Part 32 (1/2)

”Helen gone!” exclaimed Bill. ”That's queer!”

”I thought maybe you'd know about it, Bill.”

”Me? No, not a thing. She never said a word to me. Are you sure you and she didn't have any--er--little tiff?”

”Of course not!” and Joe blushed under his tan. ”She didn't tell me she was going.”

”Oh, well, she'll be back to-night, Jim says. I guess she's all right.

Now I've got to get busy.”

But Joe was not satisfied. It was not like Helen to go off in this way, and he felt there was something strange about it.

”I do hope she isn't going to try to make any more investments with her money--that is with what she has left,” he mused. ”Maybe she heard of some other kind of stock she can buy, and she thinks from the profits of that she can make up for what she is sure to lose in the oil investment. Poor Helen! It certainly is hard luck!”

Joe thought so much of his new theory that he visited the circus treasurer with whom Helen had left some of her money.

”No, it's here in the safe--what she left with me,” the treasurer said.

”Too bad about her losing that nice sum, wasn't it? It will take her quite a while to save that much.”

”I wish I had hold of the law clerk who tricked her into buying the oil stock,” said Joe with energy. ”I'd make him eat the certificates, and then I'd--well, I don't know what I would do.”

”But you haven't got him,” said the treasurer, ”and I guess their kind take good care to keep out of the way of those they've swindled.”

”I guess so,” Joe agreed.

There was nothing he could do at present, and he had soon to go on with his act. But Joe Strong made up his mind if Helen were not back early to make a thorough search for her.

”That is if I can get any trace of her,” he went on. ”She may run into danger without knowing it, for she hasn't had much experience in life, even if she is a circus rider.”

Joe was himself again now. His muscles seemed to have benefited by the rest, and the young trapeze performer went through all his old acts, alone and with the Lascalla Brothers, and Joe also put on one or two new things, or, rather, variations of old ones.

In one part of his performance he balanced himself upon his neck and shoulders on a trapeze high up in the top of the tent. He was almost standing upon his head. While this is not difficult for a performer to do when the trapeze is stationary it is not easy when the apparatus is swinging. Joe was going to try that.

A ring hand pulled on a light rope attached to the trapeze on which Joe was thus balanced on his neck and set the bar and ropes in motion.

They moved slowly, and through only a short arc at first. But in a little while Joe, in his perilous position, was executing a long swing.

His feet were pressed against the ropes and his hands were on his hips.

He balanced his body instinctively in this posture. But this was not all of the trick.

When the trapeze was swinging as high as he wanted it, Joe suddenly brought his legs together. For an instant he poised there on the bar, supporting himself on his neck and shoulders, as straight as an arrow.

Then, with a shout to warn those below, he fell over in a graceful curve, and began a series of rapid somersaults in the air.

Down he fell, the hushed attention of the big crowd being drawn to him.

Just before reaching the life net, Joe straightened out and fell into the meshes feet first, bouncing out on a mat and from there bowing his thanks for the applause.

Thus Joe brought his act to a close for that afternoon, and he was glad of it for he wanted to go out and see if Helen had returned. As soon as he had changed to his street clothes he sought her tent.

The women of the circus dressed together, each one in a sort of canvas screened apartment, and in the Sampson Brothers' Show they also had a sort of ante-room to the dressing tent, where they could receive their friends.