Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-04-22


by wire.
PhiIosophic and Bohemian Forrest
Marsh was shaken when he received
the news. as he was penniless and awl-
wardly placed Ten days before he had
arrived at the little Mississippi river
town, when at the hour of his expected
departure he had received telegram
from the general agent in advance in
structing him to wait orders" And
he had waited without hearing further
from his superior.
1t was a dull place to be hanging
about in for ten days. The majority of
the inhabitants were Germans, and the
hotel at which he was stopping was
combined with brewery, the proprie-
tor OF which was 4 gruff old fellow with
the voice of a basso profundo, and very
much of tyrant in his way.
The only person about the premises
who seemed to have control or influence
over the brewer and landlord was his
pretty blonde daughter, Lena, and when
he got into one of his cultural tantrums
she would wind her plump arms about
him and lead him captive.
On occasions the ruler of the tavern
and brewery had an interval Of good
humor, and at such times he would in
vite his order-stayed guest to join him
in beer, and frequently Lena, too,
would take a l1liner.
Forrest Marsh was quite skilled al
the piano, and when the old man was
in good humor he would thump out q
German waltz as Lena tripped about tho
room.
The writer of circus literature svhiled
away the time as best he could trying
to preserve his patience and wondering
what was up. Perhaps they were go
ing to ''tal1e up the stands" ahead; but
what was the use of eonjec turing? He
was obeying orders and had nothing to
do but make the best of the situation.
Forrest Marsh had another annoyance
besides the delay. On his arrival his
finances were in low state, and when
the telegram from his manager arrived
informing him of the end he was bank
rupt
No matter how many times he read
over the telegram, the fact remained,
he was stranded, but he would return
to the show.
He examined his railroad pass and
made discovery which quite took his
breath away. 1t did not call for re-
turn trip. 1t should have done so, for
it is often necessary that the principal
agents of circus have the privilege of
passing up and down the line.
Marsh's long stay at the hotel had
been surprise to its proprietor, but
the show was billed, and other agents
and the bill posters and programmers
had come and gone, else the landlord
would have long before called on the
sojourner for an explanation or set
tlement.
When the press agent did make an
explanation, as he was forced to, the
German fairly exploded and filed the
air with mixture of oaths rarely
heard, even in the tavern or the
brewery in his widest moods, winding
up by denouncing his guest as
''swindler.''
And when he yelled "swindler!" you
could have heard it half over the town.
Denhard's misfortune had bequeathed
as a memory good big bill for the en-
tertainment of his advance, and the
fury of the loser was visited upon the
head of the unfortunate Forrest Marsh
In his rage the old man might have
done the young man violence but for
the opportune arrival of Lena, who ex-
ercised her wits, and, when he had
cooled down bit, said:
Papa, you are unreasonable. Poor
fellow, you can't blame him; it is not
his fault"
WELL il it isn't hish fault" returned
the father, 'he had not peter not go
away from here"
thundered:
"You stay right here! Don't you dare
TO go avayl"
Marsh had expected to be turned out
of doors, and the command furnished
some satisfaction, even though it was
uttered in anger.
The next day the circus man in dis
tress was put in a small room under
the roof and became a handy man
about the premises instead of a guest
There was plenty to do about the hotel
and the brewery, and the way that the
proprietor kept him hazing was weary
ing.
But the prisoner had place to sleep
and enough to eat, and there was some
consolation in that When the victim
was not too tired he would laugh to
himself at his dilemma. BY the end of
a week the old man had experienced a
change in his temper and even deigned
to address the captive graciously.
AS the boss good humor grew, For
rest March gained in the stern, old
Dutchman's good graces, and, being
ready and willing and apt besides, he
proved so useful to the jailer-not en-
ployer-that one day he heard the
father remark to the daughter:
dot fellow is pretty smart fellow,
Lena, tear; so he ish, py jimmy"
AS the retained and detained guest
won favor in the eyes of the father. he.
too, grew in the esteem of the fair
haired daughter.
1t was not long before it was Forrest
here and Forrest there all over the
place. Forrest could do everything;
every body wanted him, and never was
there a more willing helper than the
factotum.
One night over his pipe and beer the
stern old fellow unbent as Lena and the |
young man sang to the latters accom-
paniment, and when the little festivi-
ties came to an end, the ruler of the es-
tablishment broke out:
mister Marsh"
He had never addressed the young |
man so formally before, and Forrest |
priclzed up his ears to listen to what fol- |
lowed
when you vas fist come here and |
no pay your hotel bill, I vas purity |
mad of you: put ven got me over dot |
mad say myself to myself dot vas not
your fault but dot fault of dot circus vot |
got bust up"
"oh, that's all right" returned Marsh,
deprecatingly.
"Nein, neIn," protested the old man,
ut vos all wrong, put makes dot right |
nit you; tomorrow we have some talk.
Good night"
With that the old man tramped off |
to bed, leaving the young folks to chat |
until the mothers call of LENA" warned |
them that the time was getting into the
small hours.
On the morrow very satisfactory |
arrangement was made with Forrest
Marsh and he was at once placed in the
position Of paid employe, and it was
but short time before the young man
was next to the throne" and the
moving and active spirit about the
double establishment