SHORT STORIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2515, 28 May 1902, Page 74

SHORT STORIES.

THE TIGER KING. Br George R. Sims. •A. well-known cafe near Leicester square (was a blaze of electric light. From the tnusicians' gallery above floated one of those fcalf-passionate, half-wailing tone poems beloved of the Ziganes. It was close upon tnidnight, and the cafe was crowded. Seated at the tables were a number of Xnatter-of-fact Englishmen and Englishwomen sipping their coffee, or drinking pheir beer, quietly, unconcernedly, after the manner of the race which takes its light {refreshment in public rather sadly. But at one of the tables in the corner Xiear the entrance the company was unmistakably foreign. Two good-looking darkskinned young men, with "professional" Avrit large on their features, their clothing, )their magnificent diamond pins, and their flashing diamond rings; were smoking cigarettes and talking somewhat loudly in Ifrench. Seated opposite them were a man and a woman. The man was a good-looking, Bquare-shouldered, fair-moustached young giant. If you were an expert in racial features you would have seen at once that he Vas a Scandinavian. The woman who sat beside him was a handsome brunette. She ,was slightly over-dressed, and apparently about six or seven and twenty. Once she laughed at some remark made by her companion, and the laugh was so musical that some of the people near enough to hear it involuntarily turned their heads to look at her. One man, an Englishman, recognised the (party, and explained who they were to his friend. "Those two dark men are acrobats at the 'Hippodrome," he said ; "the fair fellow and the lady with them do a wonderful perforcmance with some tigers at one of the .Variety houses. He's a baron — took to the chow business when he was quite a young chap, because his people hadn't a penny, bo I've heard. He's called the Tiger King.' •Handsome fellow, isn't he?" ' "Yes," replied the other Englishman, "magnificent. I've seen the show. The proznan looks a perfect picture in the cage." The low Availing note of the Hungarian air had died away, and the conductor came jforward and bowed acknowledgments for the applause- which greeted the "number." ( The two Hippodrome artists called the Vraiter, paid the "score," and took their departure. •The-Tiger King ordered another "bock," »nd remained with his companion. , *A foreigner, well dressed, clean shaven, tend with the unmistakable air of the stage about liim, who had been sitting at a table come distance away, and for some time past igazing with evident interest at the little group, rose, came across the cafe, and, taking one of the seats vacated by the acrobats, raised his hat politely. • "Pardon, madame," he said to the lady ; "it is five years since we met. You have forgotten me?" The Tiger King knitted his brow, for he ,ivas of a jealous nature, but the lady only gave one of her little musical laughs. "One sees so many people in five years," Bhe said. "You must forgive me if I do not remember you, monsieur." ■ "Perhips I could hardly expect it," said Jthe man quietly. "Five years ago I was a gournalist, and wore a beard — to-day I am an actor. I am here playing a small part in the company of Madame Rejane." "You were a journalist!" exclaimed the y oman, her manner becoming more nervous as she looked keenly at the features of the actor. "What is your name?" "My name now, madame, is a stage name — I adopted it for excellent reasons. When ,we last met it was in Paris — it was the day after my brother, Lieutenant Henri De Norjval, had been arrested for treason. 1 am daston De Norval." The face of the beautiful brunette became lor a moment ghastly pale. Then the colour rushed to her cheeks, and she turned ti her companion. . "Let us go," she said : "I have nothing to say to this gentleman." • The Tiger King, who had been listening .with a scowling face to the conversation ,iyhich the stranger had been forcing on his /wife, rose angrily and called to the waiter in order to pay for his bock. The waiter was engaged at another table. ,The lady, leaving her husband to settle, .vent out into the street. The acter Vhrugged his shoulders and lit a cigarette. "Sir," said the animal tamer, speaking auietly, and in excellent French, "I trust ,fchat should we meet again, you will not attempt to force your conversation upon a llady who evidently does not desire your further acquaintance. I shall not permit it. The lady is my wife." "A thousand pardons, monsieur," replied \he actor, politely raising his hat, "but tyour statement interests me exceedingly. I will not keep you from madame now, but if you can give me a few minutes' conversation privately— say to-morrow— l shall be exceedingly obliged.'' Something in the man's manner choked the exclamation of anger which was rising 1 %o the animal tamei's lips. He was silent for a second. Then he said quietly, "Give xne your address." The actor took cut a card and wrote on the back of it. "I have a room there,"' he taid. handing it to the Swede; "it is close here — J -will remain in to-morrow till 1." "I will call on you at 12." "Alone, if you please !"' "Alone.' The waiter came up and took his customer's money. The Tiger King gave the actor a stately bow, and went out into Leicester squarj to join his wife. "What did that man say to you, Carl?" the asked with a nervous tremor in her voice. "Nothing," was the gruff reply. "I »tayed behind to settle with the waiter." Ti^Tjte^aaJM^eio^tMiiJLMaf-

garet Nunez for two years. She was extravagant, capricious, sometimes exasperating. At times she would make him jealous out of sheer devilry, but he was as much in love with her still as when she met and fascinated him at San Sebastian, where he was performing at a circus, and she was living at a little villa — a charming young Frenchwoman, whose husband, a Spanish officer, had died in South America. The wooing had been ardent and short. Jn a month the baron's stay ended. Margaret followed him to his next engagement, which was in Madrid, and became the baroness. It was at her cwn request that she had been allowed to join in the performances. She had learnt how tame the beasts really were, and had longed to appear before the public and share the applause with her husband. At first the baron had refused, but he knew he could trust his animals, and at last he consented. The beautiful woman in the tiger's cage became one of the most money-making "shows" on the road. At 12 o'clock on the day following the meeting in the cafe the baron called upon the actor, and was shown into the modest room -occupied -by the latter in the little French lodging-house. "Monsieur," said the baron stiffly, "it was impossible last night for me to have any further conversation with you. To-day I am at your service. I shall be glad to know why, after having forced your company upon my wife, who objected to it, you wish to see me?" "You must pardon me if I first introduce myself to you properly, ' replied the actor ; "then you will understand things better. My real name is Gaston De Norval. Five years ago I was a journalist in Paris. My brother Henri was a lieutenant in a regiment quartered at Tours. In Tours he met a very beautiful girl. He knew nothing of her past. It is an old story. He fell madly in love with her, married her, and found she had extravagant tastes. He had rather deceived her about his financial position, and soon got into difficulties in trying to avoid confessing that he had little but his pay to live upon. He found that when he didn't gratify her desire for display her affection for him seemed to cool. One day she said to him brutally that he had deceived her — that she could not live a life of 'poverty.' He raised money on a little property — sold at a sacrifice — and for a few months the woman was pacified. "Tnen came another financial crisis. My brother confessed that his affairs were so involved that there was nothing but bankruptcy for him. The woman heard his story and was silent. Two days afterwards she told him that through a female friend of hers she had been introduced to a foreigner — a scientific gentleman, who was interested in inventions. This foreigner was willing to give 40,000 francs for a sample of a new French rifle of which there was much talk. I need not go into details". I will only tell you the plain facts. My brother, poor fellow, yielded to the temptation of this Delilah. He tried to earn the 40,000 francs. His treachery was discovered. He was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to life-long deportation to New Caledonia-. "Out there he is to-day. Out there he will remain until he dies. I have heard of him from a friend who has an appointment there. This woman has .sent him to a living death. But in his little room hangs her portrait — he . loves her still. Every morning, every night, he prays that she may be forgiven, and that God will bless her." The Tiger King had listened in si.ence with a set face. When the actor stopped for a moment in his narrative, he rose. "This story is of yourself — of your brother," he Laid. "I am here for you to explain your aquaintance with my wife." "I have done so,"' replied the actor. "The woman who made my brother a traitor — the woman before whose portrait he prays in his miserable exile — the wife who after his arrest fled from France— is the woman I saw you with last night." "But I met her at San Sebastian."' stammered the baron. "Her name was Margaret j Nunez. She was the widow of a^ Spanish officer who died in South America." ' "If she told you that tale it was to deceive you — it has deceived jrou. You are rich, I hear— you are young, goodlooking, a baron — you have given the woman you married fame, public admiration, money, a title. But she is not your w jf e — sne is the wife of a convict in La Nouvelle. She is Margaret De Norval. Bring us togethei, and let her deny it if she can." "It is enough, monsieur," repued the baron. "1 believe you. Only one thing I ask of you. While you remain in this country, keep your discovery to yourself. ' "No! D^ you think that now I have found this woman I am going to spare her? My mother, a widow, died of shame at my brother's disgrace. My own name was dishonoured. I had to abandon it to earn a living. If I spare her now " "You will be wise! Read the papers, m'sieu — read them carefully. One day you will find that Fate has avenged both your brother— and myself— yes, myself, for she has betrayed me also. She has tricked me into giving my name, my title, to a Jezebel j to the faithless wife of a convicted , traitor!" The Tiger King's performance was the rage of London. When his beautiful wife went into the cage, and a huge beast which had roared at the man and displayed all his native ferocity went crouching to the woman and, lifting its great paws, laid them softly on her face, the thrilled audience broke into a great tumult of applause. For two nights after his interview with the actor the baron's performance was as cool and daring as ever. At home his wife found him as gentle, as attentive, as loving as usual. She had been nervous the day after the meeting at the cafe. She feared his suv joicioßs mj£ht have been gjouaad., jLb&t

Gaston De Norval might have said something after she left. But her husband's manner completely reassured her. Evidently De Norval had been afraid of a scene in the cafe, or of the strong man's rage, and had thought it better to hold his tongue. She had been prepared for the worst. She had got her story ready to justify herself — to explain. She would deny that she was ever the wife of the lieutenant. She would say that this Frenchman had made a mistake — he had taken her for some woman who might perhaps resemble her. But there was no need for a story of any kind. Carl never referred to the matter at all. He was quite absorbed in a new trick he was teaching his tigers. Every day he would go to the place where the animals were kept to train them for it. He was absent a great deal. He told his wife it would be a grand performance, but it required a great amount of time and patience. On the Saturday afternoon he told her that the new trick would be tried that night. It would be the last, and would take place after she had left the cage. That night the Variety House was packed. The Tiger King and his wife appeared at half-past 9. It was the "star" turn. Everything went well, though one tiger, Satan, seemed a little bit more savage and j irritable than usual. When Carl came out . of the cage to fetch his wife from the I wings, she asked him what was the matter j with Satan. '-Nothing, my dear,"' he replied. "I've been training him to roar and show off, to heighten the effect of my last trick. Come along." The baroness came on with a professional smile, and her husband, entering the cage first, cracked his whip furiously, and the tigers crouched and huddled together. The baroness then entered the cage, and the baron went through his performance with Satan, who in every way justified his name. Then the music ceased, and the baron in broken English made his little speech : "Ladies and gentlemen, you have seen how fierce this tiger is with me. You will now see how -gentle he is with my wife. She will call Satan to her, and he will put his paws on her face." The baron stood back, and the baroness, bowing to the audience, smiled and called to the tiger : "Satan ! Satan, come here !" The great beast rose and crept like a cat towards her. Then rearing up to his full height he put his paws gently on her face. The audience gave an involutary shudder. But the husband stood smiling at the back of the cage. There was a moment's pause. Then the Tiger King did something the men in the orchestra never remembered to have seen him do before. He cracked-his whip. Instantly the tiger gave a savage roar,' and lifting one paw, drew it down with extended claws across the woman's face. The woman gave a slu-iek of pain. The 1 audience rose horrified. In a~ moment there would have been a panic. The manager, who was standing in the wings, shouted to the leader of the orchestra, who struck up a lively tune, and the curtain swiftly fell. Then the manager dashed in front of it. "Keep your seats," he exclaimed; "the lady is only slightly injured. The tiger's claws; are cut." But there were plenty of people in the audience who had seen blood, and all had heard the shriek of pain. They were not convinced, but the Tiger King himself came forward. "It is nothing," he said; "the baroness is not hurt in the least. It is a little scratch — that is all." The accounts in the Sunday papers did not bear out tho baron's smiling reassurance. They were headed: — " TERRIBLE SCENE AT THE ." They told the truth. The tiger known as Satan had so torn the unhappy woman's face that she would never be able to appear in public again. She would 1 be disfigured for life. At present she was in the hospital, and the doctors were by no means sure that the accident might not have a fatal issue. Margaret De Norval lay for a month in the hospital. Her husband had been compelled by his professional engagements to leave the country, but he had sent a handsome donation, and requested that his wife might have every care. At the end of a month Margaret was able to leave. She had received no letters from her husband, at which she wondered, but she prepared to join him in Berlin, where he was performing. She wired him that she would start in three days' time. Then she saw herself for the first time in a looking-glass. The shock nearly killed her. Her face was seared and scarred, and sfie would never be able to go into the streets again without a veil to hide the disfigurement from the gaze of her fellow-creatures. She wondered if her husband had any idea how horrible she was. The reply she received to her telegram was a letter. It was short, but sufficient : "If you wish to join your husband you had better apply to the French Government for permission to go to New Caledonia. I have no intention of travelling about the world with a convict's wife." Then Margaret De Norval knew and understood. The Tiger King had spent his days after the meeting with Gaston De Norval in training Satan, at the crack of the whip to strike with his open claws. That was how he squared accounts with the woman who had deceived him.