Omaha daily bee., 1911-12-26
REVOLT FOR CIRCUS LIBERTY
Brilliant bit of Fiction Rescued
Ed Howe from Parental
switchinG.

syvitchinG.
---l-N
when circus day arrived father told
us we were not 20 attend the circus;
and, what waS more, we were TO work all
day and not TO see the crowds or the
parade.
told Jim intended to make q sneak
and see the circus II died for It. Jim
was a good boy ana wanted me not to
go, but when he saw / was determined
he accompanied me in the wild run we
made for liberty.
Then we started out to borrow money
with which to attend the evening per-
Torrance. But we didn't make any prog
ress. so when the band struck Up for the
night show we decided to crawl under
the tent. II seemed easy and I was
about in when a man caught me by the
heels and pulled me out. While the cir
Gus man was cutting me l saw another
circus man cutting Jim, about twenty feet
away.
lie had also failed. Then we met a
man named McCurry, member OF my
fathers church, a good man who did not
intend to witness the performance, but
who was nevertheless walking around
outside 10 see the crowds and hear the
band. We appealed to him. We said we
had run off and should get whipping,
but that Il would be terrible to get a
beating and not see the performance.
Mr.. McCurry looked around, to see no
one was watching and said:
We'll, don't want your father to know
It, but I'll loan you the money"
A few minutes later we were inside the
tent whlstling with the other boys, and
inviting the circus men to play ball"
for the performance had not yet COM
menced. But when II did begin 1t was all
We had expected and more. 1t was Miles
Orton's circus, / remember, and the
clown was a merry fellow called DIR.
Gikerson.
But at last the show was over, and Jim
and 1 hung around an hour or more,
dreading to go home--we knew what was
coming to us.
The last wagon drove away about
o'clock in the morning, and then there
was nothing left for us but to face the
editor. So we sneaked in at the kitchen
door; we imagined mother would leave
that open for us, and found she had.
After entering the kitchen there was a
door leading into the sitting room, and
then stairway leading up TO our room.
We had gone around the house and noted
a light in the sitting room; We expected
trouble there. After entering the kitchen
We tried the knob of the sitting room
door, and tried TO turn It quietly. Ever
notice how a door knob squeaks when
YOU try to turn II quietly? That door
knob squeaked, and when we turned 1t
and went into the sitting room there
sat the editor. waiting for us. / went in
first and Jim sheaked in behind me-
Well" father said, you've been to the
circus?"
There was no use trying 10 deceive him
I was willing to try. hut knew 1t was i'm
possible. so l replied, meekly:
yes, SIR" 't
He thought a while, as though trying to
decide just how hard he would whip us,
and finally inquired
How did you like itF'
/ was too wise a boy TO be enthusiastic,
under the circumstances. so I replied:
"oh, ] didn't think II amounted to
much" Ut did, though; 1t was the very
best show ! ever saw In my life.)
For some reason the editor didn't grab
US and begin the punishment we expected,
and he had no switch.
did they say anything about me9' he
asked.
hadn't thought OF that before. but
evidently he had been expecting an at
tack. repeated what the clown had
said. making II as mild as possible.
How did the people take it," he asked
again.
Then had an idea. replied with ami
nation:
"well, sir, you should have been there
and seen how the people took IT. Bill
Hillman, the sheriff, walked down to the
ring and shook his fist at the clown and
said the people wouldn't stand for low
circus people abusing a prominent man
like you. And Mr.. Cuddy, the banker,
he walked down to the ring, too and
told the circus men what he thought OF
them. He said you were one of ne
most useful men In town and that people
looked up to you, and that they didn't
want TO hear any more OF that"
The editor was evidently pleased; stlll
he delayed the whipping.
"Well,' he said at, last. after thinking
awhile, hurry on to bed. We have a
big days work ahead OF US tomorrow.
When we got in bed. We chuckled softly,
and Jim nudged me with his elbow and
said l was certainly the boldest, wissst
boy the country ever produced, And we
paid back Mr.. MeCurFy next day with
ducks we stole from mother and later
fixed II all right with her-she never
was a hard on us as father was lNaen
We told her how we had fooled father.
she said it was a sin. but we caught her
laughing about Il afterwsrd.-Ed Howe IN
American Magazine.
MINNEAPOLIS WOMAN