Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-03-11

The square was heaving with JOS
Ting. moving, good natured, happy and
constantly increasing crowd that over
/ flowed on Main street in both direc-
tons and whose good nature augment
ell in the ratio that its size increased.
The streets were Kaleidoscope of
many colors, and every window open
ing on Main street or the square was
filled Will. eager faces. BY 8 O'Clock
all the w ndows of the courthouse in
the center of the square were occupied.
Here most of the damsels congregated
to enjoy the spectacle of the parade,
and their SWANS attended. posted at
coigns OF less vantage behind the la
dies. Some of the faces that peeped
| from the windows of the dark, old.
4 shady courthouse were pretty, and
some of them were not pretty, but near
! ly all of them were rosy checked, and
| all were pleasant to see because of the
/ good cheer they kept.
/ Here and there, along the sidewalk
below, father worked his way through
| the throng, licorice bedaubed cherub
on one arm, his coat (borne with long
enough) IN the other, followed By a
mother, With the other children hang
ing to her skirts and tagging exasper-
atingly behind, holding red and blue
toy balloons and delectabe 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 cluster Of colored bubbles above
the heads of the crowd and the bal
looms that wall like a> baby; the red
lemonade man, shouting in the shrill
voice thnt reaches everywhere and en-
dures forever: "Lemo! Lemo'! Five
glass! Ice cole lemo'! Five cents,
nickel, ii half dime, the twentieth
potofadellah! Lemo'! Ice cole Iemo'"
AL the vociferating harbingers of the
circus crying their wares. Timid
youths In shoes covered with dust
through which the morning polish but
by the urn 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 shyly,
silently slipped the crimson stained am
brosia. Everywhere the hawkers din
ned, and everywhere was heard the
plainti,e squawk of the toy balloon.
In the courthouse yard, and SO sin
ming in the very eye of the law, two
swarth.r, shifty looking gentlemen were
operating with some greasy walnut
shells ind Il 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
unoffically 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
BILE and, it must be admitted, a grow
ing hope Of profit, the game was so di-
rect and the player SO sure. Several
had won small sums, and
one, charmingly rustic stranger with
his goil should now have smoot' olt
time CR his WINNINGS, though the lady
was not manifesteO had pocketed $50
with no trouble at all. The two oper-
ators seemed depressed, declaring the
luck against them and the Plattville +
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,
youth in green tie disengaged his
the first time in two hours
from that of girl who looked upon
him with fond, uncertain smiles and,
conducting her to corner of the yard.
babe her remain there until he return
I'd. He had to speak to Hartley Bowl
Ter, he explained.
Then he plunged, red faced and ex-
.ited, into the circle about the shell
and offered to lay a wa
ger.
"HoP on there, Hen Fentriss," thickly
objected flushed young man beside
aim. 'Iss my turn"
I'm first, Hartley" returned the 9th
r. you can hold yer bosses, reckon"
"Flenty fer each and all, gents" in
one of the shell men. place
,er spondulics on de little ball. Witch
s de mex lucky gent to win our mon
Y? Gent bets four sixty-five he seen de
title ball go under de middle shell. Up
he contest Dis time we wins Platt-
lille can't win every time. Who's de
lex lucky CENT?"
Fentriss edged slowly out of the cir
lie, abashed and with rapidly whiten- ,
ng cheeks. He paused for moment
slowly realizing that all his
noney had gone in one wild, blind
yhtrl--the money he had earned SO
ard and saved so hard to make holt
ay for his sweetheart and himself. He ,
tole one glance around the building to
,hare patient figure waited for him.
,b.,,, ha 4ad dnyUp a ui1n alley on6 soon