The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-12-02
A CIRCUS CFIEETAH
By IZOLA FORESTER


show where he bought It down al
Coney Island. He wasn't good for
anything around the show, but he had
that animal like tame kitten around
him. He and Glover had all the care
Of II, for the old fellow was asleeu
most Of the time One day Il got
loose / heard about II from a pal
Of mine who stayed on for the sea.
son. II was about two, as the show
was breaking up for new town, and
the oheetah got out and calmly
strolled down the main street In the
moonlight II seemed amused and In.
terested, but when a principal citizen
! got busy with a shooting iron II
! jumped at him and chewed his shoul
| der Then this youngster went after
| II, but II had tasted blood and was
feeling mighty airy IL only cuffed
at the boy. but II laid him out, and
all at once Clover heard the row and
ran out of her tent and down the
street after It. And say, she had her
| belt, little elastic business with a
! pretty buckle on it-you know the
kind girls wear-and she put that
around his neck and led It back to lta
wagon. How's that? Plucky? yes.
While the boys were hanging back
with pitchforks and nets and hot
irons"
Another time It had toothache and
they got a dentist in, and she made
him give 1t an anaesthetic Little
things, but they made that heathen
cheetah animal love the girl as If II
had been a pet cat
Pop was thinking Of selling out
along this time, and the prospective
buyer came on from Kansas City to
look the show over. Instead, he
looked Glover over, and spoke to Pop.
Intentions? / don't know anything
about them, son. If he had any good
ones he certainly kept them out OF
signt. But he made Glover the bonus
in the business deal and be bought
the outfit that night Long about
1890 he comes out Of Pops quarters
and makes for Glover. She hadn't
gone to bed She was over at the
cheetah's wagon talking to 1t and to
the kid 1t was moonlight those
nights in August when the moon
comes up Ike a great fiame-colored
blossom, and they were in Kentucky,
near the Ohio border The kid was
playing on a mouth organ, real soft
and decent, when the big chap came
over took hold of Clover's arm and
told her what the deal was
When Clover screamed Pop him.
self came out and tried to reason with
her. She was to go on that night to
Kansas City and marry the fellow
there and then back to the show. Pop
said he was sick and tired of the
whole show business and was going
abroad to seek a long-deserved rest
from his labors. And he struck her
with one of those short whips they
use on the animals when they lift
their upper lips and growl"
There was a brief silence The
train was speeding along at fifty
miles an hour. Sammy stared out Of
the smoker window contentedly, in.
terestedly, and watched the landscape
Of New Jersey take wings to itself
and roll up like the scroll Of a parch.
ment.
Then what?" he said finally.
The kid let the cheetah loose"
said Murray slowly. And when the
two Of them grabbed her and tried to
carry her of it leaped on their backs.
That's about all know. Pop left the
hospital FIVE months later with scars
that he'll bear all his life and the
other fellow lost one arm. That chez
tab was a discriminating animal II
lied from a bullet Pop managed to
and right finally; but it had done it's
work well And the other two skipped
out that night, the kid and Glover.
always thought they made for where
Ter mothers folks lived, in Indiana
That's just what they did" broke
n Sammy happily. And the folks
lown there was good to them. They
ct the kid work around the farm, and
Clover got well and pretty instead of
ooking like wax candle most of the
ime. They lived there up to a year
go. 1t was pretty good farm. You
aVen't seen Mrs. Clancy, have you
frs. Sammy Clancy? No? l thought
ot. She's going to meet us in Phila
elphia tonight She still likes the
somehow I guess its lust
ecause she's Glover, and I'm that kid
hat looked after the cheetah."