The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-23

4
| 1t wasn't even street.
Granddaughter, said Billy, "you prom
Use me to nave your chair wheeled on
into this balcony, and be sitting here a
II O'Clock, and then, at any rate, perhaps
i-youl ii hear the music"
"Oh, 1t wouldn't be worth while" sal,
his grandmother. 1T would only be al
Then you do wish you could see it! ;,
around her chair on his hands now.
Billy! Billy! You'll get the blood il
your head.'
well, you promise me- as he came III
smiling and red. TN feel a great dea
easier, Grandmother, if l think at an!
they'll likely play .Boom-de-ays Gimmm,
a nickel, Grandmother Oh. l say. :
wish all the fellows had such grand
mother as your
There was twinkle, a strange de
lighted twinkle in Blly's eye, as rs
went out singing the last chaste versele
that had caugth his ready ear, with it:
burden concerning a bicycle built fol
two. But once outside the house, silence
took the place of song, and Billy was
running almost as fast as the bicycle
could go, to the Belt line of cars which
would carry him outside the town.
1t was a reSOlute urchin that, a half.
hour later, was knocked about from one
employe to another in the.t busy universe
of the circus field, which seemed to him
| the great world itself, where the gayly-
caparisoned horses were paving, and the
elephants were stepping ponderously to
| the front, an urchin that would not take
no for an answer, and who, at the sight
! of the kneeling and grunting camels, and
the strange Arabs mounting them, all at
tonce made q dart from the clutches OF
the last man who had caught him by the
COLLAR to kick him out and landed in the
presence of the great man himself.
| oh. SIR" he cried, painting almost
| breathless, climbing up the steps of the
victoria. az want to tell you about my
| Grandmother
MY dear child" said the Proprietor OF
the Greatest Show on Earth,~.'I have no
time to hear about your Grandmother"
But you must" cried Billy. "Yeu must
hear! She's my grandmother. She's"
Now my little lad, get right down from
there! The horses might start and break
your neck"
Il will-just as soon as"
'sNowI Don't you see I'm very busy?
Don't you see the Greatest Show on Earth
is just starting-here, Charley, take this
boy away''
But before Charley or any one else
could interfere, Billy had climbed into the
'.What sort of persistent little rascal
are ?"exclaimed the Proprietor.
"Oh give the kid a chance said Char
ley, while Billy stared, too intent to Won
der whether the familiarity were profani-
", or whether this were bigger man
well, now" said the smooth, kind
voice of the burly gentleman on the seat,
:, tell N me in three~words what is it you
Il want the show--the Greatest Show
on .Earth"-said Billy, with quick perspi-
cacity.
TO pass by my grandmother's win
rs it on the route?"
mo. Well, no she isn't. Not-not quite,
you know. She's-about-a mile-only
just mile away. In Library Close. And
she can't come here. She can't get out of
her chair. you know. And she can't see
it pass" his words coming like torrents,
and his eyes as big as the lens in the
white ostrichs eyes "And she never saw
parade. in her life-truly-iu Think
"You don't mean So said the gentle
In this enlightened age" said Charley,
as he gave his long whip a. flourish that
brought the snapper under ! his i,,t thumb
rushed on. She's the best grandmother
there ever was. Say! Didn't you ever
have a grandmother? Then you know
anything 10 have her see the parade-only
1 don't suppose I've got anything you
want" with narrowing melancholy for
Inspiration, I'D do some work for you!
I'd help fix the tents, I'd feed the animals
Say, 1t must be great fun travelling
with them, amt it? Just IKE the folks IN IN
Rebecca! A boy could pass the peanuts
Bit my grandmother remembering
himself, she has to sit in her chair all
day, and she only sees things that, come
to her, and I'd like to have her see the pa
rade first rate, and you look as II you
would. too"
out of the question. Here, Charley, take
the little fellow"
Il know it's deal to ask" cried Billy,
quickly slipping to the other SIDE OF the
that's why 1 ask it. You like TO do
And you give pleasure to lots
of people. But there won't be one of them
take so much pleasure. in this parade as
my grandmother would. For she knows
all about camels and elephants and the
Bible and soldiers and wild beasts and
Don't you think you could go a mile out
of your way for once, to give my poor old
such a chance? l should
feel so mean to go to the circus and think
of her at home, and 1 do so want her to
see all she can of tits so hard to sit
there in her chair all day, and I've heard
with sick folks than she ever was in bed.
and she always has peppermint for
fellow and l made her promise to have
her chair wheeled , out IN, me ne. baieony at
ing To ask you for fear she might be dis.
appointed, though / knew you would If
you could. but just to hear the music and
prisedi Perhaps Billy dubbed on, you
DIDN'T always do the square thing by your
grandmother, and now you've got
cnance 10 make IL up 10 nef- ,
"Oh, here here, here!' cried the pro-
prietor. breaking the space in Billy's
eye. Let US stop this flood of
or the afternoon perform
ance Will be late. He's a whole show
and the posters himself-a new feature;
What's your name, boy? Billy McKilly?
Well, Billy McKilly, sit right down here
by me! Everything ready, Charley?
The word given? Go ahead, them" And
when the procession moved down the
road, and wound it's way into Capitol
street, there sat Billy with the proprietor
his blue eyes beaming out of his brown
amazement and joy, leading the whole |
business.
Proud moment, Proud Billy! Oh
proud, glad Billy Proud little boys |
along the way who knew Billy, and
knew him for one of themselves, Billy at
that emnence, that dizzy pitch of great |
ness, They hurrahed for the proprietor. |