The suburban citizen., 1900-02-10

keep out the cold. 1t also kept in
the heat--the heat, that is of his irri-
tation-aud mixing with the luncheon,
started n rebellion in his head.
When he heard a laundering demand
for his prompt appearance from that
triune oppressor, the manager, clark
er" and ''bouncer," he lifted the tail
of his bearskin and thrust the flask
into the hip-pocket Of his legless
knickerbockers, planning to have an
other drink,in his cage.
The manager did not see anything
in his manner except a childish bad
humor, and "Aguinaldo," climbing
up to his platform, got over the side
of box which was seven feet long,
three feet wide and four feet high.
He sat down in the bottom of it. A
wire top was added, making the side
three feet higher, so that when the
exhibition began he might stand mp
without showing more than his
head and chest to the public who had
not yet passed the ticket office to the
platform ON which he was elevated.
Wheu'not reused by the manager TO a
mock fury that flung him with savage
hands upon this wire netting, he sat
with his back against the end of the
box aud his legs outstretched be-
fore him, scowling at the faces which
showed over the side of his cage.
The enameled beauty was already
in the ticket office. "Snipey" and
the human target were on the plat
form in front Of "Aguinaldo's" box. A
calico screen hung between them and
the Hall of Illusions, and behind that
screen the boy waited with the hand
organ. There were two lines of muta-
scopes in the hall, and at the far end
Of it, behind a row of curtains, there
was the machinery Of three optical H.
lusions-arrangements of lights and
mirrors for the production of the
vanishing lady" the "beheadod
lady," and the animated bust" A
door beside these curtains led into
the second compartment where the
scrawny beauties posed. There was
a third room with nothing in il but
the broken peep-show and such old
lumber.
And the method of the entertain
ment was just this. A crowd was
gathered by the invitations Of the
"barker" at the door, and welcomed
into the free show beside the ticket
Office. From that the honey-tongued
orator drew them past the Office where
they paid five cents each) over "Aguin-
aldo's" platform into the Hall Of Illu-
sions. The entertainment there was
rather disappointing after the prom
ises of the placards and pictures in
the windows and of the manager on
the platform. 1t would cost ten cents
more to realize those promises in the
next compartment. A number of
"tOuts" led the gulls into the Beauty
Show, where they received another
disappointment when the golden.
haired antiques were posed for them.
They were told then that in the last
compartment there was something
that they must not inform the police
about 1t would cost ten cents more
to see it, If any were fools enough
to pay that ten cents, they came upon
the lumber room. The three touts
laughed at them. The manager and
"Snipey" awed them. The lights had
been turned down, and if they had
any money left in their pockets, they
were glad to escape by side door
and say nothing.
TWAS this progression tho manager
intended to begin when he called out
from the door, "Are yeh all reaCy?"
The organ staggered into an uncertain
melody for answer. "Snipey" twirled
his tin-bladed daggers on the plat
form. The vision in the ticket-ofilce
smiled, and "Aguinaldo, hidden in
his packing case, got the bottle from
under his bearskin and attempted to
tilt it to his lips. He had forgotten
the bone ring that hung from his nose
as low as his lower lip, and he split
the precious liquor over his face and
down his neck before he knew it.
Then he jerked out the inconvenient
decoration-scratching the tender skin
of his nostril as he did it, so that his
nose began to bleed-wiped off his
face with his hand, smudging the
liquor-loosened colors and drank CO.
piously.
The manager had thrown open the
door and was already casting bait to
his gudgeon. "Walk in, gents, walk
in. Free performance right on the
inside. No charge for admission. The
finest show on the Bowery. Th' orig.
inal Palace Of Illusions an Turkish
Beauty Show. Children not admitted.
Walk in, boys, walk in. It's free
gratis-fer nothin'. Step right in
side. Don't block the entrance"
The three "touts" who had been
gazing at the photographs of the cho-
rus-girls in the window, led the inva-
sion. 1t was q holiday afternoon.
There were youths sightseeing on
the Bowery who would not venture
there after dark, and the barker's
invitation gathered them in. Free
performance just beginning" he kept |
crying.
"Snipey" began to juggle, with his |
daggers. When the crowd increased. |
h a aoqt oua aUoinat a eb;alI oF Nil |