The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-08
A Pair Of Plotters.

sake. Billie, Do tell Are you sure?"
Billie told her of the glories of the
| posters. He was half way from the
ringmasteF to the clown, and grandma.
was listening with GREATNESS delight
when a step was heard in the hail.
Grandma guilty picked up her cold iron
and pattered across the kitchen 10 the
stove for a hot one. Billie subsidized into
silence, pickering his lips in soundless
whistle
Mother! You got that ironin' most
done?"
The voice suited the face. a hard, in
tolerant face. with duh eyes and con-
verging lines around the mouth.
Mostly, Belinda cried back the cid
lady with nervous cheerfulness. Amt
moren half a dozen more pieces. Billie
here's got back from mill
! She moistened the tips of her fingers
with her tongue, and spatted away on
| the iron to test its temperature.
| Il can see that" tsrtly. ''Billie, your
father git OF with that stock: That's
good. Now, I don't want you settin'
round ike this when there's his choras
to be done wells your own. You hear?"
| "Yes'm.''
| There was a brief silence when she
had gone Martha Stebbins seemed to
see through a mist the garments she
was ironing Suddenly the kitchen
seemed smaller and hotter than it had
| five minutes ago. All at once. too, the
lovely ladies, and dashing men. and
wonderful animals of the circus seemed
more distant. inapproachable. and griev-
| ously remote.
"Are-you thinkin' you'll be let 90,
Billie?"
Dunno" He lifted his foot and look
ed pensively at the stonebruise on the
| toe. viii If I can. I'll see il I can't
get a job carryin' water for the ele-
| plant. Lots Of boys get IN that way"
THE ELEPHANT She looked across at
him with Frightening eyes. Have they
got a real elephant along? / Amt seen
a elephant don't know when"
Say, grandma. kinder think you'd
like to go to the circus yourselfl''
Mel" she shrilled. 80, dear, no.
| Whatever put suehr an idear IN you
head? Me-Tm that old! And besides
gracious, If I amt gone an scorched
that shirt! I hope your ma won't no
tice II, but got that f1ustered-to think
of such a thingI''
Billie looked puzzled. well, some
how he persisted, stubbornly. 81 do
think So grandma. And" he added
boldly, Il don't see why You shouldn't
either If you got a mind to-there!"
''Why. Bilier' she cried, weakly. but
d
She put down the iron, glancing furtive-
" at the door as she did so. She went
over TO the table, and stood next the
audacious young fellow. your ma
would never hear to such a thing Be
sides we amt got the money"
20, we couldn't get cent from herr
Inveluntarilv he lowered his voice, as
was his habit when a fshing-trip was
projected and the question Of secretly
securing provender therefor, confidently
discussed "She's savin' too hard TO get
her rag carpet wove. Tell you what
though. I can work enough to pay for
myself sure. You've got that Is cents
Mis- Murray give you for maxim her
check-row sunbunnit. I can sell Tom
Gass my pigeon-house. He'll let me have
a dime for 1t. The only trouble is the
gettin' there. It's a good four-rnile to
town. Ma wouldn't hear to US takin' the
horse out after shutdown, and You never
could"
81 could-O. I could. Billie" she broke
in excitedly. Her wrinkled old face was
radiant-her knotty old hands were treHl-
bling "'Twouldn't be emmy harder than
bein' on my feet from in the mornin'
till after supper. like am. I could walk
every step Of 1t. but the enthusiasm
began to fade out of her face, Shs drew
a long sigh-a sigh Of bitter renuncla-
ton, belinda
"Grandma" He leaned forward. whis-
pering as he did when he was asking
her to leave the hack buttry window
open when he was to be out after hours.
ana don't need-to know-a single-thing
about iti''
"O-BilIiew The possibility If such
surreptitious pleasure dazed her. do
YOU think w-coud-could manage it7''
He unlimbered himself from the table.
"I'H manage ft!'' he avowed confidently.
The week that followed was one of the
most intense. the most absorbing antic-
ipation Martha Stebbins had known in
many year.
They made their escape while the
youngest scion of the house OF Malone
was being put TO bed upstairs Down
through the dusk between the rows of
struggling gooseberry bushes that caught
at her gown, out into the path around
the wheat field skirtiny- the corn, grand
ma slS1lrried like a little gray rabbit.
And there, one the high road was Billie
waiting for her-Tnie, kindly. encourag-
ing. swelling with the Importance Of the
adventure. How he did strive to re-
strain her impetuosity. How he dii ex-
plain that they had lots Of time. that
the seats were already secured. that she
would be tired out bafore she got there.
An, never would the memory o. that
night fade-that "witch'ng, wonderful
night" The entrance into the Iivey
town, the sight OF the domed canvas
tent, the hurrying crowds of pleasure
seekers. the lighted shops. the smell of
the saw7ust. the glimpse Of tiered faces.
the torches the music-best OF all. Q. IN
comparably best Of af-the circus ITSELF
Never did so stately a rfnFrn star stride
into the arena. Never did so witty =
clown break his bones on coflapsable I
barrels. and set tire benches in a roar
t was over They had enjoyed Il all I
They had seen the animals-every one
They rad eaten popcorn. and drank lem
onade, and rnunched peanuts. And now
thew were Flooding back 70 r. farm
along he road that stretched ahead Ike
q ribbon OF amber velvet Neither (
spoke. Their hearts were too full-Aers /
with memories, his with tmagningS. /
They were az Daudet represents Paris {
fans after the Salon: 'Sstisted. hut not
weary stin thrilled by that air charged
with artistic electricity" Trey made 10
mention Of the morrow Not even r.
preach then coul8 west this experience +
from them.
Are YOU ti-sd. grandma? Rest on ne
Jean hard"
80. amt tired, B,Itei couldn't - /
tfnae,''-Chicago tribune.
Or the Road to Greatness.
CNrom the Chicago T~i5une.)
sryyeu L. asked the acquainfzrSa Tow