Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-05-09
They called him Picotin.

They called him Picotin.
1t was not his real name Nobody
knew whether he had real name
or not, but it was of no consequence,
for he was only a clown.
Poor Picotin He had been tum-
bling about inside the circus-ring ever
since he could remember. How he
first came into 1t no one could tell any
more than himself, except very deaf
old sweeper, who recollected that Ii
trainer had brought him there as a
mere baby, capable of being balanced
on the tip of an acrobat's toe, or quiet
ly folded up in a travelling-bag From
this initial stage of n performer, and
from lisping droll impertinences, the
boy developed gradually into a first-rate
clown, but. like many another mirth-
provoking genius, Picotin was sad and
solitary in his ways.
With a heart that yearned for SYM
pathy, for affection, he found himself
doomed to appear ridiculous even
when he most wished to be serious.
His dolorous face was provocative of
laughter, even without Its paint, his
smallest utterance was greeted as
Joke; for a clown. in the estimation of
most people, must always be merry and
have quips and cranks for everything
under the sun.
Picotin was the prince of testers, yet
he had a history.
OF course there was woman in 1t.
Well, was there ever a life-story yet
worth relating that had not a woman
in 1t of some sort or another?
She was very young, with the face
of a seraph and a slight, rounded fig
d,,.1t 90 plNaIt
swayed to and fro by the wind, as she
balanced herself on the tight-rope
night after night before an admiring
audience A little smile was always
on her lips as If she experienced
joyous delight in the supple grace of
her own 1.-the body, and her starry eyes
shone with the innocence of a child.
Picotin adored her.
One evening, during the performance,
some scnseless person. either drunk or
too fond of a practical joke, let off
several crackers all of n sudden, and
threw squib down into the ring right
at Babinette.
She gave a terrified scream and fell
from the rope. Picotin rushed forward
and received her I'm his arms. The
pretty face was pale beneath its dab of
rouge, and he saw that she had tainted.
Then he carried her out, and, having
left her in the care of some women,
tore up among the seats of the audi
ence. and seized the offender by the
collar
Everyone made way for him as he
hauled the coward into the ring. Once
there, the infuriated clown administer
ed n sound thrashing before the eyes
of the public. The management did
not interfere. seeing that the chastise-
ment was richly deserved, and that 1t
was also applauded
After that Picotin was more popular
than ever
He was also happier: for Babinette
had thanked him prettily, and he had
vCntured to speak to her parents about
his desire to make her his wife. to
which they had consented.
Pretty Babnette, meanwhile, as the
heroine of that exciting episode of the
crackers, had awakened great enthus-
iasm among a set of idle fellows who
were always thrusting their admira-
tion upon her, and when Plcotin threat
ened to thrash them all she laughed in
his face, crunching the bonbons they
had sent her, with teeth sharp and
white as those of little field mouse.
Was it possible thought the poor clown
that this child with the starry eyes was
becoming a mere coarse and vulgar wo-
man, such as the others about themr
But he shuddered at the thought,
thrusting it from him, and waiting
patiently to overcome the petulant dis
taste she seemed to have taken all at
once to the idea of being married.
See, Bab.nette, how much money
they give me. My wife can be quite
fine lady If she chooses" he said to her
one day, In his queer voice, that had a
crack in 1t. and never could be brought
TO murmur soft sentences, such as he
would have liked to caress her ear with,
after the fashion of lover.
Babinette looked wistfully at the gold
pieces. She took them up in her dainty
fingers. and let them drop again into
his palm.
Yes" she answered. making a rose
bud of her mouth. but you-you will
always be a clown"
For the first time in his life the poor
fellow felt degraded in following the
only profession he had ever known. He
did not reflect that her own walk in
life was very similar to his, and that
1t would be solely through him she
would be at liberty to quit It, which
he was quite determined she should do
on becoming his wife. He was too
much In love to reflect at ALL he was
simply conscious OF some vague sense
of injustice.
A few days after that he was stroll
ing in one of the public gardens when
a murmur of voices caught his ear. In
a shady side path he saw couple of
young lovers seated on a bench hand
in hand, and gazing into each others
eyes. He would have walked on be-
hind them without paying further at
tentlon had not the girl turned her