The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1900-03-27

MIL more chatting, that day,
M I'M from the barker" of the
VIZ show than his self-respect
~ as a white man and a citi-
zen would allow him to bear cheer.
fully. Aud for that reason he sullled
mt table when the management and
tho staff of the Bowery palace of
Illusions and Turkish Beauty Show"
sat down togeSher in their eating
room TO luncheon of bread and sau-
sages. 1t was the midday intermis-
sion. Below stairs, the barrel organ
was dumb. The wicket of the ticket
Office was empty Of It's vision of bella
donna eyes and cornstarch shoulders.
The hall of illusions--of incandescent
lights ana bewildering mirrors-was
dark aud deserted. And the curtains
in the last compartment of the exhibit
ton parted Imply on vacant stage
where two ancients in flaxen wigs had
been posing against the shabby hang
ing of Turkish harem.
Hero in the eating-room, the COM
pany was gathered about greasy
pine table that stood between the
cooking stove and the sink. A feeble
light, iiltering through the dirty win
dows upon the bare arms aud bare
shoulders OF the women. showed q
suspicious difference in color between
the rough arm that had not been
powdered and the tender white of the
neck that had. The lad who tortured
the agonized organ down stairs chewed
rhythmically on tough crust of bread,
his head still turning tunes, his eyes
set in the vacant stare of an animal
at feed. a young girl beside him,
with smudged face and untidy hair,
choked on her sausage, and "Snipey, "
the counterfeit Mexican for whom she
posed as the human target in the
great dagger-throwing "stunt" of the
free performance, rallied her with n
facetious "Think yeh' d been swallowin'
swords"
The ticket-oiiico beauty, who was
the managers wife, grinned at this
wit, and the scrawny beauties in the
tawny wigs lifted their pencilled eve
brows ppreciatiyely-but with care
The managcr-ho was the "barke err
and the official "bouncer" in one
muscular person directed the eyes of
the company to the sulking "FiIipino''
with wink and a nod "Think he'd
been swallowing insults. &" he chuckIed.
"Aguinaldo," as they called him,
pretended not to hear, bumped over
his plate and glowering at knot in
the table. He had covered his paint
ed nudity with an overcoat and an
underskirt. He had pulled off his
rusty wig and taken out the ring of
bone that had been pinched into his
nostrils. But around his eyes were
still two circles CT yellow ochre. His
color was red brick-dust to within an
inch of his fiat black hair, and there
it turned skin white. When he ate
his sausage, he drew back his painted
lips and took the food carefully be-
tween his teeth. The grimace set his
face for a savage snarl.
Eats human flesh" the manager
quoted at it, and laughed again con
temptuously.
The ticket-oflice exhibit drew her
eyes over her husband slowly, and
swung a glance down the table at the
Filipino. "Aguinaldo" was staring at
his tormentor dumbly.
Looks rs if he'd like to eat me.
don't hep the latter whispered loudly
to the table. They either laughed or
they did not. The orgauist did not
because he was thinking of nothing
"Snipey' laughed to curry favor with
the management, and the two women
laughed because they understood the
game that was being played and
Knocked at it, They knew that
'Aguinaldo' did not dare to face an
open rupture for fear he should find
himself on the street. There was n
note in their cachliug that wasa chal-
lenge TO the manager.
ANY time he likes to Try a chaw at
me, I'm game, he clustered.
There was no answer.
81 amt heard that Tilipiuos are
much on the fight" "Suipeyr
laughed
'Aguinoldo' picked mp his over
coat, and siouched away TO his sIeep-
ing room, pattcring down the hall
with bare feet The organ grinder.
who shared the room. followed him.
"Aguinaldo,' In his room, cast or
the shirt he wore and appeared i1 70
pair Of 5uickm5oekors from which
the legs had boon amru,alcd high ON
the thigh. TO had only cont of
brown stain 60 protect ihc bulk off his
body from the chill air. .T won't
stand ~ much Ion ger. " ho enil To- him.
self and the boy "J'd sooner be IA
sandwich man again Tho imitation
boar-skiu which mo hooked about his
hips did nothing FOO worm or COM
sole him. ITO put ou Tho over.
coat main aud o.rgIIcI F..t.tt...f-.