Page:Zodiac stories by Blanche Mary Channing.pdf/172

Rh "I will love you like your little girl!" she whispered, and he felt her warm tears upon his cheek. He held her close a moment.

"But how can you love poor old Alphonse?" he said presently.

"Oh! I love all the world—except Leo," said the child, suddenly remembering the dreaded form in the shadow.

"But if you love me, you must love him, too," said Alphonse. "Once he saved my life when another wild beast tried to kill me. That was a long, long time ago. I used to travel all over Europe with my performing lions in those days."

"Tell me about it," pleaded the child, settling herself comfortably on his knee, her little white-capped head on his shoulder.

"Ah, well! you see the three lions were to jump through a great hoop. Leo first, Sara second, Nero last. Now Nero had a terrible hatred of me and he hated