Las Vegas optic., 1914-12-23

Lu0 tG1bUut DO A0 ACAt ~A@O N-0@@ S---@~A-e9
to his pretty assistant, whom the great
beasts seemed to love-and to Nero,
whom they feared.
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 1t was the girls first kiss
Of love. Her whole being thrilled to
It. 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
a 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
60 off with her lover or go home.
She could not endure the delay OF
decision longer.
She stepped into the cage and az
once Rita began to act strangely. Per,
haps she knew; or perhaps the unrest
in the girls soul communicated itself
to hers. The lioness lashed her tail
and retreated, growing, to the oppe.
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 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 lioness, and though
1t was easy to escape, she knew that
she would never be able to do any.
thing with Rita again.
She advanced, fiicking 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 Comet"
At that moment, just as the girls
attention was distracted, though il
was but momentary wavering Of an
eyelid, Rita Ieaped. At the same in.
stant the other lions sprang into the
air.
Rita's tawny body few 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
frantically at the door of the cage,
Before her she saw the dead body OF
the faithful hound, and the lionesg
and lions worrying 1t. 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.
bering, she began to weep Historically.
Her second was of Goldini. He had
slammed the door and left her to diel
Goldini's ancient malady had broken
out once more. And 1t was at the
turning point of the girls career. For
suddenly she realized that this thing
had effectively answered the question
that had tormented her.
She rose to her feet and staggered d
through the crowd. She meant to 60
away, right away, she could not see
Goldini again; all her love was dead.
| A gray-haired woman was claspins
her to her breast. The girl looked
into her face full minute before she
realized who this was.
| %, mother!" she sobbed. 20, take
me away, take me away"
| Through the silent crowd the gray.
haired, black-bonneted woman led the