There's my daughter
over there. Ain't she a stunner? Say, she's a gal as is a gal. Best
trapeze worker in the business, if I do say it myself. And 'er mother
was the best columbine that ever appeared in a Drury Lane pantomime,
poor lass." He abruptly passed his hand across his eyes.
"The columbine?" said David, his eyes beaming. "I remember the
columbine and the harlequin and the pantaloon in Drury Lane one boxing
week when I was in London with my grandfather. Was a columbine really
your wife?"
"She was," said Joey proudly. "But," he added hastily, "it ain't
likely you saw _her_. She died when Ruby was born."
That afternoon David appeared in the ring, once more clad in the
striped suit and besmeared with bismuth. He was even more frightened
than at his first appearance, when he was driven by another fear. Ruby
Noakes, black-eyed and dashing, winked at him saucily from her perch
on the high trapeze, having caught his eye. When she slid down the
stout lacing and wafted kisses to the multitude, he was near enough to
catch her merry undertone:
"You have no idea how funny you are," she said, passing him by with a
skip.
Pages:
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107