SOMETHING ABOUT THE BRADDOCKS
He was not long in supplying a reason for the sudden antipathy he felt
toward this man whom he had never seen before.
A somewhat prolonged study from the security of the dressing-room had
the effect of settling the aversion more firmly in his mind. In the
first place, the man's face was a peculiarly evil one. His dark eyes
were set quite close together under a bulging forehead. His eyebrows
were straw-colored, and so thin that they were almost invisible. A
broad, flat nose, with spreading nostrils, not unlike that of an
Ethiopian, gave to the upper part of his face a sheep-like expression.
His lower lip, thick and blue and loose, protruded with flabby
insistence beyond its mate, which was short and straight. The chin
receded, but was of surprising length and breadth. His ears sat very
low on his head and were ludicrously small. Above them rose a massive
dome, covered with thick, well-brushed hair of a yellowish hue, parted
exactly in the middle. His cheeks were white and flaccid, and there was
a fullness in front of the jaw-point that suggested approaching
bagginess. He smiled with his lips closed, and broadly at that. The
picture was even less alluring than when his face was in repose. In the
subdued, gray light of the tent his complexion was singularly
colorless; David thought of a very sick man he had once seen.
But this man was apparently in the best of health. He was spare, and
his sloping shoulders did not suggest breadth or strength; yet there
was that about him which made for force and virility. His hands were
long and slim and very white. A huge diamond glittered on one of the
fingers of the left hand; another quite as large adorned the bosom of
his shirt. It required no clever mind to see that he was not an
out-of-doors man. One would say, guessing, that he was thirty six or
eight years of age. As a matter of fact, he was fifty-five.
David noticed that he never allowed his gaze to leave the face of Mary
Braddock, except to occasionally traverse her figure from crown to
foot. The boy's dislike grew to actual resentment. He experienced a
fierce desire to rush out and strike the man across the eyes.
He could not hear what they were talking about. Broddock, tipsy as
usual, was urging something on her in low, insistent tones. His manner
was that of one who espouses a forlorn hope; he argued with the
insinuating, doubting earnestness so characteristic of the man who
knows that he is operating against his own best interests in the face
of one who fully understands the weakness that impels him. Mrs.
Braddock stood before him, cold, passive, unconvinced. Her greeting for
the newcomer had been most unfriendly. She deliberately turned her back
on him, after the first short "good afternoon." As for the stranger, he
did not take part in the conversation. He stood close to her elbow, the
trace of a smile on his lips.
Suddenly her tense body relaxed. Her chin dropped forward and she
nodded her head dejectedly. Braddock's next remark, uttered with
considerable gusto, came to David's ears.
"Good!" he said, biting his cigar with approving energy. "We can talk
it over there. I think you will see it my way, Mary. You'll see if I'm
not right! Come on, Bob. This is no place to talk."
She preceded them without another word, an air of utter weariness
characterizing her movements. The stranger smiled his bland, hateful
smile. When Braddock, in genial relief, essayed to take his arm, the
tall man coldly withdrew himself from the contact, displaying a far
from mild aversion to the advances of the tipsy showman. Braddock
dropped back, like a cowed dog, permitting the other to pass through
the sidewall ahead of him, a step or two behind the unhappy Mary
Braddock on whose back his steady gaze was leveled with unswerving
intentness.
David hurried to a rent in the canvas and peered out into the sunlight
of the waning day. The stranger had come up beside Mrs. Braddock,
talking to her as they crossed the lot in the direction of the street.
She apparently paid no heed to his remarks. Braddock made no effort to
keep up with them, but loafed behind, simulating interest in the most
conveniently propinquitous of his possessions, with now and then a
furtive glance at the couple a half-dozen paces ahead.
David was sorely puzzled and distressed. He knew that something was
going cruelly wrong with his friend and supporter, but what it was he
could not even venture a guess, knowing so little about the people and
conditions attached to his new world.
"So, he's 'ere again, is he?"
He whirled quickly to find Grinaldi peering over his shoulder, his
erstwhile merry face as black as a thunder cloud.
"Who is he?" demanded David.
The clown did not answer at once. His eyes were glittering. It was not
until the trio passed from view beyond a "snack-stand" that he sighed
mightily and jammed his hands into his coat pockets, still clenched.
Even then, he stared long at David before replying.
"That man?" he said harshly. "That's Colonel Bob Grand."
"What has he got to do with the show, Mr. Noakes?"
"Call me Joey. Everybody does, my lad." He looked around cautiously. No
one was near them. Nevertheless, he lowered his voice. "That's just wot
all of us would like to know ourselves, Jacky. He's a race-horse man
and a gambler. Oh, don't you get it into your 'ead that he follows the
show in _them_ capacities. Not he. He's too big a guy for that. No,
sirree. He pinches the dollars by the thousands, that chap does. No
ten-dollar rube games for 'im. But I'll tell you all about 'im at
supper. There's Ruby waiting for us at the door. I'm 'aving supper
brought over 'ere for us three and Casey. He's a nice chap, Casey is.
Brad says you are not to go to the cook-top until we're out of the
woods." Before starting off to join his daughter, Grinaldi looked again
through the hole in the canvas, muttering a dejected oath.
Ruby Noakes, very pretty and quite demure in a simple frock of brown,
without the prevailing bustle and paniers, was directing the
contortionist in his efforts to construct a table out of three "blue
seats" and a couple of property trunks, or "keesters," as they were
called.
"I insist on having a table that I can put my legs under," she said
when he argued that the trunks alone would make an "elegant" table. "We
can sit on the boxes. Here, dad, you and Jack get the boxes up. The
boys will be here with supper in a minute or two. Oh, I say, isn't it
going to be fun? Just like a supper party in Delmonico's--only I've
never been to one there. Goodness, how I'd love to eat at Delmonico's!"
"You wouldn't like it a bit, Ruby," announced Casey. "You got to
understand French to eat what they have there. If you can't understand
French, you're sure to eat something that won't agree with you, not
bein' able to tell soup from pickled pigs' feet."
"How do you know? You've never been there."
Casey gave her a cool stare. "I haven't, eh? My dear, I'd have you to
know that I've et there a hundred times."
Her eyes popped wide open.
"Of course," he explained, "I allus had to wake up and find I'd been
dreamin'. But, by ginger, them was great dreams. I allus had 'em after
my wife's cousin had been up to our shack of a Sunday to get a good
square meal. He was a waiter at Delmonico's. He was allus tellin' what
gorgeous things he had to eat at Del's, and then, blow me, I'd dream
about 'em the livelong night."
Presently the food came in from the cook-tent. The four sat down, David
beside the girl, who generously took him in hand at this unusual
banquet. In the menagerie tent beyond wild beasts were growling and
roaring and snarling a weird interlude for the benefit of the
banqueters, sounds so strange and menacing that David looked often with
uneasy interest in the direction from which they came.
"I like this, don't you, dad? I wish we could have a runaway boy with
us every night or so." She gave David a warm, enveloping smile.
But Joey was not listening to the idle chatter of his daughter. He ate
in silence, his brow corrugated with the intensity of his thoughts.
"Say, Casey, 'ave you seen 'im?" he asked at last, interrupting a tale
that Ruby was telling for David's especial benefit.
"I like that!" she exclaimed indignantly.
"Seen who?" from Casey, also ignoring her.
"Grand."
"Is that skunk here again?"
"Big as life, dang 'is bloody 'eart. He's bothering 'er, too. Makes
love to 'er right afore 'er 'us-band's eyes. It's--it's _out-rage-ious_."
Miss Noakes forgot her story and her resentment. She leaned forward,
her black eyes fairly snapping, her fingers clenched. David recalled
the muscular bare arms he had seen during the trapeze act, and wondered
how so slight a person as she now seemed to be could be so powerfully
developed.
"I _knew_ something awful was going to happen," she said. "I saw a
cross-eyed man in the blues to-day. It never fails."
Circus people, from the beginning of history, have been superstitious.
Not one, but all of them, carry charms, amulets or lucky pieces, and
they recognize more signs than the sailors themselves.
"Some of these fine days I'm going to paste that guy on the nose," said
the contortionist heatedly.
"You'll get a bullet in your gizzard if you do," said the clown
gloomily. "He carries a gun, and he'll use it, too. And if he didn't,
Tom Braddock would beat you to jelly for insulting 'is best friend."
"Do you mean that Mrs. Braddock is in love with that man?" demanded
David, his heart sinking.
The three of them glared at him--positively glared.
"Nobody said that, sir," said old Joey angrily. "She despises 'im. I
said as 'ow he was in love with 'er. There's a big difference in that,
my friend."
"I knew she wasn't that kind of a woman," cried David joyously.
"What do you know about women?" demanded Casey
"I'll tell you about 'im and 'er and all of them," said Joey, looking
about to see that they were quite alone in their corner. "You can tell
by looking at 'er, Jacky, that she ain't no common pusson. She's
quality, as you Virginians would say. And for that matter, so is
Colonel Grand, after a fashion. That is to say, he comes of a very good
old New Orleans family. He spoilt it all by being a colonel in the
Union army during the war. He wasn't for the North because he was
patriotic, but because he knowed the North would win and he saw 'is
chance to get rich. He's just a nateral-born gambler. Of course, he
ain't been back to New Orleans since the war. I understand 'is own
brothers intend to shoot 'im if he does go back. He went to Washington
to live, and he made a pile of money promoting carpet-bagging schemes
through the south. He's got a big gambling-house in Baltimore at
present, and an interest in one in New York, besides 'aving a string o'
race-horses.
"Well, Tom Braddock comes from Baltimore. His father was a hoss trainer
and trader there for a good many years afore he died--w'ich was about
two years ago. I've 'eard it said by them as knows, that he sometimes
traded hosses in the dead of night and forgot to leave one in exchange
for the one he took away. However that may be, he never got caught at
it and so died an honest man. It seems that he borrowed one of Colonel
Grand's riding hosses to go after a doctor one night, some years ago,
and didn't return it for nearly eighteen months. He wouldn't 'ave
returned it then if the Colonel 'adn't seen 'im riding it in Van Slye's
street parade out in a little Indiana town during county fair week. I
was with the show at the time, w'ich was afore old Van Slye sold out to
Tom Braddock. Well, Tom and Mrs. Braddock begged so 'ard for the old
scamp that the Colonel not only let 'im off but took 'im back to
Baltimore to train hosses for him. That was about five seasons ago, and
it was the first time any of us ever laid eyes on the Colonel.
"Tom Braddock and 'is wife lived in Baltimore in the winter time, where
she kept little Christine in school from November to March. The rest of
the year she teaches 'er 'erself. I might say that Christine is a
specially well-edicated child and well brought up. You can see that for
yourself. Tom wanted 'er to learn 'ow to sing and dance so's she could
be earning money all winter, but 'er mother said nix to that, very
proper like. In course o' time, Tom's father worked it so's Tom could
practice 'is bareback acts at Colonel Grand's stables. He was the best
rider in the country at that time. The Colonel got 'im to drinking and
gambling. That was the beginning. The poor cuss 'adn't been such a bad
lot up to that time. Him and Mary had always got on fairly well until
he got to drinking. It wasn't long afore the Colonel took a notion to
Tom's wife. He 'as a wife of 'is own, but that didn't stop 'im. He just
went plumb crazy about Mary Braddock, who was the purtiest, loveliest
woman he'd ever seen--or any of us, for that matter. I'll never forget
how nice she's allus been to my gal 'ere, and to every gal in the show,
for that matter. She's an angel if there ever was one. Don't interrupt,
Casey. I've said it. You keep still, too, Ruby--and don't sniffle like
that, either.
"I won't go into the 'istory of 'ow the Colonel tried to get 'er away
from Tom. I daresay that's the very thing that makes 'er stick to Tom
so loyal-like in spite of wot he is now. Just principle, that's all.
Well, for more 'n two year the Colonel 'as been pestering 'er almost to
death, and she 'as to stand it because he's got such a terrible 'old on
'er 'usband. You see, the Colonel lent Tom a good bit of money when he
bought old Van Slye out season afore last. I will say this for Tom, he
paid 'im back dollar for dollar. We 'ad a good season and he got the
show cheap. Tom give up riding because he was tight all the time,
nearly killing Christine once or twice. Every once in awhile, come so
the Colonel would turn up and travel with the show for a week or so,
inducing Tom to play poker and drink. Tom allus lost and then the
Colonel'd stake 'im for a month or so to run the show on. This 'as gone
on for two years, Tom getting wuss all the time and the Colonel more
persistent. Tom 'as lost all sense of honor and decency. He knows the
Colonel is trying to get 'is wife away from 'im, and he ain't got spunk
enough left to object to it. He don't even try to protect 'er from the
old villain. They say Grand 'as promised 'er a fine 'ome in Washington
and will edicate Christine abroad, besides offering enough diamonds to
fill a 'at. But she just despises 'im more and more every week. He'll
never get 'er--no sirree! Why, she just _couldn't_ do it! 'T ain't in
'er!
"Early this season he lent Tom five or six thousand, and Tom can't pay
it back, I know, business 'as been so bad. He's come on this time, I
daresay, to bulldoze 'em into 'is way of thinking. He's wonderful
persistent. Like as not he'll help Tom out some more afore he leaves,
just to draw the web closer. He'll stay a few days, 'anging around 'er
like a vulture, paying no attention to 'er rebukes, and then he'll go
off to return another day. He's wrecked Tom Braddock, just as a
stepping-stone. Some day he'll be through with Tom for good and all,
and you'll see what 'appens to Thomas."
Grinaldi's voice was hoarse with emotion; his brow was damp with
perspiration. Casey was the only one who ate; he ate sullenly.
"What beasts!" cried David, his fine nature in revolt.
"Brad 'as got to this point in 'is love for drink and cards," said
Joey. "He'll sacrifice anything for whiskey. He's got to have it. We've
all talked to 'im. No good. I--I don't like to say it, Dav--Jacky, but
he's slapped 'is wife more 'n once when she's tried to plead with--"
David sprang to his feet, his face quivering with rage and horror.
"I'll kill him!" he cried shrilly. "If the rest of you are afraid to
stand up for her, I will show you how a Virginia gentleman acts in such
matters. I'll--"
"My boy," said Joey, very much gratified by his _protege's_ attitude.
"I like to hear you talk that way. But don't you go 'round gabbing
about killing people. A word to the wise, my lad. You see wot I mean?"
David turned perfectly livid and then sank back to his seat with a
groan of despair.
"You mean that my--that I've got a bad name already?"
"So far as the law is concerned, yes," said Joey gently. "You see, you
are David Jenison and--well, it's a fine old name, my 'eartie, but
these ain't very gallant days. It's too soon after the war, I take it."
The boy looked from one to the other, his eyes dark with the pain of
understanding.
"But," he said bravely, "he must not be allowed to strike her. Why
doesn't she leave him? Why not get a divorce? No woman should live with
a man who strikes her. God doesn't intend that to be. He--"
"God put us all into the world and he'll take us all out of it," said
the clown, philosophizing. "That's about all we ought to expect 'im to
do. I don't think God 'as anything to do with matrimony. He says, 'you
takes your choice and you trusts to luck, not to me. If it turns out
all right,' says he, 'you can thank me, but if it goes wrong, don't
blame me.' So there you are. It strikes me that God don't intend a good
many things, but they 'appen just the same. As for 'er getting a
divorce, she's too proud. She made 'er bed, as the feller says, and
she's going to lie in it as long as there's room. She made 'er bed
sixteen years ago, she did, against 'er father's wishes, and she ain't
the kind to go back and say it's too 'ard for 'er to sleep in and she'd
like to come 'ome and sleep in one of 'is for a change. No sirree, my
lad."
"How did she come to marry such a beast as Braddock?"
"Well, that's another story. I 'ope, Casey, I'm not boring you."
"I wasn't gaping," said Casey testily. "I was coolin' my mouth. Try
that coffee yourself if you don't think it's hot."
"I wish she would leave him," said Ruby, more to herself than to the
others.
"She's got some of 'er own money in the show--all of it, I daresay.
Money 'er grandmother left 'er a couple of years ago. Brad promised
he'd buy 'er share in a year or two and let 'er put the money away for
Christine. But he'll never do it, not 'im. You see, Da--Jacky, it all
'appened this way. She was going to a young ladies' boarding-school up
in Connecticut w'en she fust saw Tom Braddock. Her father lived in New
York City and he was a very wealthy guy. She was 'is only child and 'er
mother was dead. The old man, whose name was Portman,--Albert Portman,
the banker,--was considering a second venture into matrimony at the
time. Mary was eighteen and she didn't want a stepmother. She raised
such a row that he sent 'er off to school so as he could do 'is
courting in peace and plenty. She was a wayward gal,--leastwise she
says so 'erself--and very impetuous-like. One day a circus comes to the
town where she was attending school. The young ladies were took to the
afternoon performance by the--er--school-ma'ams. They all perceeded to
fall in love at first sight with a 'andsome young equestrian. He was
very good-looking, I can tell you that, and he 'ad a fine figger. As
clean a looking young chap as ever you see. Well do I remember Tommy
Braddock in them days. He was twenty-two and he rode like a A-_rab_.
Well, wot should 'appen but 'is hoss, a green one, must bolt
suddenlike, scairt by one of the balloons that 'it 'im on the nose.
Brad fell off as the brute leaped out of the ring, terrified by the
shouts of the ring-men. The hoss started right for the seats where the
school misses was setting. Up jumps Brad and sails after 'im. The hoss
got tangled in some ropes and stumbled, just as he was about to leap
into the place where Mary Portman sat. Brad grabs 'im by the bit and
jerks 'im around, but in the plunging that followed, the hoss fell over
on 'im, breaking 'is leg--I mean Brad's. Of course, there was a great
stew about it. He was took to a 'ospital and the papers was full of 'ow
he saved the life of the rich Miss Portman. Well, she used to go to see
'im a lot. When he got so's he could 'obble around, she took 'im out
driving and so on. He was a fair-spoken chap in them days and he 'ad a
good face. So she fell desperit in love with 'im. He was an 'ero. She
told 'er father she was going to marry 'im. As the old gentleman was
about to be married 'imself, he 'ated to share the prominence with 'er.
So he said he'd disown 'er if she even thought of marrying a low-down
circus rider. That was enough for Mary. She up and run off with Tom and
got married to 'im in a jiffy, beating 'er father to the altar by about
two weeks.
"As soon as Tom was able to ride again, they joined the show. Her
father disowned 'er, as he said he would. He said he'd 'ave the butler
shut the door in 'er face if she ever come to the 'ouse. They went up
to ask for forgiveness, and the butler _did_ shut the door in 'er face.
So she turned 'er back on 'er father's 'ome and went to the little one
Tom made for 'er in Baltimore. She never even wrote to 'er father after
that, and she won't ever go back, no matter wot 'appens. Not even if he
sends for and forgives 'er, I believe. She's stood it this long, she'll
stick it out. Mr. Portman got married right enough and I understand
he's 'ad a 'ell of a time of it ever since. Married a reg'lar tartar,
thank God.
"Well, in a year Christine came. After a couple of years they went to
England and the Continent, where Brad rode for several seasons very
successful. When Christine was seven, he insisted that she should work
with 'im in the ring. He 'ad 'is way. They made a sensation with Van
Slye's show and stuck to 'im for six years straight, allus drawing good
pay. Mary went with them everywhere, never missing a performance, allus
scairt to death on account of the gal. I think nearly all of the last
five years of her life 'ave been spent in wishing that Tom would fall
off and break 'is own neck, but he couldn't do it very well without
breakin' the kid's, too, so she didn't know wot to do. Then he got to
drinking so 'ard that he did fall off, 'urting 'imself purty bad. After
that he give it up, buying a share in Van Slye's show, and letting
Christine do 'er work with Tom Sacks. Mrs. Braddock would give anything
she's got in the world if she could get Christine out of the business
and settled down in their own 'ome in Baltimore. Just to show you wot
drink does for Brad, he pays Christine a good salary every week for
riding and then insists on taking it back so's he can put it in the
savings bank for 'er. He spends every penny of it for drink and he--"
"Sh!" came in a warning hiss from Ruby Noakes, whose quick, black eyes
had caught sight of a figure approaching from the big top. "Mrs.
Braddock is coming, dad. My, how white she is."
The proprietor's wife moved slowly, even listlessly. Something vital
had gone out of her face, it seemed to David, who knew her only as a
strong, courageous defender. A wan smile crept into her tired eyes as
she carne up to them and asked if she might sit down at their board.
The hand she laid caressingly on Ruby's shoulder shook as if with ague.
"Jerk up a keester for Mrs. Braddock, Casey," cried old Joey with
alacrity. The contortionist found a small trunk and placed it between
Ruby Noakes and David. Mrs. Braddock thanked him and sat down.
"Have you had your supper, Mrs. Braddock?" asked Ruby.
"I am not hungry," said the other quietly. "A cup of coffee, though, if
you have enough for me without robbing yourselves. You work so hard,
you know, my dears, while I am utterly without an occupation. I don't
need much, do I?"
"You need a snifter of brandy," announced Joey conclusively. He went
off to get it.
Ruby rinsed her own tin-cup and poured out some hot coffee. Casey
called up a boy and sent off to the performer's cook top for a pitcher
of soup, some corned beef and potatoes, ignoring her protests.
"And how is the new clown faring?" she asked, turning to the silent
David with a smile.
"Very well, thank you," he replied. "I have been very hungry, you know.
I have never known food to taste so good."
"The hotels in these towns are atrocious. I can't eat the food," she
explained listlessly.
Joey handed her a drink from his flask. She swallowed it obediently but
with evident distaste. There was a long, somewhat painful silence.
"I think it's started to sprinkle again," ventured the contortionist,
looking at the top with uneasy eyes.
"Yes," she said appreciatively, "it means another wretched night for
us." She toyed with the tin-cup with nervous fingers for a moment and
then turned to the expectant Grinaldi. "We have been obliged to borrow
more money, Joey."
"So?" he said, nodding his head dumbly.
"Five thousand dollars. I--I signed the note with Tom. Oh, if we could
only have a spell of good weather!" It was an actual wail of despair.
"It's bound to come," said the clown. "It can't rain allus, Mrs.
Braddock."
Again there was silence. The three performers were absolutely dumb in
the presence of her unspoken misery.
"Would my money be of any service to you?" asked David at last, timidly.
"You dear boy, no!" she cried warmly. "You do not understand. This is
our affair, David. You are very, very good, but--" She checked the
words resolutely. "We can lift the notes handily if the weather helps
us just a little bit."
"I don't like that man," announced the boy, his dark eyes gleaming.
The others coughed uncomfortably. Mrs. Braddock hesitated for a second,
and then laid her hand on his.
"He is a very bad man, David," was all that she said. He would have
blurted out an additional expression of hatred had she not lifted her
finger imperatively. "You must not say indiscreet things, my friend."
It was a warning and he understood.
"Come on, Jacky," put in Grinaldi hastily. "I've got to rehearse you a
bit. You've got to learn 'ow to tumble and you've got to--"
"Just a moment, Joey," said Mrs. Braddock nervously. "David, I can't
keep your money for you. Do you object to Mr. Noakes taking it for
awhile? Until we can get to a town where you can deposit it in a bank.
It isn't safe with me. I--"
"It _is_ safe with you," he cried eagerly.
"No! If anything were to happen to me you would never see it again." He
was struck by the increased pallor of her face. "It's quite safe with
Joey."
He waited a moment before replying. "I know that, Mrs. Braddock. You
may give it to him. But--but I want you to know that if _you_ ever need
any of it, or all of it--_for yourself or Christine_, you are more than
welcome to it."
Her eyes were flooded. "Thank you, David," she said softly. Then she
quickly withdrew the flat purse from the bosom of her dress and handed
it to Joey, not without a cautious look in all directions.
The clown put it in his inside coat pocket without a word.
"You must deposit it in a bank at N--," she went on hurriedly. "All but
an amount sufficient to help you if you are obliged to suddenly fly
from arrest. You understand. Joey will attend to it for you. You may
depend on him and Casey to stand by you. In a few days we will be in
Ohio. The danger will be small after that, Dav--I mean, Jack Snipe.
I--I have worried about this money ever since--well, ever since last
night. You _must_ not have it about you, nor is it safe with me. It is
too large a sum to be placed in jeopardy. Perhaps, my boy, it is your
entire fortune, who knows. The Jenison estate seems lost to you,
cruelly enough. I am so very sorry."
"I only want to think that none of you believe I committed the crime I
am accused of," said David simply. "The money isn't anything."
"We are not accusers," she said gravely.
"Where is Brad?" demanded Grinaldi, his patience and diplomacy
exhausted.
"He is up in Colonel Grand's room at the hotel," she answered, as if
that explained everything.
"Talking business, I suppose," he said sarcastically.
"Yes, they are settling certain details." She spoke in such a way that
Joey looked up in alarm.
"You don't mean to say you are--you are going to--"
"No, not that, my friend," she said, quite calmly.
"I didn't think so," said Joey fervently.
Mrs. Braddock arose abruptly.
"I must go to Christine. Will you come, Ruby?"
Ruby followed her out of the tent, exchanging a quick glance with her
father as she left the improvised table.
"Come on, Jacky," said Joey. "Strip them clothes off and get to work.
You've got a lot to learn. Ta, ta, Casey. Don't stay out in the rain.
You'll melt your bones, if you've got any."
David, somewhat depressed and very thoughtful, got into a portion of
his clown's dress under the direction of his instructor, who was
unusually cross and taciturn.
As they started for the deserted ring, Joey took the boy's arm and
said, with a diffidence that was almost pathetic:
"Jacky, I--I want you to be nice to my gal. She's never 'ad no chance
to associate with a real toff. It ain't 'er fault, poor gal; it's the
life we leads. These 'ere circus people are as good as gold, Jacky; I'm
not complaining about that. But they ain't just exactly wot I want my
gal to grow up like. Not but wot she's growed up already so far as size
is concerned. But she's not quite eighteen. She's been in the show
business since she was two. Her mother and 'er grandmother afore 'er,
too. But the business ain't wot it used to be. I want 'er to get out of
it. I don't want 'er marrying some wuthless 'Kinker' or even a decent
'Joy.' Mrs. Braddock 'as done worlds for 'er, mind you, but it's the
men she's associated with that I objects to. They're--they're too much
like me. That's wot I mean, Jacky. Would you mind just conversing with
'er friendly like from time to time? Just give 'er a touch of wot a
real gentleman is, sir. It ain't asking too much of you, is it,
Dav--Jacky? I ain't ashamed to ask it of you, and I--I kind of hoped
you wouldn't be ashamed to 'elp tone 'er up a bit, in a way. She's more
like 'er mother than she is like me. And 'er mother was as fine a
columbine as ever lived, she was that refined and steadfast."
David gave his promise, strangely touched by this second appeal to the
birthright that placed him, though helpless and dependent, on a plane
so far above that of his present associates that even the most scornful
of them felt the distinction. He recalled the profane respectfulness of
the boss canvasman earlier in the day--a condition which would have
astonished that worthy beyond description if he had had the least idea
that he _was_ respectful.