“What do you know about the circus?  Ain’t it all to the pickles?  Me there the other matinee in a real box, courtesy of the management.  Did you get your attention called to the two Janes that did the ride in the hurdics down the hill?  Some class to that act.  Imagine looping the loop in the air!  Not for Sabrina, the pride of the chorus.  As long as I can make my living on my shape you don’t catch me trying to damage it soaring around in the atmosphere.  Not for five dollars more a week, as bad as I need the money.

“I went to see Wells Hawks and the elephants.  Both of them are permanent fixtures, though they do say that he is kept busy looking after the animals at both the Hip. and the circus.  And the clowns!  May I be struck dead if I didn’t just rear back and howl my head off at those crazy clucks.

“Alla McSweeney certainly is a sneeze.  She has no idea of the fitness of things.  I was telling her just the other day.  I said, ’Alla, you certainly are no piker.  You’ll go out and mace a good fellow for a big feed just as if he was a John.  Now, that ain’t right.  When you are out with a James go to it and eat your head off.  But when you are out with some one in the business or a newspaper man be circumscribe.  Though you may want to wade through the whole dope sheet hitch your desire and order what you think he can afford, and lay back until you get a live one.’

“What?  Sure we do.  If a Jane goes out with a John that has nothing but.  Nothing’s too good for her and walking is hard on the feet.  The more money the wop spends the bigger sport he thinks he is, but a fellow professional has honorable intentions, sometimes, and it is considered wise not to show what you are accustomed to until after he has bought the ring or written some letters.  I may go out with some fellow and order everything from soup to nuts just to show him that I can, but the way I won Wilbur’s heart was by ordering a cheese sandwich the first time he invited me out.

“My goodness!  How I run on, and here it is getting late.  Well, I must toddle along and see how the Friar Festival is.  I have a personal interest in that.  So long.  Say, the next time you expect to get lanced for the big feed tell her you were once in the business and it will save you money.  Ta, ta.”

In which Sabrina has a row with the stage-manager, leaves the show, frivols in the vineyard, denounces the male sex as being all alike, threatens, to take the veil, but finally falls upon the neck of her betrothed and all is forgotten.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

We came upon Sabrina seated alone at a table in the rear of a cafe; her hat was tilted rakishly over one ear, a couple of strands of hair were hanging down over her forehead, a bright spot glowed on each cheek and her eyes had a dim, moist appearance.  The table was covered with glasses and bottles and the chairs looked as if they had been hastily shoved back.