Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 266, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 November 1919 — A Side-Show Romance [ARTICLE]

A Side-Show Romance

By JANE OSBORN

CCopyrlcbt, 1»1». by th* McClur* N*w»* paper Syndicate.) Outside of her Improvised tent Maia could hear the voices of the eager young “barker,” shrill against the ~6ackgrdund of jazz music that came from the veranda bej’ond, and the buzzing of voices of the crowds that , she could indistinctly see outlined through the canvas that hid her from the rest of the men and women, girls and boys who had assembled on the -AVoodmere lawn for the fete that was to raise enough money to tide oveb one of the local charities through the summer. “This way to have your fortune told,” went on the persistent young “barker;” “greatest gypsy in the world. Come and have your fortune told. Learn your past and know your future. This way, ladies and gentlemen.” Then another higher pitched (boyish voice—the voice of the barker for a rival attraction. “This way to see the wild animals! Greatest menagerie in the world! Largest alligator in captivity. Fiercest hear in the world! Eats ’em alive' Hugs ’em to death! This way, this way. Best show on the grounds.” And then the incessant .“This way to have your fortune told. Greatest gypsy in the world. Cross her palm with, silver and she'll tell you your fortune.”

And still Maia sat within her close little tent, none too comfortable beneath, the heavy load of chains and .tawdry jewelry t hat embellished- -her. costumer - TfforebVer her hair was banging lopsely-on her-shouldors and the- mask across her face was oppressive. But worst of all. she: was fitting there in her tent wasting her time -and the vocal energy of her willing .young aid with the megaphone outside without having the satisfaction of taking in any money. She wondered what she would tell the people when they did come; it didn’t sqera exactly easy. Still, it was all in the day’s work, and if Mrs. Stanley Burton chose to keep her on at a graduate nurse’s salary to idle her time away in this fashion, why it realty wasn’t going to disturb Maia. For Maia had not been back from her long months of Red Cross duty in France many weeks, and even a respite such as this from the more trying sort of nursing was bringing welcome relief to overwrought nerves. She had gone to Woodmere to take charge of Bobby Barton’s strained knee, but the ten-year-old Bobby had recovered rapidly. Meanwhile Alicia Barton had flatly refused to sit in the stuffy tent telling fortunes, though she had been promised by her mother to, the committee and duly advertised as one of the “side shows.” As a last-min-ute substitute Maia, about to return to town, had been urged to stay a little longer for the purpose of taking Alicia’s place. And Alicia had gone sailing and Maia had been put into the gypsy costume specially made for Alicia, and Mrs. Barton was sure if Maia kept her mask on no one would know the difference. Meantime Bobby Barton, entirely recovered as to his strained knee and more than enthusiastic over the one

who had brought comfort and! diversion to his irksome days of convalescence, was ’Continuing to “bark" outside her tent. As minutes passed and no shadow darkened the entrance of her tent Maia was aware of a slight disappointment. Then she heard her barker: “Greatest attraction on the grounds. Hey, why doesn’t some one come and get their fortune told?” Apparently Bobby, too, was becoming discouraged. Then through her mask Maia was aware that some one was rapidly making for the tent entrance. She felt an unexpected sense of confusion —stage fright, it seemed—and she Lor .fortune She had gone into the operating ropm duty often with far less nervousness than this. ... There was a fumbling at the tent flap, a sidewise shuffling of the feet and then a dark face was thrust inquiringly in. It wasn’t an unkind face nor an especially ferocious one, and its expression was one more of inquisitiveness than anything else, but still one doesn’t encounter even gentle brown bears every day and it was with difficulty that Maia changed a shrill scream of terror into a terrified, “Oh, please somebody do something. The bear!" , But somebody and a good many somebodies had donfe something. Bobßy had seen the vanishing black legs of Bruno, dropped his megaphone and had seized the trailing rope. “Hey, you menagerie people, your bear’s loose," he called to the group of tents across the path, and before Maia had time to think just what was the wisest course of action when meeting a bear single-handed, “the menagerie” people had come, four or five of them, and had dragged off their entirely harmless and spiritless beast, who had prowled off in an unguarded moment. 1 But every one in that part of the Woodmere lawn had heard the commotion, an(f like wildfire spread the infohnatioh that! a ferocious bear scad broken Into AMcia Barton’s tent, that (here had been a narrow escaoe.

that one of the .young men frowi th< menagerie tent had performed rescue and that on the whole the affair had been very thrilling. That seemed to turn the tide to ward the gypsy’s tent. For now they came eagerly, they stood in line outside, and the gager Bobby was more occupied now in timing the applicants to see that no one stayed more than five minutes than in shouting through his megaphone. And Maia, between those five-minute interviews, notices I that the tambourine in which she pul the silver with which her palm was crossed was getting to look very tempting,. and some of the “-silver” was really paper. She rather regretted that Alicia Barton would have all the credit, fol as yet her mask had not been removed and she had heard more than one remark from outside that Alicia certainly looked charming in gypsy costume. The afternoon was almost over and Maia was beginning to feel the strain of her unaccustomed work when some pne came who caused her hellrt to beat faster than had the inquisitive bear.

“Perhaps you had better knock off. Miss Barton,” he begap. “You must have had quite a fright from that beast.” It was Dr. Rodney Hill —Rodney Hill, by whose side Maia had worked during those most trying days and nights in France; Rodney Hill, who, when they parted, font ’months ago, had held Maia’s in his own and had told Maia that she was tlie pluckiest girl in the world and had told her that he didn’t know how he was going to get along without her. v M»ia had not heard from Doctor Hill again, and there were times when She had had to confess to herself that in her disappointment there was greater cause for the exhaustion she had felt during thesv months back in America than was the memory of all the work in France. Maia didn't intend Ao take off that mask even then, but once she spoke Rodney Hill knew her and he knew it was not Alicia Barton, to whom he had been sent to give any professional aid that she might need after the bear episode, which had been getting more and more interesting as the afternoon passed. He was holding her hand again and telling her jjiat she was the pluckiest girl, and Bobbie* had been told to give them “double time,” which meant ten minutes. ‘‘But I didn’t- know you were one of these people—money and society and alt that sort of thing,” he told her. —-And. I n ever —dreamed that you we:-?,” she said. “You never seemed like these Woodmere people .or .that you knchv girls like Alicia Bartora”

“But I’m not, don’t,” protested Rodney. “You see when I got back from France I’d rather lost my grip. I had ji|st finished medical college when I went over, and ex-, hausted as I was I wasn’t in shape to put up the fight that would be necessary to start in on my own. Then I got in touch with these millionaire Dorkinses who wanted a resident doctor soi —the summer to look after old Dorkins’ gout and Grandma Dorkins’ bad temper. Well, to tell the truth, it was because of tire fat salary that went with it that I accepted it for the summer. : "I wanted to make sure I had enough to keep the pot boiling for a year and then I was going to look you up and ask you whether you'd help me to start. I wanted to tell you back there in France, that night when we left, but I knew we had both been through too much to think of qjirselves ThetT. Besides, I wanted to have a home to offer you before I asked yon Maia “Ten rplnutcs is up.” called out the cheerful barker outside, and then, “This way to see the greatest gypsy in the world. Learn your past and know your future.”