The Rose in the Ring

e of cloth that smelled of cotton and dyestuffs. Faces emerged from the gloom around him. Some one wa

creature say, in a far-off voice. "Only a faint,

ushing over him. Some one supported him from behind. As he came to a sitting position, he turned his head to thank this person. It was with difficulty tha

ewilderment and uncerta

le as a spring lamb, and not hardly as tough. Signer Anaconda, the Human

iable Signer. "Say, young feller, wha

aulter's mattress; he faced his audience, a sudden wariness in his eyes. Before venturing a word of expl

on the one figure that seemed out-of-place in this motley crowd: the tall, graceful figure of the woman in street clothes. He looked long at the sweet, gentle, unpainted face of this woman, and drew his first deep breath of relief and hope when she smiled. She moved quickly through the crowd of acrobats and riders, followed close behind by the slim, w

all woman gently. "Have you-have

There was a suggestion of a

en fine old Virginia gentlemen, perhaps, one after another, had lived and died before him; down that precious line of blood had come the strain that makes for the finished thoroughbred-the real Virginia aristocrat. Six words, spoken with the mild drawl of the cultu

they had expected him to be; this boy was no scatter-brained cou

essed, had come out to gaze upon him, each delivering a characteristic opinion as to his purpose, but all of them roughly compassionate. Without exception, they looked upon him as

had thought him to be. A deeper tragedy th

andy, one of you. We will put you on your feet again in a few minutes, and

sign of trust or confidence came into his own as the

in, came to his lips. "I've been out in the rain, ma'am," he vouchsafed. "I should say you had," said the contortionist. "Y

uring as when viewed from the blue seats of the circus tent. The fluffy, abbreviated tarletan skirts of two women bareback riders who stood not more than two yards away seemed tawdry and flimsy at close range; the pink fleshings of the worl

on. "Thank you for looking out for me. It was very kind of-" He

innate modesty of a gentleman reproved him even as things went hazy: he was conscious that he was sta

He gasped, caught his breath, and, as the t

strong," he

tramp. Wot were you doing 'angin' round this tent, son? Don't you know you might 'ave got clubbed to death by one of the canvasmen out the

o the boy's forehead.

spot. I was tired out. Let me go now, please. I'm a

e clown. "You'll go plump into the

eaking the truth. The girl in the long red cloa

to eat. It's-it's right over there in my corner. The cook always brings my father's supper here a

I can't take his supp

ap at his left: a fluttering red fairy she might have be

s mother, also smiling. "You are hungry.

nist, rubbing his narrow abdomen

n those wet clothes," obser

he said abruptly. The hunted

rong man," in the background, addre

addressed, deeply interested. "Makes me think o'

man. "You Britishers are always workin' o

ked the gentle-voiced w

o you co

f his standing among these stra

d you wouldn't ask me. I have no home now-not since-Oh, a l

t like this for a week?" she

unted from county to county for over a week, but something held his tongue. He fe

r she laid her hand gently upon his arm and said: "Never mind, the

s that he smiled up into her eyes through his tears, and that the smell of warm food assailed his nostrils. As she straightened up, the neglected cloak slipped from her shoulders. She caught it on her arm

cation if, by chance, there had been one-tenth of the exposure. Here, she was as fully dressed and as modestly as she would be a

ng girl who has gone through the expanding process without pausing at the awkward stage, due no doubt to her life and training. Firm, well-rounded hips; a small waist, ful

ce. She remembered tha

e. Slowly the others, taking their cue, edged away. When next the clown approached him, fresh from a merry whirl in the ring,

the kindly voice. The boy l

sleep," he said. "I have

ntly at his face. With quick understanding he shrank back

u are the one they're 'unting for-all over t

k of abject misery and d

ercely intense. "I'll get out. I haven't done

pen-mouthed wonder. "Well, I'll be j

g at the hand that clutched his arm. "

. Just you remember that. I am not going to give you up-leastwise, not just yet. So y

some one else. Oh, please, don't keep me here. They-they are-they must be here by this time, looking for me. Oh, if you knew how I've

yed him sp

w? So close as that?" he

the county seat. They won't have any mercy if they find me. They'll take me back and I'll be hung. I can't prove anything-I can't escape." He had drop

the clown asked, somethi

thing to me. It was-" He caught himself up quickly in his wild declaration. "I know the man who did it. I heard them talking it over befor

tory?" demanded the clown. "Let

y grandfather's window. He did see me there and I had a gun, but not to kill poor old granddaddy. No, no! I heard some one walking on the gallery-a t

ock. She can tell by lookin' in your eyes whether you're good or bad. As far as I'm concerned, I don't believe you

ps to speak of the compliment his appetite had paid to the cook tent that she p

David Jenison, the boy wanted for that murder near Richmond last

n unbelievingly. "The one who killed his grandfa-" "But I didn't do it!" he almost wailed. "You-

" "How do you know, Grinaldi? How can you-" "Because

more. She seemed to be searchin

reathing deeply, "I am sure you did n

before her, had not the clown che

Bradock: "We've got to find a way to 'ide

t. Swift glances passed b

ed his head eagerly. "You will be safe here. A circus is the safest harbor in all the w

out it, madam," began D

toppe

face, in the way you held yourself. But that you should be one of the Jenisons of Virginia-why, Grinaldi, the Jenisons are the bluest-But, there, we'll talk of th

med, David Jenison," she said with a smile. He had opened his lips to protest. "There isn't a soul in all this company, from feed-boy to proprietor, who will betray you to the officers of the law. We stand together-the innocent and the guilty. If you are vouched for by Joe

s, this tired, harassed boy bent low and lifted her hand to his galla

eman," said the clow

wondered where the plunging steeds raced to after their whirlwind exit from the ring. A moment later, a swarm of men came rushing in with hoops, balloons and banners and hurdle-poles, follow

was making an announcem

honest men or not. You'll find every man, woman and child wot appears in the ring to be absolutely square and honest. They've got to be. The bad men are not the performers. You'd find that out if you was with 'em a bit. I don't mind tellin' of it

us of male voices to "join in the refrain." Casey, without further instructions, and asking no questions, led the youth into the men's section. Here all was confusion. A

the clown's, a creation in red and white stripes, much too baggy in all directions, but d

n announcement." The crowd gave attention. "This 'ere chap is wanted. There's a big reward for 'im. You've all seen the posters. He's the Jenison boy. Well, he ain't guilty. Get the notion? W

d on and laughed good-naturedly. To his surprise, no one seemed to mind the fact that he was a fugitive and an al

eal scaramouch. A conical hat adorned the

onda, now in the pale blue tights of a "ground and

ed aside and a tall, black-mustac

h you, Joey. Say, I don't like this business. They're out in fro

ock, the proprietor. Even as he quailed beneath the new peril that asserted itself in no vague manner

nounced Grinaldi, sh

" demanded the owner, dropping th

e botherin' around back 'ere, Tom, they won

with these people by hiding a murderer?" snapped

said the clown angrily. "'Ow about these dogs you are prot

in he's hanging around this show some place. I'm not going to be pestered with constables and detectives from here to Indiana, let me tell you that. It's bad business, monkeying with stray boys, ev

imself free of Grinaldi's prote

aid steadily, addressing the boss. "Give me time to chang

d the clown. A murmur of pr

s calling from the other sid

she'll be beggin' for you, too. What do you wan

ease. I must s

cision. "See that he don't get away, you fellows. If he giv

y vital constitution had protected his body from the ravages of self-indulgence; the constitution of a great, splendid human animal, in whom not the faintest sign of a once attractive personality remained. There was no refinement there, no mark of good breeding; all of the mirage-like glamour that may have bewildered and deceived her, long years ago, was gone. What she had evidently mistaken for the nobility of true ma

Let us look at this man as he now is, just as we have looke

ife. The features were not irregular, but they were of the strength that denotes cultivated weaknesses. His chin was square and strong, heavily stubbled with a two days' growth of beard. Eyes that were black and sullen, stood well out in their sockets; the lids were red and thick, and there were narrow pouches below them; the whites were bloodshot and indefinite. He was flashily dressed in the mode of th

days, unless you might have suspected him of being

in his wife in the "green room" of the tent. As the flap dropped behind him,

ht,-that's what 'is daughter is called on the bills-if she gets a chance. Stay right 'ere, youngster. I've got to go in f

-apparently customar

and origin, Braddock recognized and respected the qualities that put her so far above him. Not that he admitted them, even to himself: that would have been fatal to his own sense of justice. He merely felt them; he could not evade the conditions for the reason that he was powerless to analyze the force which produced them. He on

rth by the brute that was in him. On the other hand, if he were timorously charged with loving h

lf of the boy. "You don't know whether he's guilty or not, Mary. So what's the use of all this gabb

hare with its owner than any other concern in the business. Oh, I know all about it! Don't try to deny it. They pay a regular tribute to yo

hat sort of stuff to the girl. That'd be a nice thing for her to think, wouldn't it? Say, don't you e

her is," said his wife bitterly. "Take care, Tom, that she

which came below the tops of her high-laced boots, approached hastily from the women's section. She was

in some anxiety. "Father, you should see him

her shortly. "He's wanted by the police, so you see h

om," crie

ck, rolling his cigar from one

dumbly, uncomprehendingly. Her lips

tones. Then she turned to her mother, al

e in Braddock angrily.

t I sa

ight, dearie," said Mrs. Braddock. "I don't believe

am sure he didn't," cri

leman, father

se. He hated to hear any on

follow this show-every mother's son of 'em. I'm sick of having this gentleman business thrown up to me. That's all you two talk about. I suppose you think you're better than the company you live

ew better than to argue with him, or to agree with him. "All this has nothin

at her w

ieves and murderers

atched aside the flap, calli

y, haven't you got out of that suit yet? Why, you little scuttle, I'll rip it off

led away and would have fallen but for the tent pole which he managed to clutch. His face was convulsed by sudden rage.

riated lad, but drink had made him a coward at heart. He sto

less active in putting herself in front of the boy, staying him with resolute hands. The performers who had followed David from the room leaped in with clen

ried the girl in t

gun," exclaimed Braddoc

David hoarsely, his lips twitch

ne o' that," snarled Bradd

ike me?" repeate

pt repeating insistently, without raising

e and helplessness. With a sob he turned

y," she

n a fury. Casey had not uttered a word, but Braddock instinctively anticipated the ch

ppose him too strongly. Those men are out in front. He will turn you over to them if you resort to violence. Calm y

?" again fell from th

the situation at a glance. Behind him, peering over his shoulder,

Noakes, the daughter of Grinaldi, otherwise Joey Noakes, and known to