The Red Cloud chief., 1905-03-03

ui WI w ~ '"N
good cheer they kept.
Here and there. along the sidewalk
below, Il father worked his way through
the %tllrong. u licoricc bcdaubcd chcrub
Oh one arm. his coat 0bornc with long
enouglD on the other, followed by n
mother. with the other children hang
Ing &, her skirts and tagging cNasper-
atiugly behind. holding red and blue
toy balloons and dclcctable candy
batons of spiral striped peppermint in
tightly closed. sadly sticky fingers. n
thousand cries rent the air-thc stroll
ing mountcbanks and gypsying booth
merchants. the peanut vendors. the
boys with palm leaf fans for sale. the
candy sellers, the popcorn peddlcrs. the
italian with the toy balloons that float
like n cluster of coloICd bubbles above
the heads of the crowd and the bal
looms that wall like II baby; the red
lemonade man, shouting in the shrill
voice that reaches everywhere and en-
durcs forever: "Lcmo'! Lcmo. Five
q glass, Ice cole lomo'. Five cents, a
nickel. II half a dime, the twentieth
~potofadollah. Lemo'. Ice cole lcmo','
all the vociferating harDingers 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
recklcssly of peanuts, of candy, of pop.
corn, of all known swectmeats, 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
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 Il pea what the fanciful or
unsOphisticatcd might have been pleas.
ed to call Il game of chance. and the
most intent spectator of the group
around them was Mr.. James BardlOck.
the town marshal. lie was simply and
unofiicially and earnestly interested.
Thus the eye of the law may not be
said to have winked upon the ncfari.
BUSINESS now under it's vision. 1t gaZed
with strong curiosity, an itch to dab
bic and. il must be admitted. q grow
Ing hope of profit, the game was so di-
rect ana the player SO sure. Several
cOuntrymen had won small sums, and
one, II charmingly rustic stranger. with
q peculiar accent Qhe said that him and
his goil should now have a smOot' Olt
time off his winninks. though the lady
was not manifestedI had pockcted So
with no trouble at all. The two oper.
ators seemed depressed, declaring the
luck against them and the plattville
people toe brilliant at the game.
1t was wonderful how the young
couples worked their way arm in arm
through the thickcst crowds. never scpa,
rating. Even at the lemonade stands
they drank holding the glasses i'm theil
outer hands. Such are the sacrifices
demanded by etiquette. But, observ
Ing the gracious %outpouring of fortune
upon the rare rustic just mentioned, 6
youth In II green tie ~discngaged his
arm-for the first time in two hours
from that of Il girl who looked upor
him with fond. uncertain smiles and
conducting her to Il corner of the yard
babe her remain there until he return
ed. He had to speak to Hartley Bowl
der, he explained.
Then he plunged, red faced and OK
cited, into the circle about the shell
%manipulators and offered to lay a wa
ger.
"lIOl' on there, Hen Fentriss." thickl.
objected a flushed young man beside
him. 'Iss my turn"
'Im first, Hartley returned the 9th
Or. You can hold yer bosses, l reckon.
"Plenty fer each and all, gents" in
terrupted one of the shell men. "Plac
yer spOndulics on de little ball. W'icl
Is de mex lucky gent to win u MOI
ey! Gent bets four sixty-ive he seen d
little ball go under lie middle shell. VI
b comes! Dis time we wins. Plat
Vile can't win every time. Who's d
mex lucky CENT?"
Fentriss edged slowly out of the eli
Gle, abashed and with rapidly whiten
Ing cheeks. He paused for a momen
outside, slowly realizing that all hi
money had gone in one wild, blin'
whirl-the money he had earned S
hard and saved SO hard to make a holi
day for his sweetheart and himself. III
stole n glance around the building I
where n patient figure waited for him
Then he fled down a side alley and 500
was out upon the country road, tramp
inc sn11ppIV homaUard tbrouph IN