The record-union., 1899-05-28
TWO BOYS AT THE CIRCUS.

templatine the walls of Madison Square
Garden which shut them out of para
disc for if a circus isn't paradise to
an eight-year-old boy, it is, at least, as
near an approach to it as is desirable.
One of them tried for peep of the
interior glories through a grated Win
dow, but dropped back discontented
with what he had seen of a bare room
with row of white jackets hanging on
the WALL
.'Dis is front" he said to his COM
panion, who had very red hair. "Wot's
de matter wit dat guy why he wouldn't
| let us bot in fer a quarter? We amt
so big
1--WE couldn't bot set on one seat"
said his companion sadly. Let's take
de hull bunch O. t'irty-four cents an
go back an give him anoder brace"
NAH it don't go wit desc show peo-
ple," said the first speaker cynically.
Let's go an look at de posters"
Say, I wish 1 was a norphan," re-
marked the red haired boy sadly.
"Wots a norphan?"
| "a kid wot amt got no family to help
support. Every year some guys takes a
big bunch of 'em to de shows"
"Ah, We have t have a pull to git
into dat push, anyway, even if ye was
one O. dem norphans," replied the other.
II wisht I had a dollar
At this point the Sun reporter, who
was on his way to the circus and had
overheard this conversation, having
been, in fact, shamelessly eavesdrop-
ping, suggested, purely as an invest
ment in enjoyment, that the pair go to
the show as his guests. AS matter
of fact, no grown up can properly enjoy
a circus unless accompanied by at least
one competent critic under the age of
| 10 years; but the two small boys didn't
comprehend this and were distrustful.
The one who had expressed that reck
less wish for a dollar spoke first, and
there was resentment in his accents.
| 'Ah, g'wan! It's a con. Wot yer give
us dat kind of a game fer?"
| Maybe he belongs to de show an
can take us right in." suggested the
| flame haired boy in a loud whisper to
his companion.
The reporter explained that he didn't
| belong to the show and that his offer
was made in good faith, which he
proved by presently landing his new
found acquaintances within the big en-
| trance Then and not until then did
! they change their minds and recognize
| that it was not con-" but that they
had, by a wonderful bit of luck run
across a particularly profitable species
of lunatic. Some misgivings on the
| ground of his being entirely harmless
! they had, but they were polite enough
| to mention these things only in sub
| dued remarks to each other. 1t devel-
oped, as the trio made their way to
seats near the arena, that the red
haired boys name was Jerry and his
companion went by a curious cognomen
which sounded like Seek 1t was not
Zelle, as the reporter at first supposed,
and whence its derivation or what its
proper orthography must be numbered
among the mysteries, as it's owner
couldn't throw any light on the subject,
and, indeed, exhibited a painful lack
of interest in it, having other matters
of more Importance to occupy his mind.
In fact, it is doubtful whether two
minds We're ever more entirely en-
crossed than those of Jerry and Seek
during the next two hours. The invest
ment bore heavy interest from the first
There was in progress in the nearest
ring, when the reporter took his charges
in, dance executed by a number of
trained elephants. After watching this
with bulging eyes for a period Of two
minutes Seek turned for information:
Say, what's them thngs?"
| elephants" replied Jerry promptly,
having some knowledge Of his own on
this subject. Il seen lot of 'em in a
parade oncet.''
do they always go like dat?"
| 9hf'' rpSnOp6a1 the mora 1aornpd
Jerry with some disdain. Most times
dey just walk along waggin bot deir
| tails
| The cicerone here attempted to ex-
plain that elephants were trained by
| the man in the middle of the ring. who
! held them in wholesome fear of him.
| This explanation was waste of breath
| for after the animals left the ring the
| youngsters put their heads together
and decided that this theory was ridicu-
lous, apparently basing their belief upon
the relative size of the elephants and
the man.
IVY, his nibs is dopy," said Jerry in
a tone not intended for the reporters
ears. Oats feller wouldn't be one-two-
tree if dem elephants got sore on him.
I guess dey like to be in de show an
dat's wy dey do deir tricks
''Wisht I had one remarked Seek
wistfully. wouldn't do ting but go
along Pike street ridin' on his head. an
dey'd tink at home I was right in it."
This laudable ambition was soon
thrust from his head by the appearance
Of several young women in bespangled
tights who did all sorts of horseback
feats. The two youngsters We're a. first
so amazed at the gorgeousness of attire
displayed by the equestrians that they
had no emotions left to bestow on the
riding irself Finally Seek got his
breath and said with a long sigh:
"Gee, Jerry, look at dem clo'esl I'd
be a goil if / could wear gold an silver
like dat.''
But Jerry who had a vein of cynicism
in him, wasn't so sure about it, He
scratched his head and said
Maybe dey don't own dem duds.
wouldn't wonder if de show owned 'em
an dey onl' wear 'em Wen dey ride.
Like Jimmy McCue's big brudder went
to a. ball in some clo'es he hired an
got arrested cause dey got tore in a
scrap. maybe dem ladies hire dem
things dey wear
I'D RAIDER be de feller in de middle
wit de whip. anyway" said the tickle
Seek. He's bossin' de job. Oh-h-hh-,
lcokatl" he added in rapturous
squeak as a dozen clowns came romp-
ing into the arena
For the next few moments it was a
matter of active diplomacy, occasionally
verging on the exercise of force to keep