The Washington herald., 1913-04-06

CHAPTER XI-Continued.

well aware of the shock she had i'm
parted For a time her face had never
looked so el6sh, but in the silence that
ensued, the light faded from her eyes.
Abbott was unable to analyze his
real emotionss, and his one endeavor
was to hide his perplexity. He had
always treated her as if she were
older than the town supposed, hence
the revelation of her age did not so
much matter; but lion-training was so
remote from conventions that it SEEM
ed TO isolate Fran, TO set her coldly
apart from the people of his world.
I'm going home" Fran said abb
ruptly.
He followed her mechanically, too
absorbed in her revelation to think of
the cards left forgotten on the bridge.
From their scene of good wishes, Fran
went first, head erect, arms swinging
detiantly; Abbott followed, not know
ing in the least what to say, or even
what to think.
The moon had not been laughing at
them long. before Fran looked back
had spoken. Still, I'd like for YOU TO
know about it"
He quickened his step to regain her
side. but was oppressed by an odd sense
of the abnormal
Although" she added indistinctly,
1T doesn't matter
They walked on in silence until,
after prolonged hesitation, he told her
th,t he ha, oil
she felt disposed to tell.
She looked at him steadily: Can
you dilute a few words with the water
of your imagination. to cover life?
I'll speak the words, if you have the
imagination"
AS he looked into her eyes, all sense
t q, 'e abnormal RE- nase
impulsively, IF it is your life"
In spite of the lions?" She asked,
almost sternly
Abbott rested hand upon each of
her shoulders. and studied her face.
The moonlight was lost in the depths
OF the unfaitering eyes. and there came
upon him a surging tide as from the
depths of the unknown, sweeping away
such artificial barriers as the mind pre-
pares against all great shocks, or sur
Discs.
You needn't tell me a word Alb
bolt said, removing his hands. Il know
all tf,as one need know; its written in
your face, story of sweet innocence
and brave patience"
But | want you to know"
Good he replied with a sudden
smile. Tell the story. then; if you
were an Odyssey, you couldn't be too
long"
The first thing ! remember is wax
ing up to feel the car jerked, or stop
ped, or started. and seeing lights flash
past the windows-lanternS of the
brakemen. or lamps of some town,
dancing along the track. The sleeping
car was home-the only home | knew.
All night long there was the grooming
of the wheels. the letting off of steam,
the calls of the men. Bounder Broth
ers had their private train, and mother
and i lived in our Pullman car. |
don't know how old | was when |
found out that everybody didn't live
on wheels-that most children had
homes that didn't move around, with
neighbors and relations After a while
] knew that folks stared at us because
we were different from others. We
were show people Then the thing was
to look like you didn't know, or didn't
care, how much people stared. After
that, ! found out that | had no father !;
he'd deserted mother, and her uncle
had turned her out of doors for marry
ing against his wishes, and she'd have
starved if it hadn't been for the show
people"
Dear Fran whispered Abbott ten
DERBY.
Mother had gone to Chicago, hop
ing for a position in some respectable
Office, but they didn't want typewriter
who wasn't stenographer. 1t was
winter-and mother had me- was
so little and bad! In a cheap
clearinghouse, mother got to know La
Confetti, and she persuaded mother
to wait with her for the season to open
I'D. then GO with Bounder Brothers
they were wintering in Chicago. 1t
was such kind of life as mother had
never dreamed of, but it was more
convenient than starving, and she
thought it would give her a chance to
find father-that travelling, all over the
country. La Confetti was a lion
tanner, and that's what mother learned,
and those two were the only ones who
could 60 inside Samson's cage. The
life was awfully hard, but she got to
like it. and everybody was kind to US,
and money came pouring in, and she
was always hoping to run across a
clew to my father-and never did"
She paused, but at the pressure of
Abbott's sympathetic hand, she went
on with renewed courage:
when / was big enough, | wore a
tiny black skirt, and red coat with
shiny buttons, and | beat the drum in
the carnival Band. You ought to have
seen me--so little. * Abbott, you
can't imagine how little / was! We
had about a dozen small shows in our
company, fortune tellers, Ministries,
magic wonders, and all that-and the
band had to march from one tent to
the next, and stand out in front and
plav. to get the crowd in a bunch. so
the free exhibition could work on their
nerves. And I'd beat away, in my red
coat = s. and there were always the
strange faces, staring, staring-but ]
was so little! Sometimes they would
smile at me, but mother had taught
me never to speak to any one, but
to wear a glazed look like this
How frightfully cold!" Abbott
e shivered. Then he laughed. and SO did
Fran. They had entered Littleburg.