Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-04-30
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BUSKERS
AT BAY
By ARTHUR MORRISON.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Copyright, 1901, bv Arthur Morrison.

n III Will ID CilllCl I'LL Oltl 1hSAlOh-
ISNMSN3 ed Christmas in the matter Of
lSSgSN cold and snow. The weather
had cheated all observers till as late as
three days before the festival. Autumn
had fingered long, ways were dank,
leaves still brown about boughs, and
what little chill hung in the air was all
pointless and in the main mere effect
of damp. But night had changed all,
and what had begun as drizzle turned
to sleet and that to snow. All that day
it fell, and toward evening, prevailing
over the mire, it whitened the roads
at last, even as 1t had already whitened
fields and hedges and the housetops of
the little town of Crowbridge. So that
morning, the morning before Christ
mas, broke upon a mutfled whiteness,
and, though the fall had ceased, the
sky had an even grayness that promis-
ed another.
OF the townsfolk of Crowbridge the
more robust looked out of window and
called it seasonable, and others who
had grumbled week ago because Of
the mugginess, now that they had what
they asked for, grumbled again. But
there were visitors long past grumbling
at anything, though the change hit
them sorely. AT the end Of the town
nearest the railway station, on n piece
of common ground given to fairs and
markets, Leatherby's Royal Victoria
theater stood forlorn and solitary. 1t
was dismal construction Of canvas
and wood, called an outdoor fit up, and
it had stood almost unregarded for
week. Never had Leatherby's SO little
encouragement to stay, never SO griev-
GUS lack Of means to get away. Busi-
ness had been bad, and worse than
bad, even for a strolling company.
And now
The whole concern was fallen on evil
times, and its early welfare was gone
with its early paint. All show of sal
aries had been dropped months ago
and equal division made Of what poor
sums might remain after expenses.
But now it seemed that IN end had
come to all things. Once upon time
the show had been wont to travel by
rail and the buskers to take cheap
lodgings; now it moved as it might
and sheltered the company itself. 1t
had crawled into Crowbridge drawn
by two angular horses, hired in the last
town, but there seemed no possibility
of its ever crawling out unless the
company harnessed themselves and
dragged it. The load of one van stood
more or less erect, with a groan and q
flap at each stir of wind, and was the
theater; in the other Leatherby him
self and his wife had taken to lodge,
with their daughter Of seventeen, Lou,
called in print in the days when 1t ran
to bills Miss Sibylla de We're.
1t was n horrible place, this Crow
bridge; nobody would trust, nobody
would support the drama. AS for trust,
gallant effort had been made in the
beginning, when Teddy Norton, general
utility-an the company were general
utlity-was endued in the best mix
ture of clothes the show could get to-
gether and sent forth to pledge the
credit of the concern with butcher and
baker. He did it all with an air, poor
fellow-somewhat the air Of a private
secretary comforting royal appoint
ment in person, and he was careful
to stipulate for the punctual presenta-
ton Of bills next Saturday. But the
Crowbridge shopkeepers were a stony
hearted, even a stony faced, lot, and
they wanted money down and made
no bones of saying SO, without circum-
locution. And as for the drama, they
would have none Of it. 1t would seem,
indeed, that most Of them Judged it
sinful, for Crowbridge was q most dull
and proper place, and the money it
sent to Leatherby's doors scarce paid
for lamp oil.
Patronage" too, failed utterly, and
every cover was drawn blank. Chiefly
and first, Leatherby attacked Barring
Spencer, Esq, and attacked him again
and again. Barring Spencer, Esq,
would neither send his servants nor
support special performance" nor
presently permit Leatherby standing,
room on his doorstep. 1t seemed that
something must be got out Of Barring
Spencer, Esq, If only he were pes
lSlSu SuOuBuS LII dC W. luuu VI VAST
projects in money and companies. and
he was here at Crowbridge, where he
had taken n furnished house for few
months, with schemes in bicycle facto-
ries that would make the place rich.
Indeed it was said that he was buying
the house outright and would some day
go to parliament for the county. The
local paper was full of Barring Spencer,
Esq, his undertakings and his de-
signs for the nourishment and glory of
Crowbridge. He "patronized" every
thing, and his name was everywhere,
SO that it was doubly maddening to
find him resolute not to patronize the
drama as represented by Leatherby's.
There was his house, almost in sight of
the "pitch," and his fame and his glo-
ry pervaded Crowbridge. 1t would
seem that every applicant might tap
him, If not for money, for his name,
except Leatherby. Him he would not
even see.
Last night had been bad indeed at
the show. They had tried a wonderful
version of "The Courier of I,yons."