The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1914-11-19

Only the night before, when the
good motherly woman had gone into
her tent, Goldini had told the girl Of
his love. She had not shrunk away
from him. Her mind was practical
enough. She was thinking over his
proposal. Let them leave the circus
to Madame Goldini and go away to.
gether with his savings, to begin life
anew.
Then he had kissed her Marvellous,
perhaps, but it was the girls first kiss
of love. Her whole being thrilled to
1t. She did not know what she had
answered. But afterward she had not
slept. She thought of the motherly
woman who had befriended her, OF
the rank and base ingratitude of such
course; and yet she loved him.
Suddenly wild desire came to her
to leave everything and go home.
| Her parents were hard country folks,
but they would welcome her with her
little money, and give her such af-
lection as they had to bestow They
would even be proud of her in a way
There was none Of that Puritanism in
Shawnee county which prevails in the
New England states. 1t was a hard
land where money alone counted.
The following afternoon her mind
was not yet made up. 1t must be one
course or the other. she knew. Either
go off with her lover or go home
She could not endure the delay Of
decision longer.
She stepped into the cage and at
once Rita began to act strangely Per-
haps she knew; or perhaps the unrest
In the girls soul communicated itself
to hers. The lioness dashed her tail
and retreated, growing, to the oppo-
site end Of the cage. The other three
lions began to growl in sympathy, and
crouched beside her, snarling at each
flick of the girls whip and utterly ig-
noring the stands on which they were
supposed to stand in a pyramid.
Nero was uneasy, too. Nero, at
his mistress heels, growled back at
Rita, and crouched also, motionless.
watching her. The girl kept her eyes
on Rita; she knew tina. the other lions
would follow her example.
She saw, dimly, the crowd Of sight
seers outside the cage, seated upon
their wooden benches But she saw
them askance, for her mind was set
on dominating the 1ioness, and, though
it was easy to escape, she knew that
she would never be able to do any
thing with Rita again.
She advanced, Ticking her whip,
and Rita, growing, poised herself to
spring. This was the crucial moment.
Suddenly the girl heard Goldini's
voice.
Come out!" he screamed, half open
ing the cage. 1T is no good Gomez"
At that moment, just as the girls
attention was distracted, though 1t
was but momentary wavering Of an
eyelid Rita leaped. At the same in
slant the other lions sprang into the
air.
Rita's tawny body flew across the
cage. But at the same moment Nero
sprang to meet her. He could not
stop the momentum of that bulk, but
he turned it. Lioness and dog rolled
in tussle upon the floor.
At the same instant Goldini
screamed and slammed the door of
the cage.
The girl heard shrieks Of panic
among the audience. She was con-
scious of the circus employees pulling
fro n fco11v Of tho door 90 tbo oooo
Before her she saw the dead body of
the faithful hound, and the lioness
and lions worrying It, She retreated
toward the door. Rita sprang for her
again, but the lash Of the whip caught
her across the nose, and, swerving,
she flung herself against the bars.
They quivered, but stood fast, and
before she could turn again the girl
had stepped backward to safety
through the open door.
She found herself lying in the CEN
ter of crowd Of strangers. Her first
thought was of Nero. Then, remem-
1ering, she began to weep Historically.
Her second was Of Goldini. He had
the door and left her to die!
Goldini's ancient malady had broken
,ut once more And 1t was at the
urning point of the girls career. For
she realized that this thing
lad effectively answered the question
hat had tormented her.
She rose to her feet and staggered
through the crowd. She meant to go
way, right away, she could not see
soldini again; all her love was dead,
A gray-haired woman was clasping
Ter to her breast. The girl looked
nto her face full minute before she:
called who this was.
20, mother!" she sobbed. 20, take
ne away, take me away"
Through the silent crowd the gray
aired, black-bonneted woman led the
irl In the short skirt with the span
les.
Copyright. 1914. by W. G. Chapman)
Catching the Citrate.
The bachelor community Of GER
ain suburb was greatly scared by the
duo4k - foo <xoo - <l,4 dor