d wildly.

He pays no attention to this applause.

He clears his throat and begins to speak. Priscilla is so deafened by
the roar of his voice that she cannot hear what he says. Apparently he
is introducing somebody; somebody named George.

George steps out of the tent, but does not bow to the audience. In
one hand he carries a fencing foil, well constructed, of European
workmanship; in his other hand he holds a number of pretty toy balloons
which he has made himself.

He smiles sarcastically, tosses the balloons into the air, and cleverly
punctures them one by one with his rapier.

At each "pop" the announcer blows a loud blast on the fog horn.

When the last balloon has been punctured George retires without
acknowledging the applause of the Indians.

The next act is announced as Helen of Troy in "Six Minutes of Beauty".
Priscilla learns from the announcer that "this little lady is out of
'Irony' by Theodore Dreiser".

"All ready, Helen--"

The "little lady" appears.

She is somewhat over six feet six in height and built like a
boilermaker. She is dressed in pink tights.

"Six Minutes of Beauty" begins when Helen picks up three large iron
cannon balls and juggles them. She tosses them in the air and catches
them cleverly on the back of her neck.

The six minutes are brought to a successful conclusion when Helen,
hanging head downward by one foot from a trapeze, balances lighted lamp
on the other foot and plays Beethoven's Fifth Symphony on the slide
trombone.

The announcer then begins his lecture. Priscilla has by this time gotten
used to the overpowering roar of his voice and she discovers that once
this difficulty is overcome she is tremendously impressed by his words.

She becomes more and more attracted to the man. She listens, fascinated,
as his lecture draws to a close and he offers his medicine for sale. She
presses forward through the crowd of Indians surrounding the stand. She
reaches the tent. She gives her coin and receives in return a bottle.
She hides it in her cape and hurries home.

She slips in the back way; she pours some of the medicine into a glass;
she drinks it.

V

A terrible overwhelming nausea. Vomiting, which lasts for agonizing
minutes, leaving her helpless on the floor.

Then cessation.

Then light--blinding light.

VI

At 3:10 Priscilla drank the Mencken medicine; at 3:12 she was lying in
agony on the floor; at 3:20 she opened her eyes; at 3:21 she walked
out o