This time Braddock walked
ahead with his unyielding wife. Apparently he was expostulating with
her. She looked neither to right nor left, but walked on with her face
set and her eyes narrowed as if in pain. Colonel Grand, the picture of
insolent assurance, sauntered behind them, a beatific smile on his
lips.
The Virginian was sitting on a property trunk, dejectedly staring at
the ground when Christine returned from the ring. Thunders of applause
had told him when the act was over; the change of tune by the band
announced the beginning of the next act--that of the strong man and
his wife. How well David remembered these sudden transitions. He
almost longed to be out there now, in the thick of it, with good old
Joey Grinaldi at his side, dodging the ringmaster's lash and grinning
at the jokes of the veteran.
The girl came straight up to him, her anxious gaze sweeping the
interior. She was about to speak to him, but changed her mind and
hurried on to her dressing-room. An instant later she was back,
greatly agitated. "Where is my mother?" she asked.
"They went away a few minutes ago," replied David, as unconcernedly as
possible.
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