The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-06-23

thet's ALL done bet away every cent Of
ourn an the childern's circus money on
fool game o. cyards--yander. Lord"
he ended with groan. A single wild wall
burst from Polly Maria and the boys. Then
they huddled against their mothers skirts
In mute agony.
A faint flush passed over Mrs. Pinson's
thin face, and the light faded from her dark
eyes.
"'Tain't no diffunce, Newt" she said,
lightly, catching the baby from Becky's
limp and nerveless arms. "Jes we hitch up,
quick ez ye kin, an leg get outn this here
bigaty town. Me an the Children air plumb
beat out wi these stuck-up townfolks, any
howl"
Newt stared at her in silence, and slouchcd
away. Her gaze followed him to the rear Of
the wagon; when he wns beyond the reach
Of her voice she whirled around and blazed
in threatening half-whisper: "Ef ary one
O. ye says word to yer paw bout this here
misfortin o. hisn, or bout hankerin' alter
the show; er ef ary one o. ye amt thet
gamesome an lively LAX OF ef they WANT no
sech q thing ez a circus, er clown, or a
el'phunt in this here livin' workshops ye
bawn I'll shet the do In Sam Leggett's face
an cowhide the balance o. ye twel yc can't
set down fer weclt!"
Becky's ruddy cheeks grew pale. Eyes,
nnaw," she returned in subdued tone.
Eyes, maw," echoed Polly Maria and the
boys, stolidly, not without squeezing back
some ungamesome tears, however, as they
stood in row against the Baptist church
and watched their father bring around
jimmy and old Baldy.
Had they only known it, they might have
seen, while they waited, the Lilliputian Lady
and the Fat Woman go by in a shaly hack
with torn curtains, and descend before the
painted flaps Of one of the side shows. But
they did not know.
The wagon was turned around; they
climbed over the wheels and settled them
selves under the dingy cover. AS they
moved slowly across the silent square
tremendous shout from the spectators
within the tent, and pompous fanfare from
the brass band, announced that the Grand
Entry had begun.
Newt stallsed along beside the tired team
downcast and miserable "I've even fergot
wher' 1 lef' the childerns' ginger cake" he
muttered to himself as his mind went over
and over the incidents Of that fatal halfn
hour. .ft t..tf
A curious hilarity prevailed that night
around the little campfire. Mrs Pinson,
usually silent almost to taciturnity, had be-
come all ut once loquacious. She painted to
the family y-circle in glowing colors the pride
and wickedness Of town-folks; she pictured
the denunciatory wrath of Brother Skaggs
when he should learn that perfessin' men,
bers of Sloan Church had been inside of u
circus tent; she related the experience of
sundry sinners who had been overtaken by
divine vengeance while in the very act Of
laughing at the antics of the clown; she
even lifted up her voiceandsang some paritc
ularly fiame-and- birthstone promising hymn
tunes. Becky, mindfulof Sam Leggett away
off in Kansas, seconded her efforts to keep
the general cheerfulness up to proper pitch
If it showed signs Of tagging, however, a
warning look, shot from beneath their
mothers dropping eyelids, acted like a
charm on Polly Maria and the boys.
Newt, who sat mournfully hugging his
knees at first, and gazing into space,
presently caught the infection himself and
when, finally, he unrolled a patch-quilt and
threw himself thereon, closing his eyes in
peaceful slumber, it was almost with the
conviction that the five dollars had been
well lost in keeping perfessin' family out
Of the worldly and souldestroying circus
tent.
Mrs. Pinson, sitting alone by the smoul.
dering fire with the baby in her arms,
looked at his unconscious face upturned in
the dim moonlight; her gaze travelled slowly
from one muffled, indistinct form huddled
under the shadow of the wagon to another;
she sighed heavily, and her face relapsed
into its usual somber expression. ~
wisht-" she muttered; then after long
pause as she stretched herself on the quilt
beside her slumbering spouse and wrapped
the baby's feet in an old shawl, she conclu.
ded with a little touch of triumph in her
| whispered tones: "Anyhow, hev seen the
elphunt's trackp'-.N. T.. Davis in Harper.
Weekty,