The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 31, 1903, Page 7

THE E£UNDAY CALL* 7 with his velvet touch and honeyed tongue. With the swarthy Brazillan was a boy of perhaps twelve years of age—a beautiful lad with the big black eyes of Mile. Victorine that startled the management. )My son,” said the animal man. “Ah! A splendid little man,” sald the management, ad- miringly. “And plucky, I'll be bound. Does he take after his distinguished father “Oh, he isn't afrald of anything, if that is what you mean. He goes into the cages and does his turn, as his mother did before him. She was a dompteuse.” “Well, he never should go into the cages if he was a boy of mine,” sald the management. “This man's a jaguar,” added the latter to himself. This impression was deepened by the peculiar smile with which Monsfeur Veloutin received the intelligence of Mile. Oh, my Victorine and the sentiments of the dompteuse toward him- devil self. From his manner it- was evident that he had full Die knowledge of the situation. The management was telling The attendants, who could not undere him nothing knew. He finally admitted this. stand-the import of her ravings, thought “I know Ninon,” he said, “and I know Mlle. Victorine her suffe: well, and I'm not afraid of either.” hadn't the 'What would you advise?” diate cause. Even the management, wWho “Let me alone; I have my little plan, had a faint glimmering of the truth, hes! ‘What time does she go on to-night?” tated to believe it. And, indeed, it seemed “It is the finale—about ten-thirty. impossible that a man should coldly plot ““Tres blen; I will see.” to thus send a woman to & terrible death. Again the peculiar smile. Yet unquestionably this man had broken The men threw themselves upon the rear sections and held it in place. . In the meantime Mile. Victorine raved and struggled like another beast on the floor of the private office of the manage- ment. Two stalwart men had held her down at first by main strength. She had béen dragged from the auditorium falrly screaming with anger, and now she lay panting from the awful exertion of her own resistance. “That wretch!” she would have sent me into the cage for tha last.time. I know him. Ah! yes, I know him! Before the eyes God! Could I tell you! Oul, a sieur. Ah, mon Dieu! It was mur- der. It was either him or her— and it should have been him. Oui!” Mile. Victorine's dumpy little figure quivered at the recollec- tion. The management regarded the dompteuse with an unusual interest in his face. “Her trainer?” he sald, tenta- tively. “Oui—Monsieur Veloutin.” Veloutin!" he exclaimed in as- tonishment. Certes—why not?”’ It was Mile. Victorine's turn to be astonished. Then you know Veloutin? groaned. “He the imme~ monsieur. and down or stood savagely erect, with dilated nostrils, interrogatively. This jeal- t the animal men laughingly provoked paced ner swaying tall a uey was so marked There was some- t o o < “Know him, the Infamous the woman's nerve at a critical momy on_occasion T rine understood, after which she _ (O LLY 41e° gompteuse lhl:s repulsive—satanic—in the expression of gnd seemingly had the power over her we suffer no or speak to her in the sight of N'non. Pl lely. “Oh, oul—I know the scarred face. that left her at his merc Was this done When a man tried it she tu ipon him with such undis- The house was crowded. It was a large purposely or was it an accident? And Monsieur Veloutin. That is, T knew him years ago, when Ninon was but a puppy child. If he were alive now—"" ‘He's very much alive—" eur Veloutin?" what motive— Here the management was at sea. And the emen ov od in front of them was the high, Toomy. g aE e O it the Box Of- steel latticed performing inclosures, con- fice just now than about Mlle. Victorine nected with the rear cages by steel pas- In fact, t management cordlally sageways. As the various trainers damned Mlle. Victorine at every jump. came on they advanced to tha foot. 100 management mentally resolved to theater, and the rear of tho stage was oc- guised fury that it attracted the attentlon of everybody in cupled by the animal cages. Immediately 1 her teeth and snarled with The experiment was never inon had formerly quarreled d the prompt whip had pre- After these spats Ninon would T he fashion of s a % v art Mile. Victorine an on at all &1 fashion of a chastened bUt mne black eyes flashed h{‘h" and bowed to the audience be- ATt SIS, ~HEIOHIE B ence Rad been N , the whip was merely an lightning, and the ample ore entering the cages, repeating ,..che. Whatever the relat! between en kle the cars of the ground- this ceremony before they retired. Monsieur Veloutin and Mile. Victormne it fn should not be allowed to interfers with the show. Fortunately, and as if to pat- ticularly favor this cc ion, Monsieur Veloutin put in an earance at the stage entrance during the closing sc just described. The management was The chief interest centered Mile. Victorine and her jaguar, for while the management privately assumed the entire harmlessness e beef bone under the ain wild beauty about Victorine that at- temperament. Dressed in her cage cos- something barbaric—a somewhat dumpy little re always men who adore savage- ge wit etly regard ng the meat from iron for beautif t with raspi £ yellow fangs. And as the m. ese had offered marriage. Milo, of Ninon it had publicly fostered ihen on the stage vo entreati ched savage over her f e la € the i{dea that Mile. Victorine’s the audience to be seated, assuring eve Ninon ou moi? Qui voulez-vous?” she asked. Was act was the most daring and that nothing was matter—that the she or Ninon who was wanted? They were not to hazardous known to the animal 3nimals were under thorotgh conteor world. It had spread reports of the disagreement between the dompteusa and the management ow- ing to the latter’s desire to withdraw her from the bill for fear of her per- Mile. Victorine's at But, while the panic was somewhat abated, nobody cared to remain to see if there was or was not any danger. ‘The show was over, anyhow. So” the crowd filed rapidly out Ah! Monsieu night she spent so long a time in the T ter the performance that the caid keeper. “She's aid a keep + Veloutin," exclaimed the ma fo . t nasty jagger'll eat sonal safety. ;- management, wi lief somewhat tin e was agitate then hell will be to titude as well as the goesip of the lreq with anger. * after raising pa aving v £ w trainers and keepers confirmed ticular merry hell, you've come back, these reports. Thus the pub- lic was cleverly worked upon, and responded by crowd- retand her,” was the re e—I do not understand you. rotested the swarthy littie = She ing the place, half fearing, ™ g, o4 \derstand anything & £ < then?" half hoping to be Wit- apout jagua rposed the manage- s e 1 arrange for that pess of a terrible trag- ment. It wasn't politic to pick & quarrel has put us on to a edy with Monsieur Veloutin just at present. = a 1d tabby cat. Every- Mile. Victorine's "If ~4r§ be K'rr' d fnl‘ v o d:-f:: us in get- & s € < < #. refore, ting Ninon back into her ca ¢ = s & appearance, therefore. U5, (0" peen brutally prodded with 5 was hailed” with ac- . ong from all sides the Ar Was pacmng . . clamation. Arrayed yup and down in the m e arena blind to all the.efforts to in er to re-enter r cage by the narrow r by which e of the keepers in blue silken tights, with trunks of scar- I T Jlet, and a Jjaunty she had come. Not c black | velvet bolero ~had dared to enter the enclos O 8 “Bah!" exclaimed Monsieur Velou braided with gold over waiking briskly toward the side of th a yellow facing, her inciosure where the animal had slunk. black hair piled in a dis- ““You shall s It is nothing. Give me We observed the keeper. . tempered mass upon her a whip. No as a keeper tendered a e gt 'es Sharp iron goad, “only a whip—a small fl"‘:"gh”b:"‘z‘m ack eves | ding whip. For show—merely for show. ashin She shall do as I bid.” atraight, beetling bro’ And Mongléur Velou nutbrown skin shining with the He not onfy boldly entered the inclosure, glow of heaith and strength, but walked up to the animal that Mile. Victorine was a striking if crouched with a most menacing show of not @ graceful figure. To the fangs and threatening tall and snapped » tador she his little whip at her and addressed her gaudy attire of the mata © in the most convincing French. It was united the savagery of the un- certainly convincing. for Ninon sullenly tamed and untamable Wwoman. sneaked for the exit and darted along the Jewels of rare value blazed at her covered passage to her cage. The door did show them. —— 4 hro: and scintillated from her Wwas immediately close It was over. . _throat rl]: :-\4 Browner. fingers, . . Cest Bigm faclle.” < ontinued Monsfeur h ; brown 2 Sircled her Veloutin y boy shall enter that eage : b Heavy gold chains encircled her Jr¥V ot oyl “dance.” was done wrists. One seemed to miss the ank- “Excellent cried the management. would be packed at every lets of gold and”the- ring in the nose. The hous ce. It was a great idea. V The gate had been raised, and the jag- performar and. to of the Veloutin for uar, lithe, sleek, sinuous, glided stealth- torine’'s salary would be transferred to the boy entire. ed that he ily from his cage into the (rafnin; gre‘ It was not until late next day that Mile 5 oeing the third The round orbs of topaz glowed defiantly vyjciorine ascertained that some one was ge w upon the assembled thousands, then to take his place at the afternoon - e Victorin turned toward the mistress in the imme- performance. A keepe bro;:ghz her an e was personally ;- evening paper containing the announce- - Eaesanelt diate foreground ment “‘extraordinaire” to e effect that At this moment a small man in the ar Veloutin and Mille. Raynal, mbed to ne: = the Parisian front row of the orchestra rose to his ,,g progtration “the events of the the coming. of the [+ feet and placed a lad on the chair beside previgug evening, would give place to the . among the show- ner and dealer was i standing. The man was dark Brazilian Infantile Wonder, who would & a him. also g . an ancient tabby to secretly as a relief ] Skivined and_scarred and the boy was Without previous acquaintance with t # e Im new, ¢ s s nditio o dout o was a wholly animal, show his marvelous control over : P g e c B S et gl TewotliEs = The sctor W \ 4 the most savage and untamable of fero- s and apocryphal fero n would bring a suitable patural one, ‘as if the man had ignored the most savags-and wnismals of feros o east dems which men m as an understudy of Vi the rights of those in the rear for the [iO0S (ASS o0 f Pect ang nd to the crack of B X0ae, moment and desired his boy to see. “Op m Dieu! Mon petif enfant! . . . e meantime the situation be- But the pair were by this movement screamed Mlle. Victorine. And before the gers of man itionally complicated by an erect, directly opposite and face to news purveyor could remonstrate she had t rushed from the room and m the face at short range with the domp- teuse behind the footlights as she finished her bow increased sympathy be- ompteuse and her savage was observable that the house and was on th ater. It was near the close of the afternoon way to the the- 3 g nce grew. suddenly tame The effect upon the Woman Was performance. Monsieur Veloutin had en- E o imal and the woman startling. At first she seemed tered the cage and driven Ninon into the g+ - it with a lethargy <haken to the marrow. The color training arena with his littls whip and - that contrasted slowly receded, leaving the brown h";:frgffll\jf‘ve‘wl !:‘:m\ o h‘adwht‘;nrah- . gy o the former snap A g § skin ashen. Then, as if spellbound Customed to the exibifion saw ‘flxflp_fl : 'y under the hypnotic eyes of.the g ne the same ation . and. v er ¥ e t cat of yours up a man in front of her. Victorine stood nearly the same gestures as Mile. Vi ens the management to mute, unnerved, unable to move, torine. And they rightly reasoned that e ne day. “And e ek cves fastened upon the he had seen and heard the dompteusa wand no omissions. T D ftbe of the swarthy stranger Many times in her role. Monsleur Velou en a sle 3 gy o i e the S d ot her and 1M Was to serve as the introductory to » r performance below. The boy glanced a Le Petit Veloutin, the Infantile Wonder. e - won't do. Under- at his father wonderingly. 2 The audience breathlessly awaited the 5 t do!” During this period the: audienee, appearance of the boy i & rine stood before whose acclamation of the entrance of _He was a handsome lad. Dressed as a e nagemnent ~in ail -the the dompteuse*had searcely died away, Youthful matador he stood tn front of ack savagery of silk and remained hushed, as if to hear what FL oves Toliawiter samsty B St 1080 on ~was being sald between the man and the his father. It was evident that the Tatter - 3 eyes shone woman, but as not a word was uttered was fo remain in the training inclosurs M that sinde this silence was quickly succeeded by a with his son, since Monsieur Veloutin en the uncom- irst of remonstrance. Loud cries of Was still there when the cue brought the er 7 it a W wput him out!” rent the little fellow before the footlights. ) Sit down! The child was received with tremendous g he In her con- theater. applause. >arisian papers combined when a single A Continental audience is not to be triffled ~ The sound of a thousand with. The interruption had not lasted more voices had not died awa than the fraction of a minute, but the im- shrill, plercing, h;ar:re?d ng shrl(ok bu v v ons Uupon the auditorium. It came from b patience was already a roar of abjurgations POl 11e ZUTHOHUT. 1T came trom he and vells, primarily directed at the man in 0. 0ch FPURL Nlice "ot scufMing and front who had thus unceremoniously broken; personal altercation. in upon the performance, incidentally includ- eur forgets. plump t Momsieu e g 1 forget There's nothing. ger of to hurting her. Crack her up—crack her up!” 5 monsieur- o Then Mlle. Victorine, half dressed, in and Mile. s Mme. Vel all. Now go ing the woman on the stage. The whole slippers, her dark hair disheveled, dashed 5wt ke house rose, and from the foyer several at- Out upon the stage. 'The great black eyes ives were united moa.. 1:'”!5 ”tr“':f"“z‘:s:‘fif ;f;:[r;r‘“ the front to See .4, " gvery fiber of her nervous b# c freques Sd honsier w ] L x was apparently stretched to the break = S amiable husband anger slow- f But the man and the boy had contrived point. As if there was nobody presen g out evervthing and returning 1 the dark V/ to disappear amid the excitement. The ef- but the two, mother and child, she threw s native azil with thelr lv chilg face. “It is not all fect of this disappearance upon Mile. Vie- herself at the boy's feet. clasping the & the mother penniless From Saturday night torine was remarkable. She sudcenly SHEht figure in W Gri WIE WS ¢ speculators who purcha Ninon must rest—un- awakened from her stupor. Her color came “™giit% Mol 4e Dieu! Ah! T thank v ne more difficy til she is well. Ou back with a rush. She was fairly convulsed thee!" with wrath. The black eyes shot fire. With The instant paralysis that swept over a cry like that of a wild beast, which was ':m :Iufl“’ng‘ ;! lhl; un!!n:hrr'd appar % a he ca, tion was broken by another cry—st cchoed and re-echoed {rom the cages, she 0 Eieyios more ‘sgonising,” mors “ heartrending. Demon!" she shouted. “Where is he? Apnd this cry. that began in a shriek 00 much for. nsense! St 4 for weeks yot ‘Pardon. monsieur but ce when bosom heaved tumultuously. “You don’t seem to like Veloutin—' “Like? 1If I could see my Ninon fas- ten upon his white throat 1 would die with happiness!” iibition her companion. It was had adop d the serted offspring of another savage anj. have you become an Let me but place these hands upon him! and ended in a ghastly gurgle, came from ot infrequent freak In nature. For expert on such malt- The management shivered. Here was Tll tear him to pleces!” the steel cage. It was a human wail of edience to the laws of associa ters inquired the dompteyse with unconcealed sarcasm. a fresh combination of - misfortunes. At the sound of her votce the jaguar 9@espair, but mingled with it was the sav- - ve the opinifon of the tralners—they know. Tony Why hadn’t Tony Miguel—but it was age growl of the beast. h: bounded against the sides of the training cage as if frantic to join in this sudden chase for blood. The steel netting swayed and bulged from tne unusual fmpact, while a subdued sigh of terror burst from the now thoroughly aroused audience. The 4 lowered her ow are of the beast Ninon had buried her yellow teeth in the throat of the animal trainer, and was tearing his breast with her flerce, sharp claws An instant of distracted attention had now too late. And the management then Veloutin must also know all about glanced timidly at the retreating figure of her. In the meantime it seemed wiser to the woman and shivered again. keep the two apart. But the management had no time for In Monsieur Veloutin the management Miguel “That for Tony Miguel!” snapped Victorine with her fin- gers and rasping voice. ‘‘Let him 'tend to his own—he knows Elle est a mol!”’ Abjuring Victorine practically lived For hours she would w e, talking in a lo nothing of the, Ninon. i 2 ¢ v “ithe t 2 s g osagnd xl| . “Now. comé, Vie,” coaxed the management, in a wheedling Teflection, much less action, for Monsleur found a swartky little man with erisp "flifl'flsliarfn‘ "l;":‘r;ls :O'Ts“t:ff';f;tl’:?o“snh;'ut bofunm OF yden fatal ‘to Monsieur Veloutin. The Bid nderstood the soft aat . tone, “do mot be unreasonable!” Veloutin was to arrive by that day's black hair sprinkled with gray, and !oP. and was constru 4 ections for con- reacherous jaguar had taken advantage : and venies .A“:(f:.y.zll:a.“.,- Taresnosablel” Qs AL WAL Yo ‘erbek u iyons Stebmm To head him off at the pler was small, heady black eyes with a snake's \'er&lemel :{ storage n::lstra\eL It was about fifteen feet high of it as fl}\:lf‘k‘:‘n I!an'-th“a::‘rnn( un.]vmnz . 8 sh. e wing SPORSON: e » i . 5 ’ and rested upon C: g She bore him e: out relaxing o o g e B gesy e She slck Atks Sk Wokit E B as much as could be done with certainty. steady, glazed, intent, fascinating expres- S < e e e Betre :;,r,'k,‘,“':,,‘ oyl o R e el i g P’\';:"’");", It was necessary, of course, to let Mon- sion. He had evidently once been a hand- Falling backward, the enraged beast uttered a cry of pain D¢ [hold, FUROYL Coasing o claw, the ohlie o ad s Snestiondiic ,’:f“.” Make her jump through the blazing hoops?” Non! Jamaisys Sleur Veloutin know the dangerous some man; Lut at some time or another as it struck the floor. But immediately recovering from the mai'}iiq not uttered a sound. Yet one cently st Tt I S A It isn’t a question of miy wife or danghter— ground he was on—for there was no tell- wild claws had scored upon his face, car- effects of the drop, Ninon retreated to the rear and. turning could see from near that his eyes werd G e W ey oré! “Dlomalelic. It 14 Simtion Jof Btine) B Wit _ ing what might happen. The animal show rying away a portion of an ear and leav- Wwith a low whine that sent the blood running cold through a turned upon the woman outside the cage. e e g ENID SEORLL o Stteniiny Mool iRy SOl AN T ki ek, £H Tl‘"'-‘ business could not be promoted by this ing ugly cicatrices across his cheek. thousand veins, made a terrific spring for liberty. This time _Mile. Victorine had sprung to her feet St TRRSHSEEE iy SE £hp. SETS b v 4 all not gort of thing. Closer Investigation would have:disclosed she caught her sharp cliws in the netting some seven feet And Was grasping the steel netting, which shook with frantic rage. ; Bravo! Tear his s 1e beast purring like a- 80, On after Satufday night. Comprenez-vous?” Kitte “Of course, you must knéw that we have more interest in t one should ve secn those eyes of her than you could possibly have.” The management grew some person conversed with wWore conciliatory in tone as Mlle. Victorine got warm. “If of the cage! They we considered it dangerous— s, while the animal “Dangerous! You should have seen her mother die, mon- from the floor and clung there, snarling, her eyes glowing like tions of his anatomy. Yet/ despite the two balls of molten metal, essaying to climb the frail barrier Ninon! R-r-revenge, Ninon! He mur- gray hairs and scars of the savage paw, that separated her from the crowded house. So furious and dered vou mother, Ninon! Eat him supple a powerful was the onslaught.that but for the quick presence of :"“ .. petitel. That's sweet, bien ainte! panther, and his elastic step and sleek the animal keepers in the rear the whole structure would have o o appearance generally were in harmony collapsed and tumbled over upon the orchestra, jaguar and all. .:dh'm‘,k&[,;“m l.';l;;eg‘.‘d cloged in: death Not that the management was ready to hea¥t out. good retreat from its position as regarded Mille. Victorine, but the manner of accomplish- ing the purpose might be changed upon ' Monsieur Veloutin- was- eonsulting with Monsieur Veloutin, or if the former knew the animal man so well many more similar scars on various por- az when became outside lving «