The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-10-28

sent along a contract and It came
back signed.
When l got Marteln and Helena In
my office before we left our winter
quarters that spring l was just wee
bit interested to see how they we're
going to hitch
But nature had been awfully kind
to Helena, and although / never felt
quite sure enough of my own judg-
ment to choose a wife, I'd go on the
records as declaring that woman q
home run when 1t come to the looR-
mg-glass.
"MaFteln was a Frenchman, the
kind that never bothered to frappe
his absinthe but just took it straight.
Those kind OF fellows don't ever get
much below the surface, you know.
when 1t comes to a woman, 30 as far
as MartelH was concerned l wasn't
calculating on having any trouble
Il watched EN- pretty close. though.
when we opened at the Garden, but to
all appearances things we're rosy; and
1t was just six weeks later when any
fears / had had about those rival acts
were put at rest. We were showing
In Chicago at the time and one eve
ming espied Helena and the French
man having supper together at one
Of the restaurants, seated we'll back
among tho palms where nothing much
reached them except the strains of
music from the stringed orchestra
That looked pretty safe to me and
as there is quite a difference between
the show business and cutting coupons
for living, soon lost track Of them
beyond the fact mat they we're a
couple Of the best advertisers we ever
had had with our tents.
Two days before we struck Mont
gomery on our last big swing up the
coast, Martelh came to me and ar
ranged for a monthly draft which he
always sent to his mother over at
Marseilles. He didn't appear as chip
preston about his face which seemed
to indicate sleepless nights and trou-
BILE of some kind. l asked If the con-
slant travelling had a bad effect on
his lions, making them harder to man
age. but he told me his lions we're all
right, and after thanking me. walked
away l wondered then If the lines
were tangled anywhere, but those
devils are as full of whims, you know,
as circus elephant is of peanuts, so
wasn't surprised to see him the next
day with smile on his face and, for
all could see. as well as ever.
I'VE showed to big receipts at
Montgomery in the afternoon and long
before the evening performance be-
gan another big crowd had gathered
on the grounds.
Il had been on an inspection tour
and stopped behind the fly just as
Helena came out prepared to go on.
A couple Of minutes later Martelli
came along and we three spoke to-
gethar until her Ave lions were car
ried out In their small single cages
which were placed inside the large
steel Enclosure in the middle of the
arena Then the band struck UP, and
Helena with a playful goodbye, drew
aside the curtain and skipped light
ly out to her lions.
The music had stopped and as
Helena swung open the door that let
the first Hon out into the Enclosure
you might have been In a church In
stead of circus tent for all the noise
that was made. With a crack of her
whip the second lion sprang out and
took it's place. She moved quickly
about breaking the deathly silence by
cracking her whip and calling each
lion by name as she freed them from
their small quarters. Four were out
and hundreds of eyes were watching
her as she sprung the lock on the
last cage. With another crack of her
whip the door few back and from
where / stood / saw she hesitated,
while her eyes sought those OF Mar
telli's in swift glance. At the same
moment an angry roar rang out
through the tent and saw the fifth
lion spring from his cage.
shall never forget Helena was
knocked to the floor and with a savage
snarl the lion leaped upon her. For
a moment was dazed, but the shrieks
of the women and the noise Of the
panic-striken crowd rushing to the
exits around me and l rushed for
ward
Il hadn't advanced a dozen steps
when l saw Martelh opening the door
into the inclosure
For Gods sake. man, look out!'
| cried.
But he sprang inside and closed
the door after him. He had heard
my warning and turned for an In
slant. His face was perfectly white
and his dark eyes glistened like a
crazy mans. In two bounds he
reached the lion and duciing a blow
from its paw that would have hurled
him across the cage. fell upon the
PROSTATE form Of the woman. Be
fore our men could come to the res
cue with their red Aot irons, the five
lions, their savage natures now
aroused, we're battling with all their
terrible ferocity over the victims"
The old fellow stopped at this point
In his narrative and a nervous shuddeE
shook his entire frame.
Man, 1t was frightful-frightfuli
he cried Il couldn't describe I'll In
less than half an hour the boys had
three lions safely back In their cages
while two lay dead upon the floor OF
the inclosure."
The old Snowman paused again and
smoked for some moments in silence
1T seems a shame to spoil a pref
ty little story" he continued, but
since that fellow Ibsen shows up life
as 1t really is, might add that love
was responsible for that trouble down
there in '95.
The fact Of the business is, Mar
tell had loved and lost. When once
convinced of the uselessness Of his
wooing. he had looked for q way tc
end II all. Would he finish himself
and leave Helena to marry another
Never II was jealous love that hs
offered her and the thought OF another
man drove him to his act With hii
innate cunning he found the way
What could be better than the lions,