The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-03-11

Here most of the damsels congregated
to enjoy the spectacle OF the parade.
and their swains attended. posted at
eoigns OF less vantage behind the la
dies. Some of the faces that peeped
from the windows of the dark, old.
shady courthouse were pretty. and
some Of them were not pretty. but near
ly all OF them were rosy checked. and
all We're pleasant TO see because Of the
good cheer they kept.
Here and there. along the sidewalk
below. q father worked his way through
the throng. a licorice bedauted cher'ib
on one arm. his coat (borne with long
enough on the other. followed by n
mother, with the other children hang
inZ TO her skirts and tagging exasper.
atingly behind. holding red and blue
toy balloons and delectable candy
batons of spiral striped peppermint in
tightly closed, sadly sticky fingers. A
thousand cries rent the air-the stroll
ing mountebanks and gypsying booth
merchants. the peanut vendors, the
boys with palm leaf fans for sale. the
candy sellers. the popcorn peddlers, the
Italian with the toy balloons that float
like a cluster of colored bubbles above
the heads of the crowd and the bal
looms that wall like baby: the red
lemonade man, shouting in the shrill
voice that reaches everywhere and en-
dures forever: "Lemo'l Lemo'! Five
a glass! Ice cole lemo'i Five cents. a
nickel. a half a dime. the twentieth
potofadollah! Lemo'l Ice cole lemo'p
all the vociferating harbingers of the
circus crying their wares. Timid
youths In shoes covered with dust
through which the morning polish but
dimly shone and unalterably hooked
by the arm to blushing maidens bought
recklessly of peanuts, OF candy. OF pop
corn, of all known sweetmeats, per-
chance. and forced their way to the
lemonade stands. and there. all sbyly.
silently slipped the crimson stained am
brosia. Everywhere the hawkers din
ned. and everywhere was heard the
plaintive squawk of the toy balloon.
In the courthouse yard, and so sin
ming in the very eye of the law, two
swarthy. shifty looking gentlemen were
operating with some greasy walnut
shells and a pea what the fanciful or
unsophisticated might have been pleas
ed to call game of chance, and the
most intent spectator of the group
around them was Mr.. James Bardlock,
the town marshal. He was simply and
unofficially and earnestly interested.
Thus the eye of the law may not be
said to have winked upon the nefari-
BUSINESS now under its vision. 1t gazed
with strong curiosity, an itch to dab
lie and. 1t must be admitted, a grow
ing hope OF profit, the game was so d.
rect and the player so sure. Several
eountrymen had won small sums, and
one, a charmingly rustic stranger, with
a peculiar accent Che said that him and
his goil should now have a smoot' olt
time OF his winninks, though the lady
was not manifested) had pocketed $25
with no trouble at all. The two oper-
ators seemed depressed. declaring the
luck against them and the Plattyille
people too brilliant at the game.
1t was wonderful how the young
couples worked their way arm in arm
through the thIckest crowds, never sepa-
rating. Even at the lemonade stands
they drank holding the glasses in their
outer hands. Such are the sacrifices
demanded by etiquette. But, observ-
ing the gracious outpouring of fortune
upon the rare rustic just mentioned, a
youth in a green tie disengaged his
arm-for the first time in two hours
from that OF girl who looked upon
him with fond. uncertain smiles aud.
conducting her TO a corner of the yard.
bade her remain there until he return
ed. He had TO speak to Hartley Bowl
der, he explained.
Then he plunged, red faced and ex-
cited, into the circle about the shell
manIpulators and offered TO lay a wa.
ger.
"Hor on there. Hen Fentriss." thiclily
objected q flushed young man beside
him. 'Iss my turn"
I'm first. Hartley" returned the 9th
er. you can hold yer hosses, / reckon
PLENTY fer each and all. gents" in
terrupted one Of the shell men. place
yer spondulics on de little ball. W'icf
Is de mex lucky gent to win our mon
ey? Gent bets four sixty-five he seen de
little ball go under de middle shell. UI
she comesi Dis time we wins. Platt
Vile can't win every time. Who's d,
mex lucky gentT"
Fentriss edged slowly out of the cir
, Gle, abashed and with rapidly whiten
: ing cheeks. He paused for a moment
outside. slowly realizing that all hi'
, money had gone in one Wild, BLIND
, whirl-the money he had earned 81
, hard and saved so hard to make holi
day for his sweetheart and himself. H.
: stole one glance around the building Il
where a patient figure waited for him
Then he fed down a side alley and sooI
: was out upon the country road. tramp
ing soddenly homeward through thi
r dust. his chin sunk in his breast and hi
hands clinched tight at his sides. Nov
| and then he stopped and bitterly hurl
, ed stone at piping bird on the fenct
: or gay bobwhite in the fields. At nooI
/. the patient figure was still waiting il
the corner of the courthouse yard, meek
ly twisting n coral ring upon her finger
1 But the flushed young man who haC
, spoken thickly to her dcserter drew al
envied roll of bank bills from his pock
2 ct and began TO bet with tipsy caution
while the circle about the gambler
watched with fervid interest. especial!
I Mr. Bardlock. town marshal.
4 From far up Main street came tn
cry "She's a-comin'l She's a-comin.
!. and this announcement OF the parad
A proving only one of a dozen falls
:. alarms a thousand discussions tool
!. place over old fashioned silver tisae
|. pieces as to when she" was really due
Schofelds' Henry was much appeale,
:, TO as an arbitcr I'm these discussions