The Ordway new era., 1914-05-08

.And she does carry that name and
was born to IT," he continued. but
can't tell you what 1t IL. She didn't
tell II to me and It was not on the
passenger list, but the ambassador
from great European nation came
on from Washington to see her and
remonstrate with her and to tndu-
ence me to exclude her from the show.
wouldn't consent to that. but ] am
afraid that the accident OF the bears
going blind will be the cause Of my
losing an act which promised to be
sensational"
"You have kept It quiet enough"
said the press agent with . trace OF
resentment In his voice.
"As told you. there are reasons
why can't exploit It," answered the
proprietor. II am counting upon It
for my opening sensation At the Paris
hippodrome next winter. and I don't
intend to discount It before Coney
Island audience. But to get back to
my experience with her on the steam
or. found that she occupied the
most expensive deck stateroom. and
had . maid and q man servant travel
ing with her; so that refused all OF
her renewed offers for the bear when
found the powerful fascination 1t had
for her, and I finally consented to let
her try the experiment Of working
with q group OF animals. You know
the class from which trainers are usu-
ally recruited. and you can imagine
khA tNk4 To In n mn Nvhn
possesses an absolute fearlessness
which IL inherited from generations
Of ancestors who have never shown
the white feather. in addition to edu-
cation and intelligence. The only
thing which puzzled me was her mo-
tive. and that I have not discovered
yet, although the ambassador. who
had received all sorts Of communities
tions about her from his own gov.
ernment. told me her history. It
seems that she has always been noted
for her eccentricity and her rebellion
against the strict laws Of convention
which were supposed to control her
life, and this is not the first time she
has defied them. She had commits
stoned the artist-who. by the way. IL
one of the most celebrated men in
Paris-to paint portrait Of her. At
the same time he was painting an ex-
hibition picture to be called the
Dancing Bear and had purchased
Mephisto for a model. The picture
was to represent the bear dancing on
its hind legs opposite q woman. to the
music of . fiageolet played by q man
bear leader-such an exhibition as is
commonly given at the country fairs
throughout Europe. He had no din.
Guilty in getting male model. but he
was in despair about the woman dam
Ger. He tried model after model. and
although they started in all right each
one became so nervous after a sitting
or two that they refused to continue.
The bear was chained to the wall and
they were posed safely out of reach.
but each OF them asserted that the
animal was like q serpent and trying
to charm them SO that they would
come close enough to be caught They
were all afraid that they might yield
to the fascination and be seriously IN
jured. Tramp, the cat, would proba-
bly, have told the same story II he had
been able to talk.
HE mentioned the latter during
one Of the sittings for the portrait.
and the lady. being curious to see
the animal. came to his studio
and then the trouble commenced.
She developed most unaccountablo
attachment for Mephisto, and he was
AZ gentle az lamb with her. They
would sit facing each other by the
hour, and the artist swore they talked
to each other and understood each
other perfectly. The animal never
attempted to harm her. but the artist
became alarmed for fear there should
be an accident. and believing that
there was something uncanny about
the brute, he decided to get rid Of 1t
and sold 1t to me.
well, I watched her with the bear
on shipboard and since we landed. and
/ can't yet understand her control over
it for it does not control her in any
way. There seems to be sympathy
between them which makes them abb
solutely understand each other. and
through 1t she understands the other
Gagged beasts. The act which ! had
framed for her when found that she
was absolutely in earnest was a dance
to be given in the midst of a group of
adult lions The lady is absolutely
fearless and approved the plan, but
stipulated that she should select tn
lions.
"For the past three days she has
been anxious and uneasy about the
bear and has insisted that It was rap
idly going blind. She says that the
bear is her teacher about things in the
animal world. and that she can tell
what 1t Is thinking about. Its eyes
look perfectly sound, and 1t is only for
two days that we have noticed any.
thing wrong with 1t. Mephisto knew
its way about its old cage SO well