The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-10-10


to wait with her for the season to open
up, then go with Bounder Brothers;
they were wintering in Chicago. II
was such a kind of life as mother had
never dreamed of, but 1t was more
convenient than starving, and she
thought it would give her 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 ones who
could go 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 clue
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 I beat the drum
in the carnival band. You ought to
have seen me-so little. Alb
bolt. you can't imagine how little I
was! We had about dozen small
shows in our company, fortune-tellers,
minstrels, magic wonders, and all that
and the band had to march from one
tent to the next, and stand out in front
and play, to get the crowd in bunch.
so the free exhibition could work on
their nerves. And I'd beat away, in
nv red coat and there were
always the strange faces, staring. star
ing-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
shivered. Then he laughed, and so did
Fran. They had entered Littleburg.
He added wickedly: "And how dread
fully near we are getting to your
home"
Fran gurgled. Wouldn't Grace Noir
just die if she could see us!"
That sobered Abbott; considering
time for reflection.
Fran resumed abruptly. But new
er really liked it because what | want
ed was home-to belong to some
body. Then l got to hating the bold
stare of peoples eyes, and their fool
ish gaping mouths, hated beng al
ways on exhibition with every gesture
watched, as if I'd been one of the
trained dogs. l hated the public. /
wanted to get away from the world
clear away from everybody
like l am now .. with you. Isn't
it great" - 1925
Mammoth" Abbott declared, wa
tering her words with liberal imagina-
ton.
Il must talk fast. or the Gregory
house will be looming up at US.
Mother taught me all she knew, though
she hated books; she made herself
think she was only in the show life
till she could make little more-al-
ways just little more-she really
loved it, you see. But / loved the
s-study-anything that wasn't
the show. 1t was kind of friendly
when l began feeding Samson
Poor little Nonpareil!" murmured
Abbott wistfully.
And often when the show was be-
ing unloaded, I'd be stretched out in
our sleeper, with school book pressed
close to the cinder-specked window,
catching the first light. When the
mauls were pounding away at the tent
pins, maybe I'd hunt a seat on some
cage, if it had been drawn up under a
tree, or maybe it'd be the ticket wag-
on, or even the stake pile-there you'd
see me studying away for dear life.
dressed in plain little dress, trying
to look like ordinary folks Such a
queer little chap, | was-and always
trying to pretend that | wasn't!
You'd have laughed to see me-
Laughed at you!" cried Abbott in
dignantly. Indeed l shouldn't"
''No?" exclaimed Fran, patting his
arm impulsively.
Dear little wonder!" he returned
conclusively.
Il must tell you about one time" she
continued gaily. I'VE were in New
Orleans at the Mardi Gras, and I was
expected to come into the ring riding
Samson-not the vicious old lion. but
cub-that was long after my days of
the drum and the red coat. bless Won,
was lion-tamer, now, nearly thir.