The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-11-11


that an unfair trainer is in imminent
danger of destruction should he en-
ter the cage. They say, too, that a
good woman can tame the widest
beast Perhaps that is a legend,
though
Mademoiselle Charmeuse had been
born Lily Leigh Her parents were
honest farmer folks way back in
Shawnee county. Bit there had been
a maternal grandfather who ran away
to sea 1t is not boys only that inherit
the rowing disposition. When she was
seventeen Lily had shaken the dust Off
her shoes at the (back) entrance to
the farm and departed in the wake of
travelling show, to graduate as
Mademoiselle Charmeuse the world
famous equestrienne. Afterward, when
business proSpered and the show in
creased in size and aspirations she
became Mademoiselle Char1neuse, the
renowned uon-tamer
Some folks think CIRCUS people are
almost as bad as gypSleS. That is not
the case. There are no more moral
and respectable people alive Nobody
had ever breathed word against
Mademoisefle Charmeuse's reputation.
Goldini, the proprietor, and the moth
erly Madame Goldini treated her like
q daughter, even if they had picked
her up in an illegal manner, struck
by her pretty face and daring. But
when Madame Goldini grew too stout
to continue to tame the lions, and re
signed herself to looking after the
welfare of the circus troupe, in COM
Portable middle life, Mademoiselle
Charmeuse was thrown much more in
touch with GOldini
1t was her task, together with Nero,
the big Dalmatian, to put the lions
through their PAGES at every country
place where they exhibited. Goldini
himself seldom entered the lions cage
nowadays lie was growing fat, like
his wife; besides, the lions had begun
to appear restless under his lash. Col
DIM knew what was the trouble. He
knew it in his own soul. He loved
MademOiselle Charmeuse.
The girl, always responsive to the
kindness of the couple, was staggered
at the unmistakable display of the
fact that Goldinis interest in her was
no longer paternal. Love had never
come into her life How could it?
What had she in common with the
crowds of gaping boys who stared at
her in her short skirts and spang1eS
or followed her with moon-calf pro-
testations of devotion? She was as
much alone as though she dwelt on q
desert island.
Goldini loved her, and, in her pres
ence, the mans own crushed nature
flourished. He had been destined for
better things. He was a university
man; he had been in the Italian army,
though none knew this intimate Sc
cret of mis- past. He had been a lieu
tenant and had fought in the ILL
starred Abyssinian expedition, where
he was cashiered for cowardice. The
sight of the yelling tribesmen had
been too much for his nerves he had
ridden away, leaving his men to face
humiliation. That was dark and
bitter secret.
Yet he had never feared wild beasts
In Abyssinia he had learned to handle
lions; he had shot them at 20 PAGES
without tremor of fear. 1t is easy to
be a lion-tamer. On his arrival in
America he had promptly stepped into
a position with nc other applicants,
and graduated to a show of his own
by marrying the proprietress. A good
man, Goldini, a worthy citizen-but
he had never lived, since his arrival
in America, or loved, till now.
The girls innocence, her beauty, ap-s
pealed to him strongly. A little, half,
starved thing wher he met her, wild
mountain girl with aspirations above
her station, he had taken her in part
in pity, part on account of business
sense of her value. Now that he and
she were thrown 50 much together,
he knew that he loved her
And the girl loved him. She seized
this first love to her heart and lived
In it. No matter if GOldini was nearly
forty, and she but twenty-three. The
consciousness Of each others love
was in every word and gesture.
Only they and the lions knew, and
Goldini, noticed to his dismay that
his presence irrftated them. He knew
the reason. SO he left the lion-taming
to his pretty assistant, whom the great
beasts seemed to iove-and to Nero,
whom they feared
Only the night before, when the
good motherly woman had gone into,
her tent, Goldini had told the girl of
his love. She had not shrunk from
him. Her mind was practical enough.
She was thinking over his proposal.
Let them leave the circus to Madame
Goldini and go away together, with
his savings, to begin life anew.
Then he had kissed her Marvellous,
perhaps, but it was the girls first kiss
of love-. Her whole being thrilled to
it. She did not know what she had
answered. But afterward she had not
slept. She thought of the motherly
woman who had befriended her, of
the rank and base ingratitude of such
a course; and yet she loved him.
Suddenly wild desire came to her
to leave everything aud go home. Her