The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-03-31
Queen Bess at the, Circus.
TChamber's Journal

We were to perform an equestrian specta-
Gle entitled The Tournament; or, Kenil-
worth Castle in the Days of Good Queen
Bess." For the professional portion OF the
entertainment we had TO engage the services
of large number of supernumeraries, and,
of course, it was highly desirable that the
Virgin Queen, who naturally constituted a
chief attraction in the piece, should be wor-
thily represented by handsome woman of
good presence and selfpossessed bearing.
Walking down Butte street one day, CHANGED
to espy, serving in fruiterer's shop,
good-looking woman, who, judging from her
fAultless style while engaged in supplying
her customers with the luscious fruits around
her, seemed to be well qualified to sustain
the regal dignitles / had at my disposal En-
tering the shop, 1 made small purchase,
asked few casual questions, and then, as
adrotly as 1 could, introduced the subject
which lay uppermost in my thoughts AT
first the maiden was coy and required lit
tie rhetorical pressure. So pictured to her
the beautiful costumes in which the lords
and ladies of her retinue would be dressed,
and finally described in glowing colors the
gorgeous apparel that she, the Maiden Queen,
would wear. My sartorial appeal proved
successful. The lady consented to take the
part-though, quietly speaking, 1 thought it
was the part" that had taken hel She at
| tended a rehearsal, was highly gratifed at
the stage homage she received, and seemed
carried into a seventh heaven of delight
| when seated on her throne surrounded by
her attendants, ready, like so many slaves, to
do her queenly bidding. On the first night
| of the piece everything went well until the
| close. i had already passed out of the ring
| toward the front of the final procession, and
had retired to my dressing room to prepare
for the next portion of the entertainment,
when suddenly Mr.. emmett, the proprietor of
our circus, rushed in greatly excited and ex-
claimed breathlessly: There's that stupid
fool of woman still sitting on her throne"
1 immediately fastened to the ring doors
| when, to my CONSERVATION and dismay, l
saw the Queen seated composedly on her
throne; not a soul with her, and the boys in
the gallery pelting her vigorously with or
ange peel. beckoned to her to 'come off,"
but she seemed to have lost all presence of
mind, and sat stolidly there, occasionally
do1ging some of the larger pieces of peel,
which threatened the integrity of her won
| derful headgear, and the enormous ruff round
| her neck. My endeavors to attract her at
tention being fruitless, sent one Of the
| grooms to fetch her off her throne; and then,
| amid roars of laughter, and with greetings
from all parts of the house, her gracious
majesty gathered up her royal robes about
her, and made an undignifed bolt out of the
| ring. An explanation of the ''hitch' was
afterward forthcoming. Harry Ginnett-
the brother of my employer-whose duty it
was, as the Earl of Leicester, to lead the
| Queen off the throne and retire at the close
| of the procession, had, for joke, whispered
to her that she was to stay there till sent
/ for.