The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-07-01
THE LITTLE JESTER,
BY ARTHUR GRIssOM.

mountains in the memory Of the oldest in
habitant, and 1t Is safe to say that "Cap'n"
Toxic Tolliver, in all his varied and adj
venturous career as pony express rider and
Jehu, never experienced a more exciting
ride than the one he took that night on the
box of the Tucson stage.
The whizzing rain beat furiously into his
face, and his struggling horses pounded
along over the rock-walled trail, fairly
blinded by the elements. And while thus
progressing at a snails pace the coach
tumbled over the Pin-oak precipice. and
horses, passengers and all went with It.
with the one exception Of Cap'n Toke who,
by a sudden and mighty leap, managed to
save himself.
Some hours later the old driver staggered
into Uncle Sam Godfrey's "House Of
Hope" where the miners Of Camp Shasta
were wont to gather at night to spin yarns
and speculate on the probability Of their
striking it rich," and placing rain-soakeo
bundle on the table, remarked:
'Thars all that's left of the vehicle what
perambulates."
The rain-soaked bundle proved to be Jer-
~. ~ ,,a.'.~-
He was about years old at this time. He
had been travelling, so Cap'n Toxic ex-
planned, in company with his father, who
had been instantly killed by the accident to
the stage.
Jerry was cared for tenderly by the rough
appearing, but soft-hearted miners, and IN
time he was we'll. W" "-'''' -.
Well? No, not we'll; Jerry was now
Mnch-back and hopeless cripple. But he
was the brightest and sunniest-natured I'M
fortunate ever known in that region. He
jest seems ter kinder spill over with
laugh" Cap'n Toxic said Of him. And his
laughter was so CONTAGIOUS that everyone
who heard it always Joined in.
In this respect Jerry was blessing to
Shasta, for the best veins of gold in the
place were about exhausted, apparently
and the miners were inclined to take
gloomy view of the future. But ct thet
leetle Teller, with all his terrible misfor-
tunes. kin appear cheerful seems like we
oughter pull through a bit of pecoonlary
dif1kelty without cryin'," they agreed.
The years came and went. and Jerry con-
tinued to be the pet and life of the camp
If he had relatives living they had never
been discovered, and the little fellow was
content to make his home among the men
attached to him.
Cap'n Toxic got too old and rheumatic for
the hard service required OF a stage-drlver,
and was forced to resign his place on the
Tucson coach to a younger man. Inen the
old Jehu and the little jester settled down
Ito pass their declining days In peace to-
gether," as Jerry remarked.
But now the hard times set in In earnest;
hard pan was struck at last and the min
ers quit honest work and began to prey
upon each other at the gambling tables
The House of Hope became resort for
almost daily and nightly carousals. and
Shasta, from being one Of the most orderly
camps in the Rockies, soon degenerated in
to one of the toughest and toughest.
Desperate characters from other sections
were attracted to the place, and the crack
of the six-shooter came to be familiar
sound to the inhabitant, while the little
graveyard on the mountain side began to
assume what Idaho Jenkins called re
spectacle proportions"
One day Shasta was flooded with cheap
dodgers announcing that the world
famed magician, mind-reader, ventrilo-
ouist and prestidigitateur, Halter IT,. assist
ed by Nile. Clio, the most beautiful song
ambulance artist in the world. direct from
the music halls Of Paris, and troupe OF
New York star speciality performers"
would begin a weeks engagement In the
camp that evening.
The evening stage brought the company
in, and the citizens congregated before I'm
Gle Sam Godfrey's ''hoter' to 'size 'em up"
as the crowd expressed 1t.
"Hellar, IT," was q tall, powerful, shah
by-genteel individual with mustache and
imperia2 In imitation Of Hermann, and the
general aspect of the devil. His skin and
hair were SO dark that it was evident at
a slance that he had either Mexican or In
dian blood in his veins.
mile. Clio created genuine sensation
She was young and really beautiful. and
poesessed an air of refinement altogether
foreign to the usual feminine element In
that region. There was a peculiarly sad
expression about her face strangely at va
rance with her occupation as q creator of
public amusement "'
The troupe of New York star speciality
performers consisted of two tough looking
characters who in reality were stage
hands.
That night the camp turned out in force
the House of Hope the magician hav-
ing entered into an arrangement with IN
Gle Sam Godfrey whereby the two were to
share profits on a satisfactory basis. A
rough stage. with curtains around 1t, had
been hastily improvised, and on the nearest
seat directly in front sat Jerry.
Everything interested him deeply. He
laughed heartily at all the tricks Of the
magician, the like of which he had never
seen before; but for some reason, which he
himself could not then understand, he was
strangely grave while Mile. Clio was sing
ing and dancing. She looked 50 intensely
unhappy, and so out. Of place in that UNI
couth assemblase. that the little TESTERS
heart went out to her at once"
When her turn was finished and the au-
dience was laundering Its applause, she
bowed YEARLY and without smile, in
manner distinctly pathetic.