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her marriage to Grimm were going
on. They were forcing their poor,
gentle girl to wreck her happy life
for a man she could never love. Many
a time Gny hovered about the vicin
ity of the Delevan home, hoping to
catch a sight of Tessie. One day a
young brother of her"s met him.
"I say, Davis," he observed, "I like
r you and I'm your friend. Cut out the
moseying around here or.the old man
will send Tess away to a relative you
won't be able to Jocate. That would
be worse than having her here, even
if you can't see her, wouldn't it. And
say, I think that stuck-up Grimm will
get' her, but once in a while mind
you, only once in a while I'll carry
a note between you. You're begin
ning to look like a ghost and poor
Tess is crying most of the time."
Almost one month to the day Guy
was seated in his office gloomily
thinking of his wrecked heart ro
mance, when who should enter but
his pensioner of the circus episode.
He was brisk, prosperous looking,
happy.
"I suppose you know the great
Amusement Combination and Con
glomeration is in town," he observed.
"So am L So is your fifty dollars.
Oh, sir! I return it to you feeling
that I had ought to add some price
less gift Your generosity has placed
us beyond want, for I have a steady
regular contract for two years
ahead!"
"I am glad," spoke Guy, but with
the apathy that was growing on. him
lately. His visitor noted this.
"Will you excuse me, Mr. Davis,"
he said, with humility and anxiety
combined, "but you're you're not
looking welL And sir you see
(9 " well, sir, by sheer accident, in-hunting
you up here, I heard about your
love trouble. Oh, sir, don't think me
intrusive, but I would do anything
' to help you!"
"I fear you cannot do that," mur
I mered Guy.
I "Sir," pronounced the circus
i jclown confidently, "if things are as I ,
understand, the young lady is ready
to fly to you if she can only get free.
I am sure that I can solve the prob
lem of all your troubles."
Somehow the sincere words, the
earnest manner of the speaker im
pressed Guy.
"Sir," proceeded the clown, "if you
could get the young lady to the cir
cus, if you could get her to accept
my invitation during the usual per
formance in my act of the floral
chariot, the rest is done. Listen,
sir," and the speaker lowered his ,
tones and poured his plans into the '
ears of the interested Guy.
It was just after this conference, a
new light of hope in his eyes, that
Guy sought out the brother of Tesr
sie. He handed him a note, which he
felt sure the sympathetic young fel
low would faithfully deliver, its con
tents made Tessie aware of the de
tails of a daring plot. She did not
shrink from accepting the part in it
her lover had suggested. The next
day the clown made it a point to
casually observe Tessie in the Dele
van grounds so he would be sure to
know her again. . '
So delighted were the parents of
Tessie when she showed some token
of interest in an outside affair by
being taken to the circus, that t3ey
insisted on accompanying her and
the chaperon.
The act of the clown came on
about 9. o'clock in the evening. In
it, arrayed as a cavalier with a man
dolin, he entered, the ring driving a
small chariot that was perfectly cov
ered with flowers. He halted the
beautiful trained horses near to the
row of seats where Tessie was.
"There are so many lovely ladies ,
here," spoke Marco to the audience,
"that I cannot select Yet one must
be the floral queen. Fair Miss," he t
added, extending his hand to Tessie,
"will you hpnor the occasion?"
The chaperon put out her hand to
detain Tesfele, shocked at the impro
priety of the scene, as she sourly
put it.
