CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1902-05-29
WAX FIGURE
OF a HERO
fOriginal.l


The question was asked by n guest
Of Austin Halstead after dinner. whel.
the wives OF the two men had retired
to the drawing room and cigars were
brought to the dining table. A smile
passed over Halstead's face.
THAT'S funny story" he said.
Funny stories. especially about the
FIRST meeting Of wives and husbands.
are always interesting"
II hadn't been out of the Naval acad
emy year and was as full of nonsense
as the day left Annapolis. Our ship
was ordered to the Brooklyn navy yard
for retitting. and. having good deal of
time on my hands. | spent 1t in New
York. found the Eden Mnsee a good
place to get awav with IN afternoon
and spent not only one but several
there. One day. was In uniform at
the time. having been ordered on some
official duty In New York connected
with the ship-I strolled into the show
OF wax figures along with one OF our
fellows. Tom Anderson. Tom was on
leave and in mufti. We went through
the place and sat on wooden settee
to rest and watch the people. A friend
Of Toms went by, and Tom left me
temporarily TO go to speak to him.
.I noticed that several persons look
ed at me scrutinizingly, suspecting that
since was in Uniform ] might be a
wax figure Of some great naval hero.
but as soon as they perceived that !
was merely cal live MILDLY they lost
interest in ine and passed on. Present
ly | saw coming young girl OF six
teen. whose dresses had not been let
down to the length for women. in the
care OF French maid. She wGs one of
the piquant kind. full OF animation.
This was evidentl- her first visit tn the
show. and she was intensely Interested
In everything she saw. She gave me
an inquiring glance. then asked her
maid in French whether | was hesh
and blood or wax. Not getting n satis-
factory reply. she came nearer and
fixed her sparkling black eyes upon me-
"Of course IL was a mean thing TO do.
but what can you expect from young.
ster who has also the disadvantage OF
being n sailor ashoref ! looked straight
before me. Tom Anderson was stand
ing at little distance. talking with his
me out He smiled and called his
friends attention to the pantomirne.
Tom had as much deviltry In him as
and was equally cuipable. Tipping the
wink to his companions. he led the way
toward me.
"'Did you ever see Admiral Farra-
gut as young manr he said. loud
enough to be heard by the girl. Here
he is Just ms he was at twepty-one.'
"The Two stood before me while l
stared nj vacancy. The girl drew near
to hear all obout the great admiral.
""This wnxwork.' Tom continued.
was made after photographs taken ut
the time
This was such n palpable lie that
found II difficult to retain my gravity.
When Farragut was twenty-one. pho
tography was unknown. Besides. the
uniform was then very different But
these facts had no effect on the girl
"'No one would suppose said Tom.
'that the great naval hero could have
been such a miserable looking speci-
men OF humanity in his early days.
Look at that nose. Did you ever see
such n Droboscisr
was NNiy b"hNoShN.
said the girl to her maid Indignantly.
"'TheD his hands-big enough for n
No 10 glove. And his feet-tbey'd COW
er the quarter deck OF a line OF battle
ship
The girl tossed her head and turned
her back on the speaker How ! ever
retained my gravity ! don't know.
remember that | felt horror Of laugh
ing. for 1t would have revealed a terri
BILE slight upon the young girl. l had
already had enough OF the Joke and
wished that Tom would go away and
the girl would pass on without know
ing how we had fooled her. When she
looked away for a moment gave Tom
an appealing look. which he understood
and drew his friend to another curl
osity.
"As soon as they bad gone the girl
entered upon an animated dialogue
with her maid. In which the former did
nearly all the talking.
"'Those men ought to be ashamed OF
themselves TO talk that way. We've
been studying about Admiral Farragut
at school. and it's disrespect to
speak 40 even about his wax figure.
think he was lovely.
my heart melted more and more TO
my charming defender. and I was be
coming dreadfully ashamed Of my de
ception. The maintaining OF fxed
position was tiresome, hut would
rather die than reveal myself.
- don't see.' the girl remarked.
how It is possible to make wax look so
lifelike. See the color In the cheeks.
the veins Those ewes emit be glass. |
wonder II he is n wax figure after M