She was standing near the entrance to the main tent, talking with half
a dozen of the women performers, all of whom were in street attire. As
soon as she saw him she smiled and motioned for him to join the group.
He was not slow to obey the summons. To the amazement of the
interested group the young Virginian lifted her hand to his lips. Mrs.
Braddock flushed warmly, an exquisite smile of appreciation leaping to
her rather sombre eyes.
"You must let me introduce you to these ladies," she said, after a few
low words of greeting. "This is Jack Snipe, our new clown," she said,
naming for his benefit the riders, the ropewalker, the snake-charmer
and the boneless wonder. David was profoundly polite, almost old-
fashioned in his acknowledgment of the introduction. The women were
suddenly conscious of a new-found glory in themselves. The "boneless
wonder" talked of his elegance for weeks, and always without resorting
to slang.
"Where is Miss Christine?" asked David, turning to Mrs. Braddock with
a shy smile.
She did not answer at once. When she did, it was with palpable
uneasiness. "My daughter usually takes her sleep at this time, Dav--
Jack.
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