The Portland daily press., 1881-05-27
The Showman's Ghost.
[Relgravia.l


1t rained on an August night in an En-
glish seaport town as English summer skies
know how to rain The tempest had gath
cred suddenly after weeks of sultry weather,
and the clouds burst in deluge. The great
drops fell with a sound of continuous thun-
der on the canvas roof of Solomon Varley's
show, but the proprietor of that establish
ment was filled with satisfaction. The sud
den storm, although it had dispersed the
crowd in front, had fastened one-half of the
people inside, and Solomon had such a
house as he had'rarely seen. 1t was feeding
time, and double prices being charged at
that hour, Mrs. Varley at the seat of GUS
tom had reaped fourfold silver harvest.
The tent was well illuminated, but every
now and again the lightning glared through
the canvas, and some of the kingli-
er sort of beasts answered t he following
thunder thunderously. There was certain
sort of majesty in being proprietor OF wild
beast show under such circumstances, and
Solomon was in his glory.
Suddenly his wife came in with shawl
over her head, and forced her way through
the crowd. Solomon, seeing that she made
toward him, went easily to meet her. She
was pale, and breathed hard, and, clutching
him by the arm with both hands, she
gasped out the words:
"Jennie's gone"
ION night like thisv' said Solomon.
'She'll catch her death"
''She's gone, Sol, she's gone" cried the
mother, almost screaming.
what dye mean?' asked Solomon. Peo-
pie began to stare at them. "Come out O
this" he said, and selling her by the arm,
he forced his way through the crowd to the
outer platform. The train came down in
straight-ruled, glittering lines, blurring the
lights in the shops opposite. One binding
flash of lightning fell as Solomon and his
wife came upon the platform, and a tremen-
dous roar of thunder followed
''Now, what's the matter?" he asked.
when the awful sound had rolled itself
away.
The woman wrung her hands and moan
ed.
''She's gone, Sol, she's gonew was all the
answer she conld make.
"What dye mean?' cried the Snowman,
refusing to recognize meaning
''Oh, Sol, dear Solp' she cried, clinging to
him and breaking into tears.
Come alongr' cried Solomon, shaking
himself free and Selling her arm again.
'Come alongr' He hurried her through the
peltinglrain to the house on wheels. Now,
what's the matter"'
'sSolr cried his wife waving her hands up
and down like a mad woman; ''she's run
away"
Solomon's face was white beneath its
bronze already, bnt at that cruel stab he
turned CHASTITY, and his hands dropped at his
sides like lead
Here's a note,'' cried the distracted
mother, now fumbling at her dress and wav-
ing her hands wildly. "Here's a note she
left behind. Oh, Sol! oh, my poor Sol, as
loved her like dear good soul! Don't break
your heart-don't break your hearth And
saying this, she cast her arms about him,
and swooned and lost all knowledge of her
agony for little while. Solomon laid her
gently down, land stood over her like statue.
A step came up the ladder, but he did not
hear it. A hand was laid upon his shoulder
and he turned. There stood Jim, his faith
full assistant, wild-eyed, dripping wet, and
as pale as death.
''She knowsq" said the man, half recoilng
a. the sight of the PROSTATE figure.
"Yes," said Solomon, ''she knows"
81 see her co." painted Jim, for he was
out of breath with running. l follered,
thinking somethin' was the matter to take
her out on such night as this" A flash
of lightning heralded a peal of thunder over
head, and the Snowman could only see his
moving lips, but heard ;nothing more until
the noise had rolled away. 1 could see as
they was a-makin' for the Kings Dock or
else for the South Pier, an l run like mad,'
but 1 lost sight of 'em. 1t was that ere
young gentleman with the straw hat who's
beeu a-leafing around here lately"
Solomon heard this, but returned no
word. When it was all spoken he moved
slowly away, and, taking up a glass, poured
water into it from brown pitcher, and then
sat down beside his wife and moistened her
lips and temples.
"Ain't you a-goin' to do nothing?' cried
Jim. Amt you a-goin' 90 foller her to the
worlds end? Amt you a-goln' to catch
that Teller if you travel till you're gray afore
you do it and twist his wicked neck for
him? That's what Pm a-goin' to do. mas
ter"
Mrs. Varley's daughter bore the name of
Virginia, indifferently shortened to Vrgie
or Jennie, according to fancy. She had en-
joyed the advantages of finishing school,
and was very shy and pretty She was shy
even with her parents, to whose wandering
home she had returned with her pretty head
stuffed with the lifelike romances of this
favored age.
Sign of the White Horse. A chalky quad
ruped with very stiff legs-if you might
judge by the disturbed action of his name
and tail, under strong electric influences
that was the White Horse. He was wood
emily electrified, if l may be allowed the
wedged very tightly into sky of improba-
Die blue. A slight warping of the board,
due to climatic influences, had beheaded
the White Horse, and the painter, as if in
anticipation OF that effect, had bestowed
upon his countenance backward look of
feeble aslonishment. Below the sign, a
low window with a comfortable red blind in
it. Behind the window, room with sand
ed floor and sawdust-stored spittoons and
heavy tables with berry circles on them and
crossed clay pipes. About one of the tables
half dozen men, solemnly drinking and
telling ghost stories in broad daylight. The
gentleman in the battered white hat and
belcher tie, was the proprietor of that
light of nature, the six-legged horse,
and the employer and exhibitor of the
spotted lady. The gentleman in the fur
cap, the rabbit skin waistcoat, and the red
handkerchief, was the owner of the swing
ing boats on the village green outside, as
yet unpacked, and waiting for to-morrow's
fair. The seedy man in seedy black, whose
skin was so curiously loose about the region
of his eyes, was professional sword swal-
lower. The gentleman with the red nose
and 5ibulous eye, wherein much beer had
left unquenched the light of the native
hnmor, was sole owner of Bolko's unpara-
lelled wax-work exhibition. The other two
were showmen also and recognizable any
where.
Five listened while the red-nosed man
with the bibulous eye talked.
''Th'on'y ghost as ever knowed to haunt
Snowman was my brother Bill's own pri-
vatc property" the red-nosed man was say
ing; ''he was in-the wax-work line afore me,