The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-09-22

1903, by Robert Howard
RusselI.)
Duchess is a good goil, and 1 have no
something happens dat I has no more
to do wit, dan de bull pup has to do wild
de state of de wedder, den l gets a spe-
cimen of de finest brand of French
Raging dat de market affords.
I don't know was it dat she missed
connection wit a parasol she expected
to get from Miss Fannie, or what ell.
but one day Duchess gets me in a cor
ner and she says, "Cheems, what is
. your position in dis house?"
Second man." I says. Did anybody
ring?'
rs it de second mans place to be
groom for Miss Fannie?' Duchess says.
Il rides after her." says 1. because
l was brought up to do it proper when
l was a kid, and Whiskers could take
a hitching strap to me if 1 ever took me
eyes off Miss Fannie when she was rid
ing. Dat job is special"
You are valet for Mr.. Paul" says
Duchess.
HE has a Jap valet of his own"
say l.
But you order his boots" says Ouch
ess. You get him ready, if he's only
going somewheres for a Weekend"
Oats because de Jap orders riding
boots for yachting; and if he gets him
read for a trip, he never knows where
he'll land"
Dose is poor excuses" say Duchess.
de odder ~SOivants pays me wages.
proper of you if you don only second
mans WOik."
TIL tink about dat" 1 says, when
de Odder sOiyants pays men wages.
What's on you mind, woman" I says.
It's not me job OATS bordering you.
Sing our song. and dance your dance,
and let me see where you're at"
You is de real director of de soicus
and 1 have no part in it," says Duchess,
and dat shows me where her little
bootees was pinching.
We was getting up a soicus-a anna
toor soicus-for de benefit OF yatch
sailors orphans; what dere amt any
of EN- nearer dan Scandehoovia, where
de yacht sailors come from. But dat
made no difference: dere had to be a
benefit, and yacht sailors orphans had
a romantic sound as Willy Wildly said.
NAN N--N NAA Jan SoAN ~ ~
Gus might be held on our lawn. cause
we had de most conveniences for SOW
ing tea.
Dat put it up to Mr.. Paul to be direc-
tor, and he, being too strong to woik
hard, puts it next to me.
Dere was a swell m over to tax
charge Of de riding turns, and I gets
up some comics for de laugh side of de
show, and takes charge of de Woikmen
getting up de tents and seats; n loOks
after de places where refreshments was
to be set up; and gets de band, teaches
de clown how to do a comic fall, pract-
ices up a few tumbling tricks of me
OWL, learns our kiddie-Little Duke-to
do a ring-master turn for Little Miss
on Su!qleuIos peq lSOUIB pure '7IuugI
do.
Soon as she heard dat dere was to be
a SOicuS Duchess was crOisy to De part
of de show. Dere's a whole bunch of
tricks she can do, but none of en- is in
de soicus line, and 1 had to pretend dat
l wasn't on to what she wanted. If
dat goil didn't have to woik for a liv-
ing she be a actress. Surei never did
see a woman who liked to be in de lime
light more dan Duchess. And she's all
right when she's dere, for she ain a
little bit shy as a good locker; but she
belongs TO de modern school, and thinks
dat to be a gOOd-lOoker is all dere is in
de game, and won't study no part. I've
tried her in de teeatricalS We has eV'ry
Winter in de ~soivants' hall.
But dat dug no subway wit her she
was bound to be in de soicus. and when
1 couldn't see it, de way she found
places where 1 was a mile off from be-
ing. 1t was a M
OF course, a man dat wants to, can
beat a woman wit a hammer; but if a
hammer isn't in de game, de easiest way
to do, if you've got to beat her, is o
TO. So I hustled to find a job in de sol
Gus dat Duchess could hold down, and
I got it I had to.
1 had a turn 1 was rehOising Little
Miss Fannie. n our kiddie and de
bull pup. Little Miss Fannie was 10
put through his tricks. while Kiddie
was ring master. De pup o noble in
all his tricks except dat he was no dead
sure proposition on going through de
hoop every time. Mostly when de Lit
tie One held de hoop, after we'd cover
ed it wild paper. de pup would balk, till
he'd u around behind it to make sure
dat Little One had de piece of meat
he was TO get. If de hoop wasn't cover
ed he'd see de meat, and go through like
q shot.
l doubles de size of de chunk of meat.
but II was no sure ting dat he'd butt de
paper till red took a peep behind to
see for fair dat his wages was dere.
You See, ne didn't like de paper end of
his trick. anyway; and 1 was up against
how to make de turn a sure shot till,
Ole day. de folks from our house come
down on de lawn to See US rehoise.
Willy Wildly was along. and she held
a pint measure poodle in her arms. She
was wise Dat poodle was always in