The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-03-28

having dared until then to formulate his
dream, he would cling to it with an in.
vincible obstinncy.
ayes, Boum- Bouml Boum- Bouml /
want Boum- Boum ~
The mother had seized in her nervous
ness Jacquess hand and said in q low
voice, as though she were out of her
wits: "What does that mean, Jacquesl
Oh, 1t is ell over with him"
But the father had on his rough face
a smile that was almost happy. And
bewildered smile also-the smile of a
condemned man who detects a possible
chance for liberty. Boum- Boum He
well remembered the Easter morning
when he had taken Francois to the cir
Gus. He had still in his ears the child's
great burst of Joy, his hearty laugh-the
laugh of an amused youngster-whe
the clown, the splendid clown, all spot
ted with gold, with a sparkling, many
colored dress, on the back of which was
set a big brown butterfly, performed his
antics in the ring, played tricks on the
riding master, or held himself motionless
on the ground, his head down and his
feet in the air, or threw up to the chan
delier his soft felt hat and caught it
adroitly on his head, and where the men
formed pyramid; and at each trick,
like the refrain of a song, lighting up
his big, droll, bright face, the clown ut
tered the same cry, repeated the same
word, accompanied sometimes by a roll
of drums-Boum- Boum!
Boum- Bouml and every time that it
came round, Boum- -Boum the whole cir
Gus burst out in bravos, and the little
one laughed his heartiest Boum- Bouml
1t was this Boum- -Boum, the clown of the
circus, the man who entertained good
part of the city, that he wanted to see,
the little Francois, and that he might
not have and might not see, because he
was there, sick and weak, in his white
bed
That evening Jacques Legrand brought
to the child jointed clown with span
giles sewed on all over, that he had
bought at high price, the price, in fact,
OF four days work. But he would have
given twenty, thirty days, years labor
to bring back smile to the pale lips of
the sick boy. The child looked for a
minute at the toy as it shone on the white
bedclothes, then, sadly:
at is not Boum- -Boum! want to see
Boum- Boumm
All! if Jacques could have wrapped
him in his quilt. carried h m off, taken
him to the circus, shown him the clown
dancing under the lighted chandelier
and said to him: There is Boum-
Boum!n
He did better than that, this good
Jacques. He went to the circus, he
asked for the clowns address, and tim
idly, with limbs weakened by emotion
he mounted step by step the staircase
that led to the home of the artist at
Montmartre. 1t was very bold what he
had come to do there, this man Jacques
But after ali actors are willing to go and
play, to recite monologues in the drawing
rooms of five people. Perhaps the clown
oh, if he only would may be willing
to come and say good morning to Fran
co.'s. What mattered it how they re-
ceived him, Jacques Legrand, at Boum-
Boum's homel
1t was no longer Boum -Bouml 1t was
NJ. Moraine, who, in the rooms of an
artist, among books, engravings, an
artistic elegance making a choice back
ground to a charming man, who received
jacques in his office like that of physi-
clan. Jacques stared, did not recognize
the clown, and turned his soft hat over
and over in his hands. The other waited.
Then the father excused himself. 1t was
surprising what he had just asked-it
could not be done-pardon, excuse me
but in fact it related to the little boy.
"a fine little boy, monsieur! and so in
telligentl Always the first in his class,
excepting in arithmetic, which he did
not understand. A dreamer, this little
fellow, do you see2 Yes, a dreamer.
And the proof-there. the proof" and
Jaques hesitated. stammered, and then
plucked up courage and abruptly said
"The proof is that he wants to see you,
that he thinks only of you, and if you
were there before him, like star that he
would like to have, and if he looked"-
and the father, whose face was wan and
sallow with his great care, stopped, and
great drops of sweat stood on his brow.
He did not dare to look at the clown,
who stood there with his eyes fixed on
the workman.
And what would Boum -Boum say to
himY Would he send him away, take
him for a fool, put him out of the housel
"You liveln asked Boum- Boum.
Ou, very near. AuS ueS ADDCSSeN,
"Very WELL" said the other. HE
wants to see Boum- Boum, you sayl All
right, he shall see Boum- Boum! !"
III.
When the door opened before the
clown, Jacques Legrand cried out cheer
ingly to his boy: "Now, Francois, be
satisfied, you roguel See, there is
Boum- BOumm
And into the child's face there came
happy light He raised himself in his
mothers arms and turned his head
toward the two men, looked for mo-
ment to see who was this gentleman in
the frock coat at his father side, the
gentleman whose good, jolly face was
then smiling on him, and whom he did
not know; and when they said to him
THAT is Boum- Boumr' he fell back
slowly, sadly, with his head turned to
the pillow and lay there with his eyes
fixed, his big blue eyes that saw beyond
the walls of the little bedroom and that
looked for, that were always looking for
Boum-Boum's spangles and butterfly as
a lover pursues his dreams.
"No,' replied the child, with a voice
no longer dry, but distressed; mo
that is not Boum-Boum
The clown. standing near the little
bed, bent profound gaze on the face of
the sick little man, grave look, but of
ksvaaN NWn,ur 10 al. 81 L. g.