Middletown transcript., 1919-10-18
A SideShow
Romance
b JANE OSBORN

b JANE OSBORN
eeeeAeesaaeesaaee
(cepyright. 1919. ~ the Mcclure Newo.
paper syndioats.)
Outside Of her impr0vised tent Maia
could hear the voices Of the eager
young BARKER" shrill against the
background Of jazz music that came
from the veranda beyond, and the
buzzing Of voices Of the crowds that
she could indistinctly see outlined
through the canvas that hid her from
the rest Of the men and women, girls
and boys who had assembled on the
Woodmere lawn for the fete that was
to raise enough money to tide over one
Of the local charities through the sum-
mer.
"This way to have your fortune
told." went on the persistent young
"barker;" greatest gypsy in the
world. Come and have your fortune
told. Learn your past and know your
future. This way, ladies and gentle
men,"
Then another higher pitched boyish
voice-the voice of the barker for a
rival attraction.
"This way to see the wild animals
Greatest menagerie in the world I
Largest alligator in captivity. Fiercest
bear in the world! Eats 'em alive !
Hugs 'em to death! This way, this
way. Best show on the grounds"
And then the incessant "This way
to have your fortune told. Greatest
gypsy in the world. Cross her palm
with silver and she'll tell you your for
tune"
And still Maia sat within her close
little tent, none too comfortable be-
meath the heavy load of chains and
tawdry jewelry that embellished her
costume. Moreover her hair was
hanging loosely on her shoulders and
the mask across her face was oppres-
sive. But worst of all, she was sit
ting there in her tent wasting her time
and the vocal energy Of her willing
young aid with the megaphone outside
without having the satisfaction of TAX
ing in any money.
She wondered what she would tell
the people when they did come; it
didn't seem exactly easy. Still, it
was all in the days work, and if Mrs.
Stanley Burton chose to keep her on
at a graduate nurses salary to idle
her time away in this fashion, why it
reallXjwasn't going to disturb Maia.
For Maia had not been back from
her long months of Red Cross duty
in France many weeks, and even a
respite such as this from the more
trying sort Of nursing was bringing
welcome relief to overwrought nerves.
She had gone to Woodmere to take
charge Of Bobby Barton's strained
knee, but the ten-year-old Bobby had
recovered rapidly.
Meanwhile Alicia Barton had fatty
refused to sit in the stuffy tent tell
ing fortunes, though she had been
promised by her mother to the COM
mittee and duly advertised as one
Of the 'side shows" As a last-min-
ute substitute Maia, about to return
to town, had been urged to stay a
little longer for the purpose Of tax
ing Alicia's place. And Alicia had
gone sailing and Maia had been put
into the gypsy costume specially
made for Alicia, and Mrs. Barton was
sure If Maia kept her mask on no one
would know the difference.
Meantime Bobby Barton, entirely
recovered as to his strained knee and
more than enthusiastic over the one
who had brought comfort and diver
sion to his irksome days Of con-
valescence, was continuing to "bark"
outside her tent.
As minutes passed and no shadow
darkened the entrance of her tent
Maia was aware of slight disappoint-
ment. Then she heard her barker:
Greatest attraction on the grounds.
Hey, why doesn't some one come and
get their fortune told?" Apparently
Bobby, too. was becoming discour-
aged.
Then through her mask Maia was
aware that some one was rapidly
making for the tent entrance. She
felt an unexpected sense Of confusion
stage fright, it seemed-and she
shuffled her fortune cards nervously.
She had gone into the operating room
duty often with far less nervousness
than this.
There was a fumbling at the tent
flap, sidewise shuffling Of the feet
and then a dark face was thrust in
quiringly in. It wasn't an unkind face
nor an especially ferocious one, and
its expression was one more Of in
quisitiveness than anything else. but
still one doesn't encounter even gentle
brown bears every day and it was
with difficulty that Maia changed a
shrill scream Of terror into a terrified.
"Oh, please somebody do something.
The bear!"
: But somebody and a good many
somebodies had done something.
Bobby had seen the vanishing black
legs of Bruno, dropped his megaphone
and had seized the trailing rope.
"Hey, you menagerie people, your
bears loose" he called to the group
Of tents across the path, and before
Maia had time to think just what was
the wisest course Of action when meet
ing bear single-handed. "the mena-
gerie" people had come, four or five Of
them, and had dragged of their en-
tirely harmless and spiritless beast,
who had prowled of in an unguarded
moment.
But every one In that part Of the
Woodmere lawn had heard the COM