Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 900 — page 7: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

| _ She was pictured upon a big gray horse, } cleverly balancing on one foot and tossing kisses to the people around. ‘Goodness! do they allow a child like that to ride?” gasped the woman, as her eyes took it in. ‘‘T suppose they do, Mary, or it wouldn’t be here,” answered the husband. ‘‘ I guess all the pictures ain’t as true as might be, how- ever. The child may have been six years old once.” ‘* Six years old—is that what it says?” ‘‘ Yes; Baby Bess, the Rose of the Ring, only six years old; that is the way it reads.” ‘* And that was just the age of—” ‘‘ Now, Mary, please don’t keep remindin’ yourself all the time. Come on, maybe we'll find it open now.” They moved on in the direction of the show-grounds, and ere long were lost in the reut throng that was rapidly gathering be- ore the entrarce to the big tent, awaiting for admittance. An, When the time for the performance came, the great tent was packed. a . It wasasight to gladden the showmen’s . eyes, for it seemed almost impossible for them to seat any more people. There was a buzz of expectancy going on, while the crowd waited for the band to strike up and the grand entrance to burst upon their sight, and rustic lovers munched pea. nuts to their soul's content. By | Finally, the band brayed out, and the time . was at hand. Came then the grand entree, thrilling the audience with delight, and act followed act in rapid succession, The show was a good one, as circuses go, and particularly good was the leading clown, Sam Bruce—he went by his true name on the bills and in the ring. Mile. Lucie, who, in the ring ;. {Roa not more than eightéen years of age, made a | hit, and was a general favorite, Her riding | was certainly something above the average. _ Finally was announced—‘ Baby Bess, the Rose of the Ring.” The band dropped to lower and slower music than had been played while the moth- er of the child was riding, and in from the rear came a big gray horse upon the back of - which sat the child. ‘Tt was a pretty sight. ae: More handsome than any rose was the i child, and her soft hair rose and fell with every movement the horse made. | The animal did not carry a pad, but had a -—s-« gquareof gold cloth strapped tightly to place, - and on this the child sat, in perfect compose, L while the horse made tlie circle of the ring. , looked to be + ad ‘ a » a ee" °F - ; Me « on Pie : ~ | ST a yo»? ae 4 ~* —_ _— = — al — - - et Pn Ba ’ otis ts . - ate a saw yy »* — s - - a A Le ee Be a ¥, ~ * = j * st Hie Murray was‘ ringmaster, and Sam Bruce ibe was on hand, necdless to say. ' ‘ : ane" . - +4 7? ef wf. Musmerie: 2) De horse had made only half the circle -when suddenly there was a woman’s scream, : =f loud and piercing. ‘s-... It came from the right side of the tent, |. and every cye-was turned in that direction. __._-where, from one of the lower seats, a woman Baie) +" as seen making her way down toward the |) My child!’ she cried. ‘‘My child, my 2 long-lost child!” aay ‘There was a man with her, who wastrying + ae - to detain her, while his own face was pale as No, no; I know. better!” the woman ~——s eried out. ‘*I know it is my child, my dar- ay shi ling! Could there be another like her in the io) > world? No, no!” There was great excitement, and as the Hike a: oad gray showed some of it the clown ran to his head and stopped him, patting him and ye rubbing his neck, while he essayed a joke Ta Sl saith, the ringmaster. . The woman had broken away from the | man who tried to detain her, and was now _-—‘* running to the ring. | She was recognized, and her name was on many lips, t aS ye : i. ' ‘9 ‘ - , ¢ ae i <n ae ; T= : , i? = ‘J fey s Ley - ‘ - i € ae ©) a + « ; Son by * pag) ee Ni 2” ,Y va <5 Dame 7 ee ee ei « ‘ ; os Ole eh ‘ y- . , QT, ar « ~~) "i pS Sart : re “aS ie! of, ? x et 7 7... « @ 2 Re Ow a eee Wye ad _ = we ru 4 @ i a & 3 3 t et AS ar & a Lt! ‘ae tei » . « . 4 4 4 eae i {- Tres — o> oO ' Te ie on sf Views ‘he A > nl My) eng ann at cP a, ; Sh i! a ‘> Jumping-Jack’s Jubilee. a ee ‘* Mary Cooper!” ‘* She thinks it’s her Lucy!” ‘¢ And it is enough like the child, too!” “The sight has turned her mind, the poor thing!” These anda hundred more such, all in a brief space of time, Murray met the woman at the edge of the ring, and gently held her back. Albert Cooper was at her side imme- diately, pale as death, and tried to draw her away. ‘*Ts she crazy, sir?” asked Murray. ‘‘No; she thinks that child is one that was stolen from us seventeen years ago; and, it looks enough like her, Lord knows,” ‘‘Seventeen years!” gasped the poor wo- man, passing her band across her fore- head, ‘‘Seventeen years! and it seemed only yesterday, when that sweet vision burst on my sight.” ‘«‘This child is only six years old, lady,” spoke Murray, ‘‘so you see how impossible it-is,” ‘Yes, yes, just the age of our .Lucy, sit, . ‘Well, return to your places, and let the performance go on before there is excite- ment—” ‘‘No, no; I must have one look at the child—one close look, sir, Do not deny me that. I am not crazy, though God alone knows how near I have been to it at times in my sorrow.” ‘Sam, this way,” the ringmaster ordered. « Let the lady see the Rose of the Ring.” The clown obeyed, coming around the ring with long, ludicrous strides that made the people laugh, singing—‘‘ Ring around a | rosy, pocket fullo’ posy,” etc.; and the child was brought near the bereaved woman, CHAPTER VIIL. PROMPTED BY THE DEVIL, Ti1osm present who knew Mrs.Cooper, and they were many, felt keenly for her, There were many who remembered her little girl well, and these recognized the | striking likeness this child bore to her, What we have described took place all in a short space of time, and there were many present who looked upon it as a part of the regular performance and wondered what was coming. In a few moments the clown had reached the spot where the woman was standing on the bank surrounding the ring. The woman laid Her hand on the child, looking earnestly into her face. Only a moment, then she caught her into her arms. ‘*My Lucy! my Lucy!” she cried. “There, there, lady!” said the clown, de- cisively; ‘‘this will never do, The perform- ance must go on. If you'll stay after the performance you shall see the child again.” Baby Bess was badly scared, and was ready to cry. Sam took her from the woman’s hold and replaced ber upon the horse, while he was speaking. ‘You will let me see her again?” the wo- man asked, ° “Yes, I promise you that.” | | | | | | 4 ho « Pe ee , r ¥ LJ 4 s Le Aw "y ik o Ww i, ¢. ae’ oe ah wd), ‘And why has Baby Bess got to have more pay?’ | ‘‘ Because she’s getting so sweet that the to pluck her,” ‘‘She’s only a bud, yet, Sam; we'l: see what she’ll be when she blooms out in full, and then we'll see about increasing her pay. But, sir, why are you rubbing your leg that way?” The clown was rubbing his leg vigorously all the time. ‘ Didn’t you hit me?” ‘Of course I didn’t hit you, sir.” ‘Oh! I thought you did, and I was rub- bin’ where I thought it was goin’ to hurt.” ‘* You are a fool, sir!” The ringmaster gave his whip a sharp crack, the clown gave a yell and turned over backward, the horse broke into its slow can- ter, and the performance went on. Farmer Cooper and his wife watched the little child go though her performance, both very pale, and when finally she left the ring, throwing kisses right and left, sigh of relief, ‘I'm glad that’s over,” spoke the good woman. ‘And so am I,” said ‘“ Don’t you think we'd better go out and go home?” ‘“ No, no; I couldn’t, not till I’ve seen thag child once more. I want to see her close till I have a good long look. I could never rest easy if I didn’t, Albert.” | ‘* All right, I won’t oppose ye, Mary.” _ In the mean time something else had been going on, in a quiet manner. Tom Hunter, having had his talk with the man Mulvern, hadcome back again to the circus-grounds, He was now ina measure in disguise, but moved with caution in order not to be recog: nized, incase he happened to come face to face with any one whom he could not de- ceive, ** Tl fix him,” he said to himself, as he caught a glimpse of Jumping-Jack, ‘* On let me get into the properties tent unseen, and I'll have a disguise that no one will pen- etrate,”’ When he came where he could act boldly, he set to work as one of the common laboring- hands, Taking up some hay, he entered one of the tents, ; Here was an elephant, among other animals, and he put the hay in to it, which was all right to do at about that hour. But, he did not stop at that. He noticed that the beast was in an ugly mood, into which it had a way of getting sometimes, and as if another thought came to him on the spur of the moment, he teased it. This was while Mlle. Lucie was in the ring doing her act, which the fellow, well acquainted as he was with the routine of the performance, was well aware of; and the sinister smile upon his face, what could be seen of it for the dirt he had put on, was sus- picious, id To come from the ring, the queen of the arena had to pass this clephant at rather close range. Continuing to tease the brute, from a ‘But, who is she? Who are her parents?” | place where he could not be seen, the villain ‘1 am the father of the child, lady.” ‘‘And she is so much like my Lucy, so much like her! Yes, Albert, I'll go back now.” The clown was leading the horse around the ring again, and the farmer conducted his trembling wife back to the seats they had oceupied. | ‘Hello, Mister Murray!” the clown sung out, stopping the horse, . “i ‘‘ Well, sir,” with a crack of the whip, | “what is it?” : | : ‘‘ Baby Bess has got to have more pay.” ‘More pay re tre qtr “« Yes, sir.” | Meee bt) i. eae 4 ow oy A a 5 iC ~ \ etal geo et els “7 4.ta 2 4 ‘ e Ra 4 ; “Te 4 * — his purpose. . Ma Presently a change of the music told that = the act in the ring was ended, and that the rider was coming out. ipiteee Aa oe Hunter gave the elephant a final prod that — , Ly ae me ; . . ae + : a To) en ' soon had it in a towering passion, — The elephant was an ugly cne, and when thoroughly aroused wus dangerous, and Tom Hunter seemed to know just how far to in order to put it in the mood he desired thoroughly aroused it. | $ . _ Out dashed the queen of the arena, just as the elephant tossed its trunk and gave voice to a roar, and the distance was so short that the rider could not stop, Rie at v4 ‘ok Septhrea : bs - Oe Stew, = 7) te a, ¥ * bee: \ he awe Trea te. is ie ae . Ay : 2 : ogee we ai i“, ' : Z . a! : PP) eee A yee ' : ® ree 5! a \s rs) Sennen. 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