Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-22

move. He then rose, and rather dragged his
feet than walked forward.
"That is n terrible weight" he murmurcd.
God help me if"
The loud applause drowned the rest of the
sentence.
He looked at the audience with a vague ap-
prehension-his lip quiyering.
II shall now-ladies and gentlemen that
my little BOY mean Master Juan Her
nandez-he will"
The words were uttered in a low tone. His
eyes were injected with blood. lie pointed
to the curtain, and the boy ran and lowered
it. When il again rose the heavy hundred
pound weights had been removed, and weights
of lesser size had replaced them. Sehor Her
nandez was seated in a chair which he had
brought upon the stage There was some
thing still and dreamy in his look.
Master Juan-thc infant prodigy will
now lift five hundred weight
The words came in a murmur. The boy
appeared from behind the curtain. There
was a scared look upon his face At n sign
from his father he went and took one Of the
weights and handed it to the audience who,X
amined it.
twenty-five good pounds said the gen
tleman who handed it back. "You are not
going to attempt lifting those twenty twenty
five pound weights little boy -
The child who was looking at his father
with the same scared expression. started, took
the weight, replaced it on the platform, and
initiating exactly the attitude Of Sehor Her
nandez, lifted the platform with his shoulders
and back, apparently with ease Amid the
applause, Sehor Hernandez, who had become
extremely pale, rose unsteadily to his feet,
approached the foot-lghts and said in a low
voice
Ladies and gentlemen, this ends the per
formance.'
Juanita had come TO his side. looking at
him with frightened expression and Juan
came to his other side. lie placed his arms
around them and said. in a faltering voice.
Il thank you, my friends for your kind
ncss-and bid You farewell"
He stopped down and kissed the children.
A great sob came from him, With a faint
movement of the hand he pointed to the cur
tain, which the children ran and lowered As
it fell, the Sehor Hernandez sunk into the
chair again.
30 papa papa" cried the girl. running to
him. What is the matter =
He was breathing heavily.
This is my last performance. dear he
sobbed you will only have your mother
soon"
She burst into tears, not even understand
ing.
The laughter and shuflling feet of the audi
ence Were heard as they dispersed
H.
one person only remained. lie was "a tall.
austcre, gay-whiskercd individual, a certain
Mr. Bradshaw, justice of the peace. and gen
cral regulator Of the town Of W.
llc went up the steps to the platform, rails
ed the curtain. and saw before him Schor
Hernandez, seated with au arm around each
Of his children
"A word with YOU, sir If agreeable" said
Mr. Bradshaw, stifiy.
The Sohor Hernandez raised his heavy eyes
and looked with vague surprise at the mirud-
tr.
The purpose Of this interview. sir
ahcln' said Mr. Bradshaw, clearing his
throat and speaking in an important tone, lis
to say that with my CONSENT say my con
sent, sir this performance shall not be re-
peated'
shall not be repeated" rc-echocd Her
nandez in a dreamy tone.
Not if | can prevent it," growled Mr.
bradshaw. Il am a magistrate, sii If had
my way the whole race Of jugglers would be
kicked out of this place But one thing can
do. l can prevent you from openly violating
a statute of this commonwealth
"A statute - murmured Hernandez, faint
ly.
The statute made and provided. forbid
ding cruelty TO children, suborduates and an
imals. If you are the father Of that child
that boy who performed tonight you are u
wretch i say wretch
"A wretch II: yes. | am his father
murmured Hernandez.
You have forced him, from greed of mon
| cy, to lift fce GuHdrod pouhdS from base
uumanly greed Five hundred pounds
mere child II is disCacoful, sir ~
! Hernandez shook his head
"A child cannot lift five hundred pounds,
he said in a low voice
What do you mean p
Hernandez rose with difficulty went to the
| platform, andbrought back one of the weights.
which he handed to Mr.. Bradshaw. II was
pasteboard mould shaped and colored to rep
resent an iron twenty y-hve-pound wcight-its
| real weight few ounces
"A sham "a deception this is more dis
/ graceful than ever exclaimed Mr.. Brad
/ shaw.
Hernandez had resumed his seat
so be it, he said family. But will
! explain this-the explanation is easy. ! am
| juggler-this is part of my jugglery. 1t is
my trade to deceive. If you doubt that, why
! did you come here tonight, sir? You come,
! you say, to protest against cruelty. | am
this child's father-can father be cruel
| Ask yourself that, if You are father. l
would not have replaced those paper moulds
with real weights for all the gold on earth"
He rose, tottering
II am fatigued. he said worse than IA
tigued-but that does not concern you. Give
yourself no further trouble This perform
ance wllnot bcrepoated here or elsewhere
any more
lie bowed, and drawing his children TO him,
disappeared behind the curtain, leaving Mr..
| Bradshaw standing in the middle of the stage.
III.
Hernandez Travelled from place to place in
a sort Of van covered with oil-cloth and drawn
by two horses. This enabled him to give
| performances in villages off the railway routes
Reaching W, lie had placed his van and
horses at a livery stable, and installed his
family in house of private entertainment on
| back street
About midnight lie was seated in cham
Der of this house He was dressed in plain
black At the opposite corner of the FIRE
place a woman of about thirty y-tiye was lean
ing back in an armchair. She was not very
pleasant woman to look Mt. Her face was
sallow, and the corners of her mouth We're
drawn down-a sign Of habitual ill-humor.
Dressed in black, with her caw-like fingers
extended upon the arms of her chair, she re-
sembled a raven-all the more as her express
sion told you she could croak.
In a little bed, near a larger one the chill
'dren We're, or seemed to be, asleep-their lit
tie beads resting upon the same pillow. At
their feet was Alcofribus also asleep.
As to Hernandez and his wife, they seemed
to have been talkng-and not in n very cheer
full fashion. His face wore its habitual ex-
preston of noble patience, but the woman's
was very different She had in fact been
snarlng.
''Well," she said after moment, ''you
have heard what l had to say-and it is not
the first time"
mo, not the first time, Ellen" he said,
sadly.
She firted her head irritably.
That is always the way with you" she
snapped; you say nothing, but your face
tells me plainly enough what you think
say it is a shame to bring the children up to
this jugglery business Especially Fanny
Non seem TO forget one thing-thnt she is q