Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-01-07

He had opened two savings accounts
of four hundred dollars each. told his
first lies and given his first alias !;
something which he had found ex-
tremely easy to accomplish. They had
not questioned his adopted name OF
Joseph Bradley and his address OF
Great Bend. Kan. His general air of
unsophistication had looked after that I:
both banks had merely drawn line
through the section Of the new &C.
count card calling for references.
Then he had asked innocently:
Cant just leave this book with
you? I'll be away. and a friend OF
mine is going to make some deposits
to my credit
After that, he had gone forth to the
spending Of part of his remaining
two hundred dollars. There was the
barber shop, from its bath to a sham
boo and a massage. Then came a
clothing sore. AT last. everything
else purchased. new Joe Barry, we'll
dressed. well-groomed, alert, the hard
lines gone from the corners OF his
lips, paused in the fitting of new
hat.
Il thought heard band music" he
said to the clerk.
The salesman looked nj his watch,
then went to the door, leaning far out.
1.-The parade" he said on returning.
Late as usual Ever seen a circus
parade on timer"
Joe Barry heard only TIVE words
Circus paradel" he said and
grinned. Gee A big circus?"
Not so big. Dayton Brothers.
Pretty good-at least, it was last
year."
Joe Barry saw the fag-end OF the
parade. He could see menagerie cages
rocking along far ahead. with plumed
horses clown rode the line Of march
upon silt bicycle: there were three
elephants, tail to trunk, and calliope,
hooting forth q steamy footnote to
the procession. After Joe had eaten
his luncheon he went out to the circus
grounds.
Three hours later. he still was on
the show grounds, merely wandering
around. He had seen the big show,
and the sideshow twice. A starved
boy-man had found feast In the
thing which had meant an acme Of
happiness since his earliest memories.
He stopped to talk to canvasmen
and roughnecks, asking them where
the circus would go from here, and II
1t was fun to be with 4 show like
this. He listened to the gruff roarings
Of the animals In the mena3erie tent,
and stared at the maze OF stakes and
ropes, wondering how on earth they
managed to pick up everything when
they moved at night At last, he
paused before small tent. set apart
| from the dressing tent proper, looking
| down with sudden longing upon a
| glittering thing which rested upon a
| chair there.
"Gee!- he said at last. -It's an
| IorioIr
| After time, he glanced about, like
boy about to 60 under fence to an
| apple orchard Then be leaned for
| ward and touched 1t.
''Gee!" he said again.
1t was the first time he ever had
| seen one. outside OF music store
| show window. He glanced about him,
then impulsively picked up the instru-
| ment. merely holding 1t In playing
| position without the strap over his
| shoulders. Just to get the feel of II,
and to run his fingers over the piano
| keyboard and to tap the tiny mother
of-pearl protuberations which denoted
the hundred and twenty base"
Temptation was strong. At last he
| yielded
He used the bellows softly, sur
| reptitiously, as II he were actually
stealing the melody. A truly profess
sional instrument like this had fg-
| ured In many dream OF Joe Barry's
the music OF true steel reeds. the soft
action OF delicately balanced piano
keys. the instant response to pres
sure; unconsciously his fingers played
more swiftly upon the keys and the
| pull OF the bellows grew stronger; the
circus faded.
| That's pretty" voice said
The music ceased Joe Barry felt
the blood streaming into his face; he
gulped and hastily replaced the accor-
dion upon the chair.
II didn't mean to play It." he said
boyishly. Dazedly he realized that the
| girl who faced him. now in street
clothing. had been person OF silk
and tule when he Inst had seen her,
swinging gracefully about the center
ring Of the circus upon a dappled gray
horse Then haltingly: Its yours
/ guess?"
Its in my act" she said. A pause
| followed awkward yet natural. the
mutual dispensing Of all else while two
young persons took stock OF each
other. The girl was young, only a
year or so more than twenty. She
was vibrant and alert; with something
more In the blue depths Of her eyes
| than mere beauty. The sun came
| gliding about the end OF the little
tent and crept into her hair, weaving