Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-07-06

looked at him blankly. III she would
only complain" he said to himself:
IF she would only get mad, anything.
anything to wake her." But she did
not complain. She went through her
daily routine very humbly and quietly
She sometimes wondered how Jim
could talk so much about her work,
but before she could answer the ques-
ton her mind drifted back to other
days, to garden and flowers, and Jim
stole away unmissed and left her with
folded hand and wide, staring eyes,
gazing into the distance.
The memory of these times made
Jim helpless tonight. He had gone on
hoping from day to day that Barker
might not notice the "let down" in her
work, and now the blow had fallen.
How could he tell her?
One Of the acts came tumbling out
Of the main tent. There was mo-
ment's confusion as clowns, acrobats
and animals passed each other on their
way to and from the ring; then the lot
cleared again, and Polly came slowly
from the dressing tent. She looked
very different from the little girl
whom jim had led away from the par
sons garden in simple white frock
one month before. Her thin, pensive
face contrasted oddly with her glitter
ing attire. Her hair was knotted high
on her head and intertwined with
flowers and jewels. Her slender neck
seemed scarcely able to support it's
burden. Her short, full skirt and low
cut bodice We're ablaZe with white
and colored stones.
"What's on, jim p she asked.
''The leap O. DEATH You got plenty
Of time"
Polly:s mind went back to the girl
who answered that call year ago.
Her spirit seemed very near tonight.
The band stopped playing. Barker
made his grandiloquent announcement
about the wonderful act about to be
seen, and her eyes wandered to the
distant church steeple. The moonlight
seemed to shun it tonight 1t looked
cold and grim and dark. She Won
dered whether the solemn bell that
once called its flock to worship had
become as mute as her own dead heart.
She did not hear the whir of the great
machine inside the tent as it plunged
through space with its girl occupant.
These things were a part Of the daily
routine, part Of the strange, vague
dream through which she must STUN
bic for the rest of her life.
Jim watched her in silence. Her
face was turned from him. She had
forgotten his presence.
"Star gain, Poll?' he asked at
length, dreading to disturb her reverie.
II guess 1 was, JIM" She turned to
him with a little, forced SMILE He
longed to save her from Bankers
threatened rebuke.
How you feelin' tonight?"
"Pm all right" she answered cheer
fully.
Anything you want?'
"Wantw She turned upon him with
startled eyes. There was so much
that she wanted that the mere men,
ton of the word had opened a we'll of
pain in her heart.
II mean can do anything for you?''
"Oh, Of course not" She remem-
bered how little any one could do.
"What is It, PollT' he begged, but
she only turned away and shook her
head with sigh. He followed her
with anxious eyes. "What made you
cut out the show today? Was it be-
cause you didn't want to ride afore
folks what knowed you-ride afore
him mebbe?"
Him" Her face was white. Jim
feared she might swoon. "You don't
mean that he was"-
"Oh, no." he answered quickly, "of
course not. Parsons don't come to
places like this one. was only f1gur-
in that you didn't want other folks to
see an to tell him how you was rid
In" She did not answer.