The St. Louis Republic., 1902-04-27
MARVELS RELATED By COLONEL WILLIAM GREEN
A BY OLD cATTEM

I ders. speakn' for himse'f an his fellow
| selectmen, "an' they're not ron' to be al
lowed to hold their black and sulphurous
| mass meetin'5 yere.
1T comes Saturday evenin' an the ne
| cromancer is in the tavern eatin' his supper
Shore, he looks like common folks at that
| Squar' Alexanders is waitin' for him in the
| bar. When he shows up. carelessly pickin'
| his teeth, it's mebby half hour before
the show. Souar Alexanders cont fritter
away no time. but rounds up the Wizard for
| a powwow.
| '"Thar's no show which has satan for
] a silent partner goin to cut itsef loose N
| this village" says Squar' Aexanders.
WHATS this talk about Satan?s re-
| spends the Wizard. Il don't savey no more
about Satan than does about you''
look at them bills" says Squar
Alexanders. an he p'ints to where one Ii
hangin on the barroom wall 1t gives q
picture too. of the foul fiend. with pitch
fork, spear-head tail. fierce eyes an all;
the same bein' of pecooliar excellence.
Whatever do you call thatT'
"'.'That's a bluff" says the Wizard. IT
Kaintucky don't get tangled up with Satan
ontil 1 imports him to her fertile shores
you cimmarons may regyard yourse'fs as
saved"
BE you-all goin' to do the sundry
deeds you sets. forth in the programmes?'
asks Squar Alexanders after a pause.
(which / shorely be- says the Wiz
ard. 'an' If l falls down or fails, you can
call me a ab'litonist.'
Then all 1 has TO say is this" re-
turns Squar Alexanders; no gent could
do them feats an do them on the level.
You'd have to have the hep of demons to
pull 'em off. An that brings US back to
my first announcement; an stranger. your
show don't go'
AT this the Wizard lets on he's lost pa
tience with SquaT Alexanders, an declares
hea ,.-I.t TN,
he gives II out cold that, Satan or no
Satan. he'll begin to deal his game at s
o'clock.
Very weil!'' rejoins Squar' Alexan-
dera Since you refooses to be warned, 1
shs--: shore instruct the Constable to collar
yoH. or the steps of Liberty Hail." As he
sa, this. Squar' Alexander p'ints cross to
Chet Kishler. who's the Constable. where
he's restin' himself in front of Bakers
store This here Chet is a giant an clost
onto eight feet high. It's a warm eyenin'.
an as the Wizard glances over at Chet he
notices how that offlshul is lazily fapnfn'
himself with a barn dor which he's done
lifted off the hinges for that coolin' Dur.
pose. The Wizard don't say nothin', but |
he does turn a mite pale: ne sees with half |
a eye that Satan himse'f would be he pless
once Cket gets his two paws on him. How
ever, he assoomes that he's out to give |
the show per schedoole
It's maxim towards o'clock when the
Wizard lights a seegyar. drinks four fingers
or Willow Rum, an goes p'intin' out for
Liberty Hall. Ciet gets up. hangs the barn
door back on rs hinges, an sa'nters after
squar Alexanders has posted Chet as to |
his dootles. an his orders Is to elect the
necromancer IL he offers to enter the nall l.
That's how the cavalcade lines up: First |
the Wizard: twenty foot behind is Chet: an
twenty foot behind our giant Constable
comes the public in a body
About half way to Liberty Hall tie
wizard begins to show nervous an oncer- |
tain. He keeps lookin' back at Chet: an
even in my childish simplicity, sees that |
ne am pleased with the outlook At la At |
he weakens an abandons his idee of a L.
show. Gents, as fills my glass I asks YOU
an however now do you reckon that Wizard |
beats a retreat?'
.Thar's no reply. Dan Texas, an the
others. while Colonel Green acquires his
l!cker. shakes their heads dumbly, as show
in they gives II up.
Which you'd shorely never euessr re- |
te-ts the Colonel, wipin' his lips. or a
sudden. this Wizard tugs something outeu |
his pocket that looks like ball of kyarpet
rags Holdin' one end, quick as thought |
ne tosTes the ball of kyarpet rags into the |
ar. 1t goes straight up ontn lost to |
view. onwindin' itse'f in its flight because
OF .he Wizard holdin on to the end.
Gents. that ball of kyarpet rags never
as quick as n set-iock rifle, The Wizard |
climbs the danglin' string Of kyarpet rags. |
hand over hand; then he drifts off an |
up ards ontil he don't look bigger than a
bloo-bottle fly; an then he's lost in the
satherin shadows of the Jooly night.
Squar Alexanders. Chet an the VII
age stands straiuin' their eyes for twenty |
minutes. But the Wizards shorely YAM
'sed: an at last, when each is convinced |
harof. the grown people led by Squar'
ileXanders repairs into the tavern an
axes a drink
" That's a mighty marvellous feat your
lecromancer performs. Colonel remarks
Cnright, an the old chief is grave rs be-
omes the Co1onels revelations he's
wonder-worker, that Wiz
rd is,'
" But l amt got to the wonders none as
et,' demonstrates the Colonel, who wakes
bit peevish for him. An from rhe fire.
uent way wherein I'm interrupted, it |
ont look much like 1 will. Coin slilin'
way into darklin' space with that ball OF |
kyarpet rags. that amt the
oopernacheral part at all! Shore! on
oubted it's plumb hard to do; bit still, |
hars other teachers, which from the |
tandp'int of the marvellous. overpowers It |
Ike four kings an a ace. Yere's what I'm |
ettin' to. It's quarter to eight when that |
Wizard takes his flight by means Of them
.yarpet rags. Gents. at o'clock sharp the
anne evenin' he walks on the stage an l.
ives a show at St. L.ooey. over 200 miles Il