Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-06-15

Newt, mechanically wiping the per-
spiration from his forehead, and back
ing against the court house fence,
where he leaned fairly exhausted with
the variety and novelty of his emo
tions. 1.-The haffn hour mus be nigh
bout up Dinged eff | amt glad"
he continued, letting the crowd drift
on without him to where the health
lift man was exhorting the cautious
ranchmen to ''try the machine, try
the wonderful machine, gentlemen.
Excellent for the constitootionl Only
five cents triul. Try the machine;;"
and the reckless cowboys were
emptyiDg their pockets at the invita-
of the vender of prize boxes.
Curious game that, SIR" said
smooth voice at his elbow. He look.
ed around, startled. A seedy but re-
spectacle looking parsonage was
standing by him with his arms cross
ed On the low fence. He jerked his
head as he spoke toward little knot
Of men hanging around the stile-steps
leading into the weed-grown conrt
house yard.
Newt walked over and looked on.
1t was simple enough looking game
at cards. An innocent faced looking
little fellow with black hair and cur
ly mustache was manipulating the
! greasy deck. The bet was five dol
lars. Two countrymen, unknown to
Newt, with suspiciously stiff white
collars above their coarse hickory
shirts, and scrupulously clean finger
nails, won successfully five dollars,
and the dealer, much chagrined,
seemed on the point of giving up.
Newt made half step forward.
His heart was beating violently and
the blood was surging in his ears.
"I'm prefessin' member" he argued
mentally with himself, while the
cards were once more shuined and
spread ont, "yit it air jes bout the
easies' thing in creation to tell which
one of them cyards air the right one.
An Nance an nell hey mon time
to trade out the five dollars whence
the show air over. Shucks!
And he counted out and laid down
his handful of dimes and nickels, and
| hazarded bet He bent forward
eagerly, and unconsciously stretched
forth hand. This here monty air
mighty deceivin' game" remarked
the blacksmith, with an air of convic-
| tion as the dealer raked Mr., Pinson's
money into his own pocket and walk
ed jauntily away.
Newt turned about, half dazed by
the suddenness of the whole trans
action, and bewildered by the jeers of
the by ISLANDERS just then, however,
a noisy burst of music from the circus
tents gave the signal for the opening
of the doors; wild rush Immediately
began in that direction, and in few
moments the square was deserted,
except blythe patent medicine man
and the owner of the big umbrella
These ;oked each other loudly, and
slapped significantly their silver
weighed pockets.
Newt passed them with his bead
bent, needless of the sneefing laugh
which they sent after him. AS he
approached the church he saw that
Becky had the baby; she was holding
him up and smoothing the pink calico
skirts over his fat white legs Mrs.
Pinson looked at him with an unwon-
ed sparkle in her solumn black eyes
as he drew near ,and lifted the chunky
Jed in her arms. "She looks lax she
did whence | war a-courin' of her,"
he thought, with sore pang Joe
plunged toward him with a joyous
whoop. Hurry, paw, hurry"
screamed Polly Maria, :'we amt a
goin'to git no seats lessen we hurry"
He put Joe aside roughly and strode
on to his wife His face was set
and hard, though his mouth twiched
convulsively.
"Lord q might, Newt Pinson, what
ails YEP" calculated Mrs. Pinson, let
ting Jed slip from her arms.
"Nothin' amt ailin' me ez | knows
on" be returned, in dry harsh
voice; 1--WE got to go back home
'thout seein' O. the show, thet's all.
| done bet away ever cent of ourn
an the childern's circus money on a
fool game O. cyards-yander, Oh
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. Pin
sons 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 ye hitch up, quick ez ye kin, an
les get outn this here bigaty town.
Me an the Children dir plumb beat
out VII these stuck up townfolks,
anyhow"
Newt stared at her in silence, and
slouched away Her gaze followed
him to the rear of the wagon; when
he was beyond the reach Of her voice
she whirled around and blazed in
IlTed IeuluS Hdu WulopCi. III oiy
one o. ye says word to yer paw
bout this here misfortin o. hisn, or
bout hankerin' after the show; er eff
ary one O. ye amt thet gamesome an
lively lax eZ eff they want no sech
thing ez o circus, er q clown, er
el'phunt in this here livin' worl'-
sho's ye bawn I'll shet the do in Sam
Leggett's face an cowhide the balance
o. we twel ye can't set down fer
week 7"
Becky's ruddy cheeks grew pale
eyes, maw," she returned, in a sub
dued 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
Ji1ny and old Baldy.
Had they only known t,they might
have seen while they waited the..L
putian Lady and the Fat Woman go
by in shaky hack with torn curtains.
and descend before the painted flaps
of one of the side shows. But they