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she was to receive fifty dollars night- T pay for a single night, and at test.
ly for three weeks in all $900,
"There ain't no risk at all," the
manager explained. "We've tried it
out a hundred times, ni show you.''
Cynthia saw the old performer,
who was retiring this week,, go
through the performance. When the
girl came back from her terrifying
ride, she was white and shaking.
"Lost her nerve," the manager ex
plained. "They all do sooner or lat
er. Then it's for the next one. No,
I don't know why it Is. They don't
mind it the first week or two, but a
month's about the Jimit fpr all of
'em. However, the show moves
south in three week and I ain't going
to take you with us, because your
time to lose your nense would come
as soon asfwd paid
sCubaJ go it's just' for
Cynthia
iad signed'
fbs "on.
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At first he positively refused tP
sanction it Jt was only after a tei
rible scene, in which Cynthia lied
brazenly about the wprk she was to
dp, that her husband consented. And
that was because he knew that if they
couldn't earn this money it meant
that Cynthia must die of the lung
trouble that was becommg obvious.
Three nights passed, during which
period Gharley thought his wife was
simply a passenger in a racing auto
mobile. On the fourth. he went to
the circus and discovered the truth.
Then there was another scene. He
" even went to the manager, but that
Worthy showed him the agreement
"No money till Saturday," he said.
"If she don't stay out the week she
don't get a penny."
Cynthia stayed out that week, and
another, and most of the third. This
was the last night, the last Saturday,
and Charley had pleaded with her to
let the last week's salary go and be
content with the six hundred.
s But,' $300 seemed a stiff price to J
he sullenly acquiesced. But when
Cynthia had gone he sat in their
room overwhelmed with the fears
that would insist in creeping upon
him, numbing his brain and paralyg-,
ing his courage.
The last night! Reason told him
that no harm could come to her, andf
yet in his mind's eye was a picture of
that awful leap of the heavy auto- -mobile
through space. He saw Cyn
thia upside down, strapped helpless,
the automobile missing the track and
hurling its tons of metal through the
air, pinning Cynthia beneath the,
wreckage. She would have ng chance
at alL She would never even know
that she had died.
The sweat dripped from his brow.
ur fareo-l.He remembered.heir. happy life to-
weeKsiseiner. un JHOHaay-mey aaa piannea ,
o start for thewfest th. their S900.V'
But aftysj aheiffle had already resigned Jus position.''
N,ow ... it
I we
iwat
came certainty. At lagt he flung on
'his hat and ran down the stairs, out
intp the. street, and toward the cir
cus entrance.
Sonjething had sqenied to snap in
his heart and so was sure now that
Cynthia was dead. He tqre, panting,
along the street, reached the side,
door of the circus, and tried to force
his way past the doqrkeeper.
'Now then, young feller," remon
strated that bemedaled functionary.
"My wife!" gasped Charley; but
the doorkeeper saw in him only a
jealous husband who had come per
haps to create a disturbance within.
And Charley was too incoherent to
explain. He struggled. 'The door
keeper tried to fling him out. Circus
hands came running up.
"I tell you my wife's in there!"
gasped the frantic man. "She's dead!
She's in the dip of death. She
They thought he was a madman
now. And suddenly, as they were
forcingr him to. ..the door, Cynthia
stood pefore him, radiant
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