Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-24

likes TO be out by so he won't miss
ANYTHING free that's coming 10 him.
Sometimes he even goes up to the tents
and watches the procession as 1t starts
out. l believe he thinks the pageant moves
slower there and that consequently ne
can deadhead more at that point. After
that he comes down to Main street, sees
the procession there, and then cuts
through the Capitol Square so he can
catch it gain on the hOmcward trip up
Broad When this laborious tour of In
spection is over he saunters along at
leisure and looks at the circus bills on
the fences. Pa is aWfully liberal with
himself when he's getting anything free
II he We're an analytical chemist he
couldn't take in more details OF the cir
Gus than he does during these two hours.
After thus absorbing all the preliminary
feature OF the great consolidation OF
six mammoth shows Pa HES himsel.
eastward. Slowly but surely his mud
stained boots and white yarn socks bear
him to the newspaper offices. Like thou
sands of others, my esteemed parent
knows that editors get free tickets TO
circuses. He also knows that's he going
10 capture one out of the batch Of paste
boards, If such a thing can be accom-
plished by human ingenuity He goes
into the little room and shakes hands
with the editor most cordially. The lat
ter we'll realizes the motive Of the visit
but is cold and obtuse. After eXchang-
ing courtesies Pa sits down in a chair
and never says a word. Neither does the
editor, but he feels Pas eye on him and
possibly sees his mouth watering for the
ticket. It is a game Of freeZe-out, with
the old gentleman from Hanover as 4
dead sure winner Pa never budges; the
editor apparently forgets his visitors eX-
istence. But it's awful TO Try 10 give the
cold shoulder 10 something that is as in
sensible 10 fhgidity as a cholera germ or
a diphtheria microbe. You can't freeze
"a Out when there's anything coming to
him. And so he sits and sits and sits
and spits and spits and splits and the
newspaper man writes and writes and
writes. An hour passes. IL looks as II
the editor will win. Yes, fifteen minutes
more have passed and the show begins in
an hour. All is lost with Pa. No. he's
fishing a stump of lead pencil out OF his
pocket: he's writing: he's getting up;
he's handing the editor what he has
written; he's remarking "A little news
item for your paper"
The editor CHANGING AT it, sees the
following for the personal column.
Mr.. Gideon Parsley an Old and respect
ed citizen (Pa is the citizen in ques-
tom, OF Hanover, Is IN town to-day. lie
reports crops as doing finely, but com
plains OF the lack of rain In his section"
Anything but heart OF stone could
not resist this friendly overture, but the
journalist is adamantine. He hrusquey
says: IAN right. old pard, I'll shoot her
in" and resumes his work. But not u
word about circus tickets hoes he utter.
The Hanover leech resumes his seat and
shuifles uneasily in his chair. Fifteen
minutes drag By and the game Is getting
desperate. Pa knows the time has come
20 make a final move. Clearing his
throat he says "You know / don't ey-
pect any compensation for that Item I've
given you, but II you've got a stray cir
Gus ticket a foatin' around l might bring
myself 10 see the show"
This Is the Knockout blow. The editor
surreuders. He produces the ticket. The
leech rciaxes his grip, he mufmUrs
thanks. and with final display % ex-
pectoratiye craftsmanship at a cuspa-