Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1913-02-12

Keep step, you rascal" to Tom, had
further carried out the deception.
1.-THE little lady rides WELL"
A pallid clown, in the peaked cap
and baggy pantaloons of his kind, be-
gan brisk dialogue with the ringmas-
ter as the band suddenly ceased play
ing. and Tom, after bowling to the ap-
plause his efforts had won, turned Sc
dately toward the exit.
Ladies' dressing rooms on the
right" came from the ringmaster in
low voice, as the girl passed him.
"Wait there until l am done and I will
see you safely out Of this"
Several female acrobats and aerial
artists eyed Betty curiously as she
came among them, but none seemed
to take her entrance as anything out
of the ordinary and no one presumed
to address her Soon their various
acts demanded them and she was left
alone.
Had Betty Braden been the conf
dent Betty of two brief hours ago she
would have ignored the command of
the ring autocrat and picked her own
way out into the air and home. But
the girl was peculiarly weak. Her
nerves were frayed threads, and the
flush on her creks had given way to
! sick pallor. She fell wearily onto a
slim chair of the camp stool variety
and gave little thought to the mutt
nous Tom, whom a flunky had taken
from her as she came out from the
| arena.
II beg your pardon"
The remark was plainly an effort to
rouse her from her humiliating
thoughts, and, startled, she glanced
up into the face Of the handsome
/ young ringmaster.
1t was puzzled blue eyes into which
Betty found herself gazing; wonder
ing eyes blended with great deal Of
admiration and some curiosity.
"You are Miss Braden, are you
not?"
Betty flushed. She had not heen
silly enough to imagine that she
could keep her identity secret, but
how did this circus man know herr"
81 am" she agreed stiffly, and
and I wish to go home" Pride broke
pathetically with the wist of the last
words.
"And I ain here to take you home.
I thought at first, Miss Braden, that
you had originated your novel act to
help us out, and then it gradually
came to me that your horse was per-
forming against your will. He must
have been an old-time circus horse"
Betty was almost on the verge of
! tears.
"I-I want to go home," she re-
peatedly miserabiy.
81 will ride with you for distance.
You seem to be utterly done up"
Betty raised protesting eyes.
But you will be needed here?"
20, am at liberty now. l was only
on in the turn preceding yours"
'What shame!" thought Betty, as
the two rode safely through the maze
of tents and out onto the broad road
leading back into the country, chat
handsome manly fellow like this
should waste his time with circus"
Betty's opinion of circuses was not
very high why" she meditated, che
has as much culture and refinement as
any of the young men of our set--and
he is better looking" Flushing, she
shifted from this dangerous trend of
thought
81 believe 1 can continue alone,
now," she announced, trile coldly.
"And thank you very much for your
kind assistance"
"But may not ride as far as your
homer"
81 think not. We have never met
this is, in the way that the ethics
demand, you know, and"
But we will! I shall have my sis
ter introduce me right away"
Betty stared.
Your sister? Really"
"Why, yes. Laura Hedgcton, your
friend, is my sister, and"
Laura Hedgeton?"
i Certainly"
"But how comes it that you are
travelling with that crcus?"
"Me = travelling with circus!
Why" Suddenly a look Of compre-
hension made narrow the eyes of the
youth.
"My dear, Miss Braden," he protest
ed. you surely didn't think that l
was an employe Of the circus!"
"But why shouldn't think so?"
Listen. The show this afternoon
was given for the benefit of the Bar
leyville hosuital and number Of us
who live there took active part.
! Strange that you didn't hear Of it
hsfnre We rented the whole aggre-