Evening star., 1936-09-13

voice blared into the stands: The only
girl to do two complete revolutions be-
fore turning once again to -"
"You're sure, Howard?" asked Madge.
"Stop worrying" he said. ''If l weren't
sure, do you think Id let you dive? Up you
90, partner - the act is on.
Madge threw aside her robe. There was
stir in the crowd as she stepped to the edge of
the tank. Her suit was white silk. tightly fitted
and cut high at the arms and throat. Madge
was aware of the picture she made against the
background of night Spanges and white silk;
thin rounded legs and arms, and wisp of
dark hair beneath her cap.
Her hands twisted about the ladder rails.
She set one foot solidly on the first rung and
looked across the fairgrounds. The glare Of
the foodlights hurt her eyes. and suddenly
she was conscious of the night that surrounded
her. Madge had never paid much attention to
the night when she practiced. Lights and the
dark arch of the heavens had been part OF the
routine But now they were different - un-
familiar.
She looked into the stands. Dimly she saw
rows of faces that were strung in lines. Pin
points of light f1ickered up and puzzled her.
Then she knew - they were matches. People
were smoking, talking, watching her. They
had paid for thrill and Madge keystone was
here at the Trenton Fair to supply it. She was
the only girl to do a two-and-a-half from an
eighty-foot tower.
Howard nodded and it was time to 60.
Above her, wire-trussed ladder poked long
arms in an endless reach toward the black sky
where small platform swayed. Beneath it
was a steel-walled tank 1t was filled with
water, and that water was cold. bodiless stuff.
Four feet below the surface was the hard
rubber bottom.
A drum picked up the long roll. a monoto-
nous rumble of sound that throbbed to the
tempo of her climb She shifted her hands and
started up. When she reached the twenty-foot
level she could see the midway, over beyond
the grandstand. and double row of brown
canvas tents with gaily- painted fronts where
barkers stood in spots Of light and shouted.
Their voices were loud-pitched above the
scrape of moving feet and the constant hum
of talking people They rasped. And Howard's
voice rasped at times
A spotlight found her and followed, slowly.
1t wrapped her in white light and shut out the
glare of the midway. The voices grew less
sharp. She breathed deeply of the night air.
Madge keystone - professional! She wished
Bill Torger could see her. She wished he were
in the stands, watching her climb. Bill meant
we'll He always meant well.
The ladder swayed slightly. A breeze came
over the roof of the grandstand. In the dis
tance she saw glow that lifted against the
sky. A town, probably. She glanced down. A
funnel of light shut out the surrounding night.
Through it Madge caught an occasional
glimpse of things that moved-cars, shadows
of men with upturned faces.
A few more rungs and the breeze was
stronger. 1t pressed the suit tightly against
her stomach. She liked the touch of silk on
her skim It was smooth and soft. Shed al
ways have silk Two hundred and fifty dol
lars week would buy it. And that was the
amount Howard Blair was paying her. She
wondered if Howard liked silk. Probably he
did. He enjoyed expensive things - things he
could be proud Of And he was proud of
Madge.
Another light had found her and it wavered
with the swing of the ladder. 1t played against
the under side of her arms and left the tops in