Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1917 — Love and the Lions [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Love and the Lions

By Habel La Roche

(Copjntight, 1916. b/ W. G. Chapman.) like the rest of theta,” sighed the fat man in the tent. “I’ve Interviewed elf^nlhlsmbrnlnignahd''tEey^rn r s tak-1 Ing any. It’s to go into the lions’ den.” J •‘That’ll suit me first rate," said Harry Lee. ' * • Six weeks in the city,, and at last penniless, he had become desperate. His landlady was threatening to turn him out of the single room he occupied unless he paid her the four dollars, representing two weeks’ rental, by evening. And Harry, who had been accustomed to good food, was singularly empty. What aggravated the situation was that he had secured a position at twen-ty-four dollars, to start in on Monday. But this was only Friday, and he saw no prospect of facing the ten days that would felapse until he drew his first pay envelope and surviving. At twen-ty-six one feels that way. Harry was a competent lithographer. He knew that within a year he would be making his thirty steadily. And the firm that had interviewed him was of the best in town. The problem was, how to convince his landlady, or, in default, raise a few dollars for the necessaries of life. Desperately he had jumped at the advertisement offering twenty-five dollars to a strong young man who was not afraid of animals; work at the circus. He had been prepared to scrub the or feed the performing fleas, but he was a bit startled at being told that it was to go into the lions’ den. “Sim and Pete and Lady are as tame as cats,” said the fat man. “They

wouldn’t hurt a fly. Leastwise, not a big fly. But our regular man can’t show up. 'You see, this is a two-night stand, and he can’t marry the same lady twice over in this burg. So it’s up to us to get the gent and get the lady. We got the lady, and she’s a peach. Are you on?” “You mean I’ye got to get married in the lions’ cage?” stammered Harry. "Not really married,” said the fat man insinuatingly. “Just a fake marrlage. Bev. Eliphet—he cleans the cages—isn’t authorized to perform marriages. Why, Judge Perks and Madam Jorabella’s got married every evening for a year now, and each got homes and families of their own. Come on, and I’ll introduce ypu to Mamzelle Libertlna.' Your name’s Giovanni. And don’t forget it” The scared and shrinking girl whom Harry met looked about as much a novice as himself. But it seemed the policy psi the fat man to keep them apart until just before the circus opened that night to admit the public. Then came the rehearsal. . . Fearfully, the girl looked at the three lions, seated upon their haunches and regarding them, in turn, with melancholy interest Then Harry stepped boldly In, and, as the lions took very little notice of him, the girl followed Up came Rev. Eliphet, book in hand, »nd.4pok his station just inside the the corner of his eye while Ellphet was mumbling. Not a hair of any beast stirred. “Fine! Fine!” exclaimed the fat man. "Now we shan’t be long. The real thing will go off just as well.” ' They stepped out of the cage, the girl smiling pitifully at Harry. He imagined that she was more humiliated than alarmed. There was half an hour to wait before the real perform.R nce. Seated side by side before the cage, which had been wheeled just outside the arena, they exchanged eonfldences. * , Her name was Lucy Vernon, and she had come to the city three months before. , When her money was gone she got a position In a department store. Her country manners and unsophisticated ways were not what that particular store wanted. She was laid off pt the end of the busy season. And then had come the awful struggle with

temptation. She nadtbee?T at her last gasp When she saw the advertisement in the’ women’s .columns. And she, too, was to receive’twenty-five dollars for the night’s work. “You’ll go home with it,” pleaded Harry. ■ ' She shook her head. The littlecountry place would scorn her,.as a failure; No, she would' renew the fight. _lt would gitfe her a monthfs . leeway. Harry could not shake her in that determination.

He almost wished that the marriage was to be a real one when the time came for the performance. This time the girl entered the cage without a tremor, for Harry, lie was looking at -her so hard that he hardly thought about the lions at all. -Ladies and gentlemen," announced , the fat man, “allow me to present to you Signor Giovanni and Madame Libertina. This young and handsome couple, having long loved one another, have decided to ’plight their troth at the hands of the Rev. Eliphet, within the den of famous man-eating lions. Signor Giovanni comes’ of-an ancient Italian family. The Madame Libertina is of the best continental stock. Ladles and gentlemen, keep your eyes on the lions. The ceremony will now begin-” It seemed like sacrilege, only it was so like a happy dream, when Harry placed the gold ring upon the finger of the girl beside him. And presently he was ’escorttag her from the cage and bowing to the applauding audience. ™ Only one thing jarred the ceremony —the Rev. Eliphet had very plainly taken a drop or two of something stronger than water. “Fine I Fine I” shouted the fat man, running up to them and handing them their money. “Beat it now, before any of them guys gets wise to ydu.” Harry felt happy enough to shake hands with the fat man. He also shook hands with the Rev. Eliphet, who came up to the pair in a rather zigzag fashion to say farewell. “I guess you don’t know you’re really married, do you?” he leered.'. “What’s that?” cried Harry.

“Fact. I used to be a real minister. That was years ago, but I got the right to perform marriages still, under state law. You’re tied up all right. But I won’t give you away.” He leered and, with a profound bow, took his unsteady departure. Harry and the girl looked at each other. She was white and trembling. "Do you think it’s true?” she stammered. —’ - "I don’t know,” answered Harry. “What shall we do if it’s true?” cried the girl. “It’s terrible. If we’re really married, we’ll have to get divorced, I suppose—” Harry took her hand in his. “I don’t know about that,” he answered. “Suppose we —suppose we make sure by getting married again!” He led her out into the street. “I guess two can make as gobd a fight as one,” he continued. “We’ve both taken chances with the lions tonight; let’s take therh with life now. Will you?” -j “But I don’t know you. and—” “And we’re going to be learning to know each other all our lives, dear,” he said, kissing her. ~

“I Guess You Don’t Know You’re Really Married, Do You?”