Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1922-10-07
The Clowns
Story
By CHARLES E. BAXTER

AGA was the starriest star lion that
Blake & Bexleys International Grand
Circus and Menagerie had ever
known. They say all lions know
sight more than humans give them
credit for but | won't say yes or no to
that. I'm only the clown
She used to purr like a great kitten
when l went by, and stretch out the
sOles Of her feet for me to tickle them
through the bars. Rub her head? God
bless you, many a time I've been In
side her cage and run my hand down
her back and tickled her ears, although
it wasn't strictly allowed. You see,
I'm only the clown.
And she knew when Tipp had been
drinking. She couldn't stand that no
how. She used TO growl when he'd
put her through her tricks, and stand
flashing her tail in anger. You see,
lions can always spot anything wrong
about humans But what made her
real mad was when Tipp had been
beating his wife How do l know?
Well, in a way have to watch things.
You see, I'm only the clown.
Nancy Tipp had been as pretty as
picture when Tipp married her. One
Of those little doll-like women who
take to men like I1pp for some reason
that nObodyll ever know. A regular
angel in disposition, too. Hightrapeze
performer, and bred in the business,
and that's apt TO sour some women,
but 1t hadn't soured Nancy Tipp. She
idOlized him, in spite of everything,
and wouldn't look at any Of the boys
who used to cast eyes at her, though
there was many one would have died
for her How do l know? Well, Pm
the clown.
But when Cissie Bustom joined
Blake & Bexleys and begun roping in
Tipp-who was always ready for
anything in the female line that was
on Cissie's lines, Ada knew as soon as
any of US. After that Tipp used to
treat Nancy Tipp worse than ever, and
more than once I've seen her painting
out a black eye that Tipp had given
her before running into the arena. She
But after while she got kind of quiet
and bitter against him, and I'd watch
him and think how I'd like to bust his
head Ii / was anything but the clown.
Yes, sir, Ada knew all right. Tipp
and Nancy used to perform together
inside of Ada's cage, a kind of gym
nastiC exhibition, ending in Ada'S hOof
ing Tipp out of the cage and lying
down at Nancy Tipp's feet. And
as Cissie and Tipp began carrying on
more and more openly, Ada's temper
got worse and worse, but she loved
Nancy, and | think that's what saved
Tipps bacon, If l may say so, though
I'm the clown.
1t was the day before the annual
move to New York and Cissie and Tipp
had been alone all day. Something
was in the wind. | didn't know what,
but what l did see, about half an hour
before the performance, was Tfpp
standing alone in front of Ada's cage
and laughing at her. If anything made
Ada mad, that did She snarled and
showed her fangs, and growled, and
dashed her tail, and bit at the iron bar
he dug into her ribs. 1t was clearly
his intention to irritate her to mad
ness. and 1 wished more than ever l
wasn't just the clown.
When the performance come on that
night Tipp and Nancy stepped inside
the cage and l saw he had loaded
,,s.y ~ bt =. ES
and she acted better tkan for long
time, but there was a mean look in
her eye which | recognized for what ii
was worth. Then come the moment
when it was time for Aga to spring on
Tipp and roll him over with her hoofs
being only a clown.
And suddenly my blood went cold.
For | saw Tipp deliberately pull some
thing out of his sleeve and jab Ada In
the nose, Quick as lightning it was
done. With his back to the audience,
aud quick as lightning he was ON his
feet and boiling for the door as Ada
snarled. And l saw that it was his
game to make his getaway and have
Nancy torn to pieces, the miserable,
skulking clown
My blood went cold as / said. But
it was all done in the fash of d mo-
ment There came roar from Ada,
and just as Tipp had his hand upon
the door, she caught him. saw Nancy
run forward screaming, and fling her
self between them. And then it was
all over and Tfpp lay on the floor OF
the cage, and he would never beat
Nancy Tipp again, for his head was
half torn from his body. l yelled and
ran forward into the cage and must
have looked a pretty sight with my
face white and my spangles, me
dressed up as a clown!
Nancy was lying in q dead faint
across Tipp's body and Ada was
crouching at her feet and never moved
nor uttered a sound when l pulled
Nancy up and carried her out. OF
course Ada had to be shot. But. as
began 10 say, lions know a good deal
shout humans and II there's any lion