which Strome hung
when he made the catches. On Pettle's
end there was platform from which
he leaped TO gain momentum, and this
was but few feet from the center
pole which held up the tent.
The first two swings were made
without trouble. and then Strome did
some single work 10 give Petite an
opportunity to rest Jim leaned against
the ropes TO steady himself and glanced
below at the well filed tent a sea
OF faces, white In the fare of the
lamps, gazed intently upward as
Strome hung by his toes from the
short swing
An odd roar caught Pettics atten-
tion. and he glanced Mt the lamps 4
cluster of gasoline flares hung from the
center pole and supplied light for the
tent.
Two huge reservoirs were fastened
together to form ring about the pole
and from these radiated the burners.
Clute was old fashioned In many Of
his IDEAS. and his fondness for the old
fashioned light amounted to n hobby
Jim could see that one of the tanks
had sprung a leak. and In some way
the escaping gas had caught fire from
the flames below The hea; was VA.
porlzing the inhammable liquid more
rapidly than usual. and II was only II
matter Of minutes before the heat
would cause an explosion that would
send the blazing fluid flying over the
crowd below and the tinderlike tent.
There had been no rain for several
days. and. on the other hand. the blaz.
ing sun had been pouring its rays on
the tent since early morning. The
flames would run 10 the guy ropes. and
when these gave way the crowd below
would lie cnveloped In a mass OF fame
There was no time to signal below