The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-29
EVENING STORY
A Circus for Two.
BY VINCENT G. BERRY

huge tens of the Mammoth Three
Ring Circus were pitched. strike
that had tied up transportation some
where along the line was responsible
for the Mammoth's sojourn there, for
it was a big city circus. The circus
would be there for week, too. Surely
this city of Windsville was getting to
be a wonderful place, the astonished
natives thought.
But that was not all In the glamor
and confusion that had arisen with
the arrival of the Mammoth, the citi-
zens of Windsville had forgotten that
the Puritan Bros. One-Ring Circus
had been billed for a one-day stop in
their midst that very week.
Even when the Puritan did arrive
and pitched its one small tent on
northern lot at the outskirts of the
city. the residents in the north end
were the only ones to show any inter-
est: q very weak interest 1t was, at
that.
The Mammoth people were not go
ing to get out of practice just because
they were marooned in a small town.
With all their splendor they launched
out for their grand street parade on
the day that the Puritan thought it
was the center of attraction. So en-
crossed and enraptured were the
windsvilleites with the wonderful pa
rade that they failed to notice the
chain of poorly painted wagons that
the city and had to turn down side
street to avoid a collision.
A few of the "neck-stretchers' on
the side street took their eyes from
the main attraction long enough to
identify the rumbling wagons as gypsy
nize it as the Puritan Bros. elegant"
street parade.
The Puritan Bros circus was as
dead as the brothers it was named
after. and they had been dead for fifty
years. 1t was hard for Mona Millson,
star performer and owner of the PuriS
tan, to make up her mind to this fact,
but the clash at Windsville decided it
for her. Her venture was failure.
AS circus owner she was a good
clown.
OF course. they wouldn't have an
afternoon performance. Even the
north end residents deserted the
neighborhood in favor of the Nam
moth as the matinee hour approached.
Mona's disappointment knew no
bounds. She had hoped against hope
that this stop would net receipts suf-
ficient to keep the creditors off until
the show could get on a better foot
ing, but now all would go. Right in
the town where she had started out
she would end-her circus carer a
dismal ruin.
Never had the atmosphere of tent
life been so boresome as that after
noon. 1t was a glorious day outside
and from over the fields Mona could
catch a Whit of aromas that brought
back pleasant memories-green grass,
a running stream, wild flowers and a
shady nook. were all just a few miles
away. Why not go back to the scenes
that had meant so much to her, the
scenes she had never hoped to see
again?
Joan, Mona's snow-white mount.
the only attraction of the Puritan cir
Gus that remained in first class form.
seemed to know just the gait Mona
wanted her TO travel along those
country roads The handsome mare,
away from the sawdust and canvas
for the first time in many months,
seemed fired with new life. AS the
wind caught Mona's raven locks and
pulled them down over her shoulders.
ten years Seemed to roll off her age.
The color returned to her cheeks.
shaming the traces of rouge into the
oblivion, the wrinkles left. her fore
head. her eyes sparkled once more.
The old scenes had not changed.
There was the same path thru the
81 me opening in the fence. just where
Joan came to a stop in the road and
allowed her mistress to alight. The
fence was an easy vault for the white
horse. and it whinnied with pleasure
at the feeling of soft turf and green
grass under its hoofs. Mona cried out
with pleasure. too. The same old
brook. the same old wild flower
matches. the same old shady nook!
There she stopped. and gathering up
the reins of her mount rested her
head on the side of the handsome
Joan
You heard it all. little flowers aud
little brook she whispered. on
were all here when We quarreled. 1t
a III eng
You rem ember how angry he became,
how persistent 1 was. 4 am going TO
be a circus rider-I am going to be
like my mother I told him while he
fretted and fumed He said what a
horrible life it was: he said it would
mean the end of everything between
us-that if I loved him I would not
lower myself to go into such work
that is Just what he said. wasn't it ?
And I told him l didn't love him.
hated him if he talked like that. and
I thought I did. But 1 didn't little
flowers. I didn't. little brook. 1 loved
him. oh so much
And he loved you. oh so much!"
Mona became rigid. Had the brook
answered in his voice? Were her ears
! deceiving her? Had her nerves got the
/ best of her or could it be-could it be
was Rober there. standing right be-
| hind her? Roger was-but such a
changed Roger. taller, more handsome
| by far, but with the same old smile
| the same twinkle in his eye. She
gazed at him for more than a minute
her breath coming in pants. AS in a
dream his arms opened for her; She
found her way into them and sobbed
out her feelings on his shoulder
There. there. little Mona" he whis-
pered just for her to hear. don't feel
SO bad Tell me all about it."
| She gained control of her tears, but