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

none of that Puritanism in Shawnee
county which prevails in the New
England states. 1t was a hard land
where money alone counted.
The following afternoon heF mind
was not yet made W. 1t must be one
course or the other, she knew. Either
go OF with her lover or 60 home. She
could net endure the delay OF a de-
cision longer.
She stepped into the cage and at
once Rita began to act strangely. Per
haps she knew; or perhaps the unrest
in the girls soul communicated i1sen
to hers. The uonesS dashed heG tail
and retreated growing, to TIE ppo-
site end of the cage The othec three
lions began to growl in sympathy. and
crouched beside her, snarling ut esch
flick of the girls whip and rttp8sg ig
noring the stands on which they were
supposed to stand in a pyramid
Nero was uneasy, too. Nero, a. his
mistress heels, growied back III R1ta,
and crouched also, motinnless watch
ing her. The girl kept her eyes ON
Rita; she knew that the Other lions
would follow her example.
She saw, dimly, the crowd oe Sight
seers outside the cage, seated upon
their wooden benches. But SHE Say
them askance, for her mind was get on
dominating the lioness, and. thosagh it
was easy to escape, she knew THAI she
would never be able to do anything
with Rita again.
She advanced, flickfng har whip,
and Rita, growing, poised h@sedf to
spring. This was the crucial moment
Suddenly the girl heard Gukdinf's
voice.
Come out ~ he screamed. hEtf OPEN
ing the cage. at is no good! CDme~
At that moment, just as the girls
attention was distracted, th0ngh it
was but a momentary waveffng of an
eyelid, Rita leaped At the same time
the other lions sprang into the air.
Rita's tawny body flew across the
cage. But at the same moment Nero
sprang to meet hes. He could not stop
the momentum of that bulk, hut he
turned it. Lioness and dog rolled in q
tussle upon the floor.
At the same instant Goldini screamed
and slammed the door of the cage.
The girl heard shrieks of panic
among the audience. She was con-
scious of the circus employees pulling
frantically at the door of the cage
Before her she saw the dead body Of
the faithful hound, and the l1oness and
lions worrying it. She retreated
toward the door. Rita sprang frr her
again, but the lash Of the whip caught
her across the nose, and. SUefying.
she flung herself against the bars,
They quivered but stood fast, and be-
fore she could turn again the girl had
stepped backward to safety through
the open door.
She found herself lying in the cen
ter of a crowd of strangers. Her first
thought was of Nero. Then, reIiem-
bering, she began to weep hystesical-
ly. Her second was of Goldini. He
mad slammed the uOOr anu leIt LHSf W
die.
Goldini's ancient malady had Fok-
en- out once more. And it was OF the
turning point of the girls cdreH. For
suddenly she realized that this thing
had effectively answered the question
that had tormented her.
She rose to her feet and staggered
through the crowd She meant to 90
sway, right away, she could not see
Goldini again; all her love was dead.
A gray-haired woman was daspfng
her to her breast The girl looked
into her face full minute before she
realized who this was.
"Oh, mother" she sofepd. 20,
take me away, take me away~
Through the silent crowd the gray
haired, black bonneted woman led the
girl in the short skirt with the
spangles.