New Britain herald., 1929-11-04


 color, lights, vendors an1 even troupe Of wild animals, rented from 8 vaudeville act, including an ele- phant. Ray, playing with the Golden symphony Eight behind trellis, vatches Barbara. dressed as circus performer. dancing with Henderson, who is garbed in the role of a ringmaster. When the evenings festivities are at their gayest. a terrifying shriek rings through the room-the floor of the hastily con- structed building is near collapse.
 Chapter 3l
 DISASTER
 Look out, the floors giving away,
 All eyes in the direction of the voice. There, 10 their instant hor- TOT. they saw boards breaking away from the sides of the wall.
 During those first moments they seemed incapable of gra@ping the impending calamity - the hastily erected floor, unable to stand the strain of it all, was in immint nt danger Of collapsing under their very feet.
 When this fact finally forced it. self upon them. they ma1a. one and 2ll, for the stairway. But here they :ound their exit blocked. The ele- phant. equally frightened, had placed it's huge, unwieldy frame against the stairway, The wild animals, too, had broken loose.
 Women screamed - the floor creaked and rocked perilously. How much longer would it hold:
 Barbara, since the first outcry, had stood as though stupefed in a far corner of the roon;. Hender- sen had left her. Now, suddenly becoming aware Of strange noise at her feet she looked down to sec the jaguar crouching before her . as terrified. poor brute. had she known it, as Barbara herself.
 She screamed wildly and loudly She swaycd dizzily and closed her tNfSs lltll SIlt lltdlu lcOtSltpS Iull- ming towards her. Looking up she thought that she must be insane For it was Ray, close beside her.
 Ray" she screamed.
 Quickly he had ripped the black cloak from his costume and had thrown it over the frightened beasts head. The next moment his arms were about Barbara. crushing her 10 him with the hunger Of months Of ycarning, his lips bruis- ing her face with the intensity of his kisses.
 Barbara, my dear! Oh, my dear.
 She clung 10 him, halt swoonns with the intoNication Of her joy. To be held in Rays arms once more to l;now th1t he loved her. Nothing mattered except that.
 Ray, kecnly aware Of the danger, was hurryng her towards the stair case. The elephant still guarded Inc exit, the mob seething about him. The noise of the ripping Of boards had increased; the floor wobbled dangerously it seemed about to cave in.
 It was Ray who prevented q Calamity-Ray who, on a moments inspiration, rushed up 10 the band platform and seized the singers megaphone. Through this he shout ed directions to the terrified yJ i+1 l. l, I, from the band he cleared the mob finally succeeding in getting the elephant to move.
 At any moment he might have been trampled under it's great feet. Barbara. watching him, thought of it, the fear of what might hap pen to Ray.
 Barbara and Ray remained in the hall until the last, gaining the gar den just in time 10 hear a sudden, deafening sound behind them as a. mighty roar, collapsed.
 In the scuffle that followed Bar hara lost sight of Ray. Ono mo- ment he was by her side, the next he was gone. She called him once. twice, without reply, She searched everywhere, vainly, desperately. Where could Ray have gone?
 She ran to the front ot the house where automobiles were tanning the drive. Her hazel eyes were mad pools of fear. She couldn' t believe Ray had left her again left her after those moments she had lain in his arms-after his kisses had scorched her face.
 Minutes passed: the majority of her guests were already gone. Frantic she became, rushing along the driveway, searching the faces Of those who passed her in limou- sines or taxis not hearing their murmurs of sympathy, of re- gret, watching only for Ray.
 She found him at last in a taxi, on the point of leaving. Without a thought for appearances she rushed down and rapped frantically on the window.
 RdS. hay.
 He looked up. Seeing her he rose immediately and got out of the car. You'd best go on without me" he murmured to Bill. "Tll follow presently
 For a few moments they stood on the steps, without speaking. He was so very stiff and straight-she felt almost afraid of him.
 Her hand touched his sleeve. talk to you. . ."
 She turned to climb the stairs but, when he didn't speak, nor at tempt to follow her, she said, her voice cracking suddenly: