The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1914-10-12

no work." he apologized.
mo work? Are there no more lions to
tame?"
Pierto shrugged They hunt me-" he
said
Where are you hldng?"
Michel Mario, my friend, he hide NEE
Michel Mario?"
"Of the Gypsies. He camp near. But he
afraid to hide me, He want money"
you both want money. Why do you not
ask work of me?"
The Gypsy smiled In resignation rather
than pleasure. Good" he said languidy.
! black my soul twice live now with the
Devil. You live with the Devil and you rich.
Why not Pietro?"
True Why not?" Ovens acquiscence
was almost rollicking. The Gypsy grinned
his comradeship.
well, this is what you can do for me-"
said Owen. He took a photograph from his
pocket and handed 1t to Pietro, talking
rapidly.
"Ktl?" asked Pietro at length, studying
the photograph.
owen hesitated. Then: Eyes, If she tries
to get away She must not come back,
Pietro."
The liontamer bowed assent,
How do you kill, old friend?" asked
Owen curiously.
The Gypsy drew from the breast of his
red blouse knife foot long, narrow, finely
edged and curved cruelty at the tip.
Owen shuddered. THAT will do he said
TREMENDOUSLY Here is the money for you
This, he added, giving another packet Of
bills, is for Michel Mario. Give him as little
or as much as you like-so long as he Dies
my work we'll"
The lion-tamer smiled gloatingly thrust
the money into his blouse under the knife
and vanished in the forset. Owen returned
across the road through the foot-path gate
and strolled easily into the garden. turning
the pages OF his magazine.
Chief Michel Mario was more than com.
monty honored among Gypsy chiefs. This
was because he was richer In worldly goods
and wiser in conceaing his dark deeds His
wealth came largely from his wisdom, for he
could ct--coct all manner of beverages to
heal the body, charm the heart and bring
one lasting good luck. II he sold his medi-
cines under muttered threats of blackening
your future life with curses or your farm
house with fire, II was SO softly done that
punishment never reached him. Be 1t said
for him. the threats we're seldom, II ever,
executed. Michel Mario had rather the
name of q rowing harlequin than of a
marauder. But he was q tradesman by
nature and a good bargain with the Evil
One was better than no bargain at all. lie
took his risks occasionally in dangerous
deal as he did In love.
Michel Mario had been often In love, but
never so much SO, 1t seemed, as he had been
since Singoalla, his cousin, cane from tho
camp of her father to join his band and sell
his beauty medicine. II was admitted even
among the Gypsies themselves, who knew
what the medicine was made OF. that only
the magic of her bright eyes could make X
sell as 1t did Singoalla accompanied the
Cld chcnes of the camp into the towns and
stood by while they reddled the elixir.
There were some among the elders OF the
trice who gfumbled very softly - that
Michel Mario devoted too much time to the
Princess, his cousin. But he was young and
handsome as she was young and beautiful,
and there could be little harm II he played
the guitar and looked into the depths Of her
black eyes at the portal of his tent Sin
Soalla was tacitly accepted as the future
Queen Of the tribe, for Michel Mario would
be King when his uncle, her father died.
What troubled the elders was that the young
Chief played the guitar to her not only in the
evenings (Which were made for nonsense1,
but In the mornings and the afternoons,
when he should be directing horse deals or
mixing the Magic Gypsy Beautifer," which
had made the band famous from Montauk
TO Coney Island.
In fact, at the moment when PietTo, the
refugee liontamer, was talking with Mr..
owen in the forest not far distant and ar
ranging plans that should enrich the tribe,