Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-07-11
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
The SNAKE Ca,RMEk'S H.
VENICE


frescoing her pet snake, Clara. The
madame's snakes, you may as well
understand, were large but entirely
harmless reptiles Of dingy brown
play their part as boa constructors Ia
the kid show" which Is circus for
sideshow, 1t was necessary that their
dull coats be transformed TO n gor-
geous yellow and black. and every 9TH
or day the madame painted them. The
madame tried a great many different
kinds OF paints, but she never could
find anything that would wear longer
than two days.
Most of her snakes Travelled by
themselves in the animal car, but Cla
ra was great pet. and madame always
insisted that the big snake should be
allowed to ride in the car with her and
the rest OF us. In the freak car. which
had originally started out in life as a
plain box car. the sleeping berths were
simply long shelves running the whole
length OF the car. one on either side.
The only divisions between the com.
partments on each shelf were little
partitions not more than six inches in
height. In front a calico curtain hung
down on either side.
mime. Diavallo's berth was at one
end and mine at the other, on the same
long shelf. Clara, the pseudo boa con.
strictor, slept in the aisle at the foot
of her mistress berth.
ION the night started to tell about
went to bed and to sleep early, leav-
ing the madame still sitting up and
lovingly painting yellow and black dia.
monds on the skin Of her amiable
later was awakened by suffocating
weight on my chest. opened my eyes
and there. within a few inches OF my
face, was the fiat head of Clara, the
snake, lazily moving to and fro.
Poor Clara had got cold during the
night and had craweld into my berth
to warm herself. lay still and silent
for just a second, still half asleep. Then
! gave n wild yell and convulslve
heave Of my whole body. Dear little
Clara went flying out into the aisle and
landed ON the floor with thump.
Instantly the whole freak car was
In an awful uproar. Across the aisle
RazmntaZ, the last of the AZtecs, and
his wife put their heads out through
the curtain and commenced to jabber
in a German dialect. Up on a little
shelf which had been built especially
for him. Toto, the cat.iaced boy, be.
gan TO hiss and spit. And from the 9th.
or end of the car came q deep bass
voice. demanding: What's the matter
now?"
"The voice was the voice of Nine.
Diavallo for one of her several roles
as displayed on the circus bills was
that OF Mile, Loisette. the Little Lady
with the Voice OF Thunder
- Just kicked your-snake out Of
my berth. That's what's the matter!'
| yelled back, for was younger and
less discreet than I am now.
"'You did. did your sounded the
voice Of thunder and then followed an
awful scene. Something huge and
terrifying started to crawl and clam
Der along the shelf toward the end in
which slept, and OFF the shelf into the
aisle jumped Circasslan beauties, al.
bino boys, dwarfs and giants, all Shrek
Ing In fear and anguish. thought a
lot more OF the madame's snakes had
got loose and | started to get out OF the
way myself But was too slow. Be
fore could get up heavy slipper hit
me over the head and that deep bass
voice roared, You will abuse poor, dear
little Clara, will you?'
at was the madame herself. She
seemed to be slightly put out about
something. She beat me over the head
for about five minutes with her slipper
without giving me chance to answer
her question, which she repeated with
each blow.
81 forgot to say that two of the mad
ame's other roles were those of the
Lady with the Biggest Feet in the
World and the Beautiful Female Her
cules. SO you can see what chance
had.
"When the Female Hercules had got
through she quit. Then l and the
freaks--I was not freak, please re
member-quieted down and tried to get
little sleep before we pulled into Mer
rill, Wis, which was the next place we
showed at.
SIN the morning strangely enough
Nine. Diavallo still seemed to be
slightly peevish toward me. That was
awkward, because in the big show the
madame and I doubled up and did O
hro'her and sister act lin the air. II
.vas tNo -Nadame's job to hang by heI
'neos from one trapeze and mine to
vice .'raoo from another. Then
in"rraeter cracked his whiT