The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1926-05-20
When George
Caught Dorinda
By H. LOUIS RAYBoLD
tCopyright.1

dSIOUdIlC pdiI. #lHciS was great ~
joicing in Circus Town.
They'll be some kids on the tlgh
roper prophesied one, and "Gosh
Iwhat future in stunt dancing!" fore
told another.
As the years passed. Godfrey Oar
ling seemed the only one likely to
carry on the family reputation. True
his brother George could get away
with mediocre performance now and
! again.
/ BY the time the boys had reached
! the age of discretion if not of great
wisdom, the elder Darlings had
passed in one brief and tragic accident
to that land where their peculiar en-
dowments were presumably of no
more use to them Godfrey was left to
carry on their reputation-and George
to look after Godfrey.
/ That he did so was particularly
! evident in the matter of Dorinda.
1 Who was Dorinda? She was the
sweetest, prettiest, sunniest. dainti-
est little equestrienne of themt all.
The bills that so proclaimed her spoke
truly, and George would have knocked
| you down had you questioned it.
Yes-even after he relinquished all
hope of ever having her for his own.
For one night George had STUN
bled out Of his tent at the sound of
! voices close at hand. Unobserved,
he had stepped back quickly when
he saw Doriilda in the arms of his
| brother and heard her murmur. Oar
ling, ] thought you would never pro-
pose ~
Next day when he had happened
near her she had acted strangely dis
turbed. but George mastering his
emotions. had gone straight over to
her and gripped both her little hands
Its splendid" he said. lust splendid.
Dorrie, about you and Geoff. Now
can really be to you the brother I
have always wanted to be-
Then he had left her abruptly, his
heart torn with anguish.
Geoffrey's engagement to Dorinda
kept him straight for just about one
month. Then his former habits
gripped him.
George gradually found himself
bothered about his brothers act on
the bill. in which, as breath-taking
finale, he caught Dorinda as she
leaped from her horse straight into
his arms as he balanced precariously
on bit of apparatus all but sus-
pended In mid air.
Godfrey was neglecting his prac-
tice and. as all circus men know,
man who wants to maintain steady
nerves and perfect coordination Of
eye and muscle cannot drink
There came an afternoon when
Godfrey swayed into Georges tent
in a sad state
Cant go on-can't do it, oil man.
You got to take my place."
George repressed desire to fling
him out of the tent, brother though
he was. Then, That's foolish and
you know it, he said.
Got to-" insisted Godfrey. ''No-
body know the difference-look alike"
But suddenly he braced himself
Feel queer" he muttered. "Guess
can do it. Let me sleep an hour.
Then wake me-"
The hot August afternoon was
drawing to its sultry close and the
packed mob In the huge tent were
craning their necks to get every bit
of entertainment generously provid-
ed by the triple ring.
They laughed at the clowns up
roariously, they shivered at the snarl-
ing leopards, and they loved the
dainty Dorinda Her partner they had
not SO much use for. He had muffed
one or two of his stunts and had
staggered in foolish manner. usurp-
ing the role of the clowns. but at last
he went out and left the little
equestrienne to get through some of
her own special performance.
The crowd could not know that just
outside Godfrey fell and that it was
George who came on again.
AS matter Of fact Godfrey, over
come by something more deadly than
mere intoxication, had collapsed and
his brother, hastily summoning the
circus doctor, had stripped off the
tawdry garments. donned them and
dashed in so that Dorinda's act should
not be ruined.
Could he put it across? There was
no way in which he could first CON-
municate with Dorinda and prepare
her. Moreover, it was perhaps better
that she should not know of the sub
stitution for her own sake.
George was familiar enough with
his brothers part and went through
the l3atter and accompanying hand
springs creditably. What worried him
was the final catching of Dorinda.
Was he risking the life of the woman
he loved?
Then, before he could hesitate fur
Their, the moment itself was upon him.
He climbed mechanically, he balanced
he poised with outstretched arms
Could he hold it-ah-Dorinda was in
his arms! He held her there and then
leaped lightly to :he ground. IT had
been in him, after all.
But what was she saying. as she
still chung to him while the applause