Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-08-15
rue CLOWNS CONFESSION.

THE CLOWNS CONFESSION.
This is the tale of circus clown, as he
told it me-and how he became one:
| Our troop was not very taking one;
| for apart from Tom, our rope dancer was
40. if a day; and, next to a merriman be-
I ing merry, IN circus 1t Is necessary to
| have Your rope dancer young, for who
would feel interest in seeing an old woman
come down and break her neck? She called
| herself "M,Dnehaha. Our tumbler was
not good, owing to rheumatics, and our
male yaulter, owing to Corpulence and the
wan. of proper costume, was afraid to
exert himself much, fearing to introduce a
new scene into the performances, which.
personally, would have been incor~enlent
Tor hun,
In the beginning of October Tom Stages
was seized with an attack of English
cholra.
lie quite believed he was going to die.
was general help to the company and
turned my hand to anything from nursing
a baby TO going on as the young prince.
nursed him.
''Btler, he said-that was my circus
name, and had almost forgotten that
had any other Bier, y says he, IL don I
know what confession is and what confess
sion ain [; but | know tbs, that can't
lay mere, and 90 off into aingdom come
and not say word ABOUT it. You listen
to me.
II was a mason and about three months
out of my time and was engaged to as
pretty lass as there was ten miles round
I Chester, when, one night about 10, for
eign looking chap knocked at the door and
| said to my landIady: Amt there mason
living here?' only he did not speak such
good English as that.
"The upshot Of it was that went down
stairs and out into the rain with him.
/ Says he, My good fellow, would you like
to earn twenty poundsP
81 laughed.
/" Thirty! he said, and in such a grave
voice that it took all the laugh out OF me.
what am ! to do for it?' ! asked; for
ESQ would have provided furniture and
put to rights the cottage wanted to take
my Bessie to.
:" To brick up doorway
'Where?'
" NO matter where.
| 'When?'
Now.
" But why not in the daytime?' [
asked.
:" Because you are not to see the place
you are to 90 to, and because you will be
taken there bindiold.
. What do you mean?' asked,
." No harm, lac said; adding, disda!n-
! fully, Why, how could we be interested in
doing you harm?'
He spoke uistocratic enough, then, !
! assure YOU
Il hesitated, whereupon be said in a
very sweet anu candid voice, Why not
earn your forty pounds; ] said forty, did
not | =? No one will be any the wiser, and
you will be forty pounds the richer than
! sou otherwise would be.
I'm get my tools. ! said.
"Where was ! taken? | don't know.
! The cab rolled on and on for an hour, with
several stoppages, at each Of which my
companion got out, and made calls; but it
4 is possible he went round and round, At
! last he told me to come out of the cab.
( Bat he shade was not taken off my eyes
until cad been led through several pass
ages and rooms, and had come to what
/ knew WIS a conservatory, by the close
! smell of house roses.
! Then my mask was taken of. Yes
| was in a conservatory leading from a
/ drawing-room. A beautiful woman was
sitting in a chair, and three men, all for
/ eign looking, were standing near door
/ THAT had two panes OF glass in the upper
part, and which appeared to me to be a
! dollhouse for implements used In the con-
4 servatory.
" You must briek W this door and put
! ha "
emily the leader Of the party.
There, near the door, was brick, cement,
mortar, tools, etc.-anything that would
| be wanted.
"'To your work, he said.
Il set to work with my job. The tLresh-
old and sides of the door were solid, &C.
mented brick wefk; and saw that when
/ | had finished my JOB only a builder
would be able to discover by close cxamin-
alton of the building that there was "a tov-
cred up space at that point.
The lady never said q word 49, the
four men behind me uttered not a sound,
but watched me closely. | was a quick
worker and in about half an hour | bad
reached the lower edge Of the two little
panes of glass in the door.
II suppose was agit lted. At all events,
I udDPtHtl W SUNNI INC k4a9of NiAA bhS
pane shivered.
There was a strange combined Hal
from the four men as this incident hap
! pened
The next moment, as was running
the soft mortar along the last laid course
of bricks. beard a chi'd's sob.
81 flung down my rrowel with fright
ened cry and turned upon the five men,
Each had long pOniard in his hand.
The one who had brought me said,
You came Voluntarily with me; you have
/ learnt my secret, and either you are with
us. or Won must die. 1t is right you should
know what has happened. am this wo-
mans husband, and the child past that
door is not mine. OF that have satisfied
myself by the evidence OF four medical men.
/ am the her to a great estate IN Spain,
and these gentlemen are my brothers. To
save the honor Of this woman who, | be-
lieve, was more sInned against than sin
ning-to save her honor, 10 save that OF
these gentlemen, We destroy this child.
4 It ,nffers no pain, and if YOU listen again
you will hear that it Is singing.
il was true; for | could hear that the