Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-10-19

the boy into partial wakeful-
ness.
Get up" said Grinaldi
"What are you doing here:"
The lad would have rushed away
into the darkness behind him had it
not been for the restraining grip on
his arm. He felt himself being drag
ged into the stuffy, mysterious vesti-
bule of the tent. into plain view of Il
half dozen wildly attired persons al
most under the feet of stoiid, gayly
caparisoned horses wearing the great
back pads.
He was not dreaming-he was in
the dressing tent of the circus, envel-
oped by the dull, magic atmosphere
that comes in the smoke of burning
oils, an atmosphere that is never to
be found outside the low walls of a
dressing tent.
His bewildered gaze took in the
horses, the boxes. the trunks. the ring
paraphernalia, the properties" the
discarded uniforms of attendants. cast
In apparent confusion here, there and
everywhere. Somehow as he stared
this conglomerate mass of unfamiliar
things seemed to creep away into the
black shadows he had not perceived
before. The drab dome of the tent
began to swirl above his head like Il
merry -go-round. The lights danced
and then went out.
Grinaldi, the clown caught him in his
arms is he slipped forward in Il faint.
When he regained consciousness he
was lying on a thick, dusty mattress,
his head pillowed on a bundle of cloth
that smelled of cotton and dyestuffs.
Faces emerged from the gloom around
him. Some one was holding Il torch
over his strange couch. He tried to
raise himself to his elbow. Some one
supported him from behind. AS he
turned his head to thank this person
1T was with difficulty that he rcprcsSed
a cry of alarm. The being who braced
him with friendly arms was Il glitter
ing, shiny thing of green with hui
man face that leered upon him.
Grinaldi laughed.
Hes not a boa constructor, lad
Hes the boneless wonder He's as
gentle as a spring lamb and not art
as tough Signor Anaconda the hui
man snake-that's wot he's called on
the bills. Ed Casey's is real name"
cav. cheese 1t, joey" growled the
amiable signor. Say, young Teller.
what's ailing you? Where'd you come
fromI"
faced his audience. a sudden wariness
In his eyes. Before venturing u word
of explanation, he allowed his gaze to
sweep the entire group. There were
men in tights and women in tights
in pink and red and green and blue
some of them still painting and breath
less after their perilous work in the
ring. He took them all i'll at a glance.
but his eyes rested at last ON the one
figure that seemed out of place in this
motley crowd: the tall. graceful figure
of the woman i'll street clothes. He
looked long at the sweet. gentle. I'M
painted face of this woman and drew
his first deep breath of relief and hope
when she smiled. She moved quickly
through the crowd of acrobats and rid
ers followed close behind by the slim.
wide eyed girl in the long red cloak.
What has happencd:" asked the tail
woman gently. Have you-have you
run away from home, my boy,
How long have l been here" There
was "A suggestion of alarm in the alb
rupt question.
His voice. querulous through excite
ment. was quite strong ana musical
The tone and his manner Of addressing
the queStioner proved beyond CONTRA
uiCIlOn lie WAS no tramp.
or show follower. such as they were in
the habit of seeing in their travels \
dozen fine old Virginia gentlemen. per
h5ps. one after another. had lived and
died before him; down that precious
line of blood had come the strain that
makes for the finished thoroughbred
the real Virginia aristocrat.
You tainted ten minutes ago Are
YOU feeling better now: Give him some
brandy. one of you. How wet you are,
You must have come far
He watched her face all the time she
was speaking No sign of trust con-
fdence came into his own as the result
of her kindness. Instead. the wari-
ness grew
Only across the mountain he said
succintly I've been out in the rain.
ma'am." be vouchsafed
He had never been so close TO men
and women III tights before The
fluffy. abbreviated tarlatan skirts of
two women bareback riders who stood
not more than two yards away seemed