The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-12-26
THE ROSE
THE RING
By Csosss Barr M'Csscksoa
A Thief In the Night.

,nn.-a... ,osa =.
A Thief In the Might.
Mrs. Braddock was searching for
the cause OF her husbands sudden
ebullience, his astounding surrender
to her own views regarding their
daughter A for Christine. she was
more afraid OF him than she had been
In all her life. This new mood sug-
sssted some vague. undennable trou-
be for her mother. To her horror
she was beginning to look for .Pome-
thing sinister In all that he undertook
To do or say.
Unable to face the speculative anx-
iety In the eyes OF his wife and child.
Braddock edged OF to the mems sec
ton Of the tent. His furtive. nervous
slances about the small apartment e.
eapsd the notice Of the men who were
changing their apparel. To his own
disSust Q cold perspiration began to
ooGo out all over his body-the moist
urs Of extreme nervousness and inde-
sision. He took . sun pull At his
beandy flask.
His shifting case ultimately rested
On David Jenison's neatly deposited
clothing. The boy was in the ring.
His street wear" lay on "keester"
somewhat apart fran the heterogen-
eous pile Of mems apparel on the ad-
jacent boxes. David's pile" was close
to the outside wall Of the tent. Brad
k<>r&k ms ,.kre - Is, 70
. certain side pole He began to trem-
BILE; . weakness fell upon him; the
resolution partly formed in the big
tent and which had drawn him resist
lessly to this very spot. gained
strength as his blinking eyes swerved
their gaze from time to time In the
direction of the pile" All the while
he was talking volubly and without .
sentient purpose.
After fifteen minutes he sauntered
from the section. cold with spprehen-
sion. but absolutely determined on the
action which was to follow. Leaving
the tent he strolled of toward the
ticket wagon. carefully noting the po-
sition Of the men who were loading
the menagerie tent for the trip ahead
A cautious detour brought him back
to the dressing tent and directly in
front Of the spot where David's cloth
ing was deposited.
Thomas Braddock was not a thief
He never had stolen anything in his
life. He did not intend to steal now.
Before he entered the dressing tent.
half an hour ago, he had justified him
self unto himself; he was not going
to steal David's money. His purpose
was an honest one or 30 his con-
science had been resolutely convinced
He meant to surreptitiously borrow
the idle money. that was ALL Toward
the end Of the season, when he was
vastly prosperous-as he was sure to
be-he would go to David and restore
the money with interest, whereupon
the grateful young man would fall
upon his neck and rejoice He need
ed the money. David did not need 1t.
What would his wife say II she
came to know of this? What would
Christine think of him? They were
harsh questions and they troubled
him. But above these questions
throbbed still greater one-the one
that made his body damp with fear
was the money still in the boys pocket
or was he carrying it with him in the
ring?
VI one thing he was sure: David
trusted to the integrity of his fellow
performers. AS for that, so did Thorn
as Braddock. In all his experience
with circus performers he had neve,
known one Of them to steal; some
what irrelevantly he reminded him
self that circus women were notabl,
chaste. No; David's money was quit,
safe in that dressing tent.
Two full minutes passed before h,
could whip his conscience into sub
mission. 1t was, as it afterward
turned out to be, the last stand of tn,
thing called honor as it applied t,
whisky-soaked Tom Braddock. The,
he shot forward across the blacl
shadows to the side pole he had bee,
giaring at for a quarter of an hou,
Through the lac,lgs in the side wal
ue raw lHdl lne section was empty
When David put his hand inside tn
lining of his waistcoat an hour late
he turned pale and his eyes narrowe
with suspicion For an instant h
permitted them to sweep the laugh
ing, unconscious group of men su,
rounding him.
Joey" he said a moment late,
taking the clown aside, my poke
book Is gone
"Wot!" gasped Joey. "Ave you los
it?"
1T has been stolen"
Joey's face grew very sober Don
say that, Jacky. 1t was in you
ves'cut as usual?"
Yes. The lining Is slashed with
knife"
"Jacky. are you sure?" almo,
.groaned the clown. "Why-wh,
there amt nobody ere as would ste,