Sunday Washington globe., 1902-04-27

About tie Uig doors, through whose
cracks came the iuimitable metallic thump-
ing of the circus baud an iueougruous
gathering waited for the next act There
were acrobats in spangles and equestri-
ennes in boots and boomers Japanese
.jugglers ana clowns solemn beneath their
paint; trainers with ponies aud bears, and
lurid Zouaves. High up toward the roof
a bell buzzed twice. The band outside
stopped abruptly, the big doors swung
open, and tumblers, riders and soldiers
scattered back from the noisy iurush OF
horses and performers that swept from the
glare of the arena into the dusk of the
baru-like green room Aud last Of all
slowly and sedately. came "Slivvers."
He was not pretty 70 look at but beneath
the absurd white and red makeup was
humorous mouth several inches narrower
than It's painted caricature, and two pleas
ant gray eyes. He dropped, quite out of
breath, onto the padded seat of a chariot
and took of his impossible wig with
sigh. Already he looked a little more
human.
Circus stories?" repeated Slivvers pa
tiently IF 1 told you the truth you'd
throw a laugh at me. Things happen
under the canvas that couldn't happen any
where else-things the people in front
don't see though often enough they're
right under their noses. I'm pretty good
liar. too, but wouldn't need to throw the
con in circus stories. They're queer al
ready"
For a few moments the highest salaried
clown in America gszed rehecuvely at
man and a woman near by. The girl had
lust come off from an acrobatic turn breath
less and gaspiug. and the man, in ring
masters clothes, was patting her solicit
tously on the back.
81 like affection" said Slivvers appreci.
atively, in married folks. Look at those
two now: met engaged and married-all on
the tanbark Sometimes it don't turn out
so well though Sure enough, I'll tell you
the story.
1T happened several years ago when l
was making my first try in the business.
There was a clown and bareback rider, not
to mention any names and they got mar
ried For time they got on well together,
but finally one day she ran away with man
who did fancy horse act and after that the
clown got to going through the swinging
doors too often. One night he was so drunk
that he couldn't even make a fool of him-
self and they fred him Then he quit the
show business and went about as far down
as he could 60, which was pretty far. And
all the while the ring girl and the other man
were doing a two-high ring act in the other
end of the country and don't think they
thought much about the clown. But when
ne was sober enough he did the thinking
for the three Of them.
We'll one day he wandered into little
burg in the middle West, without even the
price of a drink in his clothes. Perhaps
he d have passed il by, only he saw some
big circus tents going up across the fields
and, of course, all Of a sudden he wanted
TO smell the taubark and canvas again.
So he mOseyed up and hung around for a
while, and when the boss came out some
thing made him go up aud brace him for
job-any kind of a Job You see he'd got
tired of staying so far away from the wagons.
The boss heard his name and said
You're a clown, amt your" and the clown
owned up Co on tonight says the boss,
and see If you can make good So the
clown borrowed some clothes and makeup
and went on.
He was 50 glad to get out into the ring
again that he was dizzy. The boss was
watching him, of course, and he said to him
self. Here's where 1 hold this Job down
for all that's in it, And just at that minute
he saw his wife and the other man riding
into the ring-his ring"
SIivvers nodded slowly and soIemnly
There you are, he said, there just two
places that could happen, one in play and
the other in the ring But 1t wasn't any
play to the clown ! don't think ne could
have moved for all the money in the ticket
wagon. For a couple of minutes he watched
the two Of 'em like a dead man standing
upright and then he turned around and
wandered out to the dressing tent In FIVE
minutes he was on the road, with the
makeup still on his face, | guess. And
that was his chance to make good"
The doors opened to let in a drove Of
white horses aud bicycle riders, who scat
tered TO stalls and dressing rooms. Sliv-
vers was looking beyond them to where
three men were wheeling out gilt-covered
chariot.
"The people like those things, he said,
twirling his terra.cotta wig And it's a
good sight when they race around the
curves with the bark shooting of the far
wheel saw that play Ben Hur' that had
a chariot race in it, but the part where the
hero knocks the other fellow over was
pretty tame after the real thing. / saw the
real thing once. Sure, there's a story in IL,
and a queer one. ! think.
You see, there were two women that
used to race in those things in a show that
did Western circuit. There always is a
rivalry among women who race together.
I've noticed. though the folks in front seem
10 think it's all cut and dried But there
was a good de al more than the wishes for
winning between these two. They were
both good drivers, one in a red chariot and
one in green ons, and when they ripped
around corueTs they always got the whole
house with them Sometimes one would
win and sometimes another, but one night
they met behind the flap before their ac
and had il out again and the green chariot
woman said that she'd fix the other fol
keeps. Don't ask me what the trouble was
never mix with family affairs.
so they began, as usual, with an uuever
start. No one looked for what was coming
On the second lap the green chariot had th'
outside turn aud all of a sudden IL caugh
the red one back Of the wheel and shot /
over against the rugside with the bigges
smash 1 ever heard. The house stood az
and yelled and while they we're looseninl
the spliuters and twisted harness and axle