The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1916-01-14

loo with a Click tnat was terribly
sudden.
Come in M meet the lions, boys"
said the marager, dragging the half
swooning professor after him.
Three hours later barrett sat be-
side Mademoiselle Viviane. waiting
for the opening of the show. The
three lions, looking very much bored,
crouched at her feet. Mademoiselle
Viviane, who had taken a liking to
barrett, chatted vivaciously.
LOT course it's only a game" she
said. "One does a lot of things when
n needs the money. eve IL n
doesn't like doing them. But l often
wish it was real" Here she sighed
and looked sidewise al barrett.
II beg your pardon?" stammered
the young man.
Getting married." said Made
moiselle Viviane. Since my fourth
| husband died l have been so lonely.
If l could find a real nice-looking
young nan I'd like to make him happy
for the rest of his days"
barrett was searching his brains for
brains for a noncommittal answer
when the bugles sounded, and four
prancing steeds, which had been at
tached to the front of the cage, dashed
forward and carried them into the
center of the arena
The amphitheater was lined with
faces. barrett, experiencing the
meaning of stage fright for the first
time, saw them, row above row like
| 2-lA1-o0 ~ y,~o{N hoodc IN rphioh
Halloween gashes had been cut for
mouths. The mouths were set in
vapid grins, and as the cage drew up
in the center of the e. a single
shout rang out.
The manager stepped forward. He
was clad in tights and spangles, and
he held the professor rather firmly
by the arm. The professor was clad
in clerical clothes and looked sad.
Ladies and gents" the manager
roared. Il now Introduce to you Doctor
Salerno, the guy in the cage, what has
come from the Japanee islands to
marry the beautiful Mademoiselle
Viviane. Doctor Salerno, who caught
and tanned these famous man-eatine
monsters at a terrible expense, has
wooed Mademoiselle Viviane, this
here capricious beauty, for years in
vain. At last she agreed to become
his. happy wife. but only on condition
that the ceremony should take place
Lin the lions den. Professor, will yor
kindly begin the ceremony which shall
make them man and wife,"
Mademoiselle Viviane rose with
~~S1 o-I 0-4r@1 tho oo~o Thor
was something sinister about he
, glance. barrett thought. The profes
sor stepped in gingerly and too hi
station as far as possible from tn
lions.
do o accept this woman for you
welded wife," he asked.
1 YES" said barrett, gulping.
do you accept this man for you
welded husband?" inquired the pre-
fessor of the fair tameress.
Il do" said Mademoiselle Viviane.
Then put this ring upon he
finger" said the professor. handing
! two-carat gold wedding ring to Da
Y rett.
4 While the young MAJ held it und'
cidedly in his hand something hal
pened which always gave him a tel
der feeling toward lions thereafte
q Nero, the toothless old monster VIII
:. had been doing in the corne
strolled forward. laid his head upo
i Mademoiselle Viviane's arm an
grinned up into the professors fac
The professor, with a wild shire
leaped back against the bars.
Il ssIIolrS Io1rf's ho chvioLod
q Mademoiselle Viviane turned
barrett with a gesture of surprisir
decision.
= Put on the ring!" she Kissed. Eye
boob, hurry, OF the professor will 10:
what little head he's got left"
y The professor had already lost
n" He was clinging to the bars and EN-:
II ting a series of bowls which profoun
- ly interested the lions, for the thr'
3 of them, surrounding him, gazed
re into his face with friendly smiles.
LII Help! Help shrieked the profe
p sor. I'm an alderman. 1 appeal
y. the law! Save met"
&c The look on Mademoiselle Viviane
Is face was terrible. In a flash Dare
~ understood. He knew the meaning
T. the glances that had passed betwe'
the professor and mademoiselle.
An alderman! An alderman W
u licensed to perform a wedding Gel
III mony. A certain similarity of appes
III ance between the two showed hi
the point of the trick. In another n
ment Mademoiselle Viviane's drea1
re Of a fifth husband would have col
true.
He sprang for the cage. found t
latch and opened it. Just as Mac
m~oiselle Vivaine's two hundred a
fifty pounds moved ponderously
Ut ward the entrance barrett sprang o
~ In another moment he was runni
at full speed out of the tent and do'
the road. Behind him he heard t
roar of the lions mingled with t
d~espairing cry OF Mademoiselle v
:. lane. He heard the managers sho,
NC behind him. But in the distance. We
. dim and hazy but like a radiant st
ne was Lorna's face.
gel Copyright. 1915. by w. G. Chapman
MI