The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-10-07

]. /. 81 OR /. 81
Circus Brahnlin
y Will q. ALLES,
J6pyright, 1920, BY tho Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate

et there were only Two men
~ SHOW whose personalities
sss Iiipfe5Bed her IN tho least.
ono geS Snyder, an eLcDh1Et
man Who owned his owa oct and
!, tho Efoupo of five ''buliS" that con-
Z Btituted Il. HO was fair but some
how rave tho impreSslon that no
= should jlRYo been Bwarthy; sleek
" md smooth, y0t conveying tho
y 10 idea Of velvet over Jagged
brass. he was utter master over
MS duIntet OF performing pnchy'
K dAruis, but Jane had noted terror
IS the eyes Of tho boasts al thoy
ob6Yad his soft voice and incon-
spicuous hand signals.
Not a bit like any othor ele-
phant man I ever sew" reflected
Jane. Mostly they're like own
brothers to their beasts, This one
has his scared to death"
She did not like the man. She
4 had not liked him from tho first
day. when she encountered him In
the performers entrance and his
veiIed eyes searched her figure I'll
she drew the folds OF her ring robe
closer about her and shivcred.
The other mans name Jano did
not know. He was circus no.
body; ono OF the jacks, who in
fIagrant red coats ran about with
pr6perties and, in white lead and
fnotely. permitted nimbler uad
ftinnier clowns to make footballs
q Of them IN the second entro-act.
Z IA This man, too, Jane had first
itstjgsj:t bacause he had conspicu-
ously noticed her-but in way
very different from the way OF
Snyder.
Caste dominates the circus
and Jane was q circus brahmtn.
Born to the sawdust and canvas
top, the daughter OF far-famed
aerial acrobRts, she herself belong
& ed to the top stratum OF headline
stars. Her solo tTapeze act was
one of the five great features ol
tho All-American.
When, therefore, 1t fell to the
sf6ustabout, on the occasion oil
y James first performance. to te1d
he slack guy to which she slid to
tie ground at the end Of her act.
she was quite unprepared to have
ne Jack smile frankly into her
Sayas as abe finished her descent.
m the circus or out OF 1t, en-
hfoned wOmanhood asserts its
equalization Of presumptous tamil-
1aTity with wide eyes and brief
artfriendly stare. Pardon" said
sfe man IN a voice curiously out
81 accord with the red coat. II
vas anxious, 1t is a dangerous act
4 yEfoF woman.
lane ignored the man and his
Lpology.5 Bit she could not forget
aim. Hers was a lonely life. She
vas Brahmin-and but two years
rom the school she had left when /
ia terrtble news came Of the cir
sua train. wreck that had doubly
orphaned her; II there was a com
partnership for such as she among
Inc women Of the great troupe she
had not found 1t.
so perhaps 1t was only natural
That Jane caught herself wonderig
tften. how 1t came that a slight.
iinost middle aged man whose
fineech denoted education should
rs holding her climbing rope
Rnd treating her with a respect
perfect in itself and yet, She
Ihrewdly told herself carrying with
no sense whatever of personal
inferiority.
Perhaps the attitude OF the roust.
about as slmed greater Importance
from the circumstance that never,
aimee that first afternoon, had the
aiephant man failed to seek toI
MT himself in her way. There
4 sonetting about this fellow
mat rasped her nerves; that aw-
pkened curious senslbility OF
secret power In the man, o power
finctured with immense ruthless
mesa and that radiated from him
toward whoever or whatever he
ma de the object of his. purpose.
Jane was beginning to feel that
she knew, now, why nus eieph,ants
mi snyder was deliberately
pending his Will upon her. Does
me brute think he can hypnottze
iiis M lle does his stupid Dulis!"
she asked herself Indignantly:
S{She had no fear, she was rear
e dIaays, But somehow she
found q curious satisfaction Just
the same, In the humble II unt!at-
tering admiration she now teIt
lure she had excited in the repress-
cd personality Of the cultured roust'
4 was late June. The show was
playing a big college town. The
tent was packed. James daring
aifti UNIQUE act on a trapeze swung
Erom q spar bolted to the center
oole and was programmed slmul-
staneously with Snyder''s act In
ling 4
as the girl stood at the curtain
waiting her signal Snyder stepped
through the curtained opening.
TIe spoke rapidly and in an IN
dert6ne: ~ get what ! want or
somethIng happens always. ! want
Sou. j shall have you or tho some
piing will happen. Answer. 1t
4 4, N ne too late afterward."
For weeks Jane had been al
yI'iust afraid Of this man. Now his
heap elodramn suddenly made
Jim aeera ridiculous. She looked
ilina boldlR.in the face and laughed
did yon ever want the moonF'
FhSr 1ni az anger came to her and
/ Ihel added Youyou jackal in
volts akinlf' Just then her call
came md she ran out In blithe
-. " ffRlskT3a la1aNhnOt mans