The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-12-21
RUNNING AWAY
TO THE CIRCUS
First One Ed Howe Had Ever Had
Chance TO Attend-The Bril-
liant Bit of Fiction That Saved
Him From a Whipping.

circus; and. what was more, we
were to work all day, and not see
the crowds or the parade.
/ told Jim / intended to take a
sneak and see the circus, If | died
for it. Jim was a good boy and
warned me not to go, but when he
saw was determined, he accom-
panied me in the wild run we made
for liberty.
Then we started out to borrow
money with which to attend the
evening performance. But we didn't
make any progress, so when the
band struck up for the night show
we decided to crawl under the tent.
1t seemed easy, and | was about in
when man caught me by the heels
and pulled me out. While the cir
Gus man was cutting me, | saw an
other circus man cutting Jim, about
twenty feet.
lie had also failed. Then we met
a man named McCurry, member
of my fathers church, good man
who did not intend to witness the
performance, but who was, never
theless, walking around outside to
see the crowds and hear the band.
We appealed to him. We said we
had run off and should get whip
ping, but that it would be terrible
to get a beating and not see the
performance.
Mr.. McCurry look d around to see
no one was watching, and said
well, / don't want your father
to know it, but I'll loan you the
money!
A few minutes later we were in
side the tent, whistling with the
other boys, and inviting the circus
men to play ball. for the perform
ance had not yet commenced. But
when it did begin il was all that
we had expected and more. 1t was
Miles Orton's circus, | remember,
and the clown was a merry fellow
called Doctor Gilkerson.
But at last the show was over,
and Jim and | 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 mag
ined mother would leave that open
for us, and found that she had
After entering the kitchen, there
was door leading into the sitting
room, and then a stairway leading
up to our room. We had gone
around the house and noted 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 door
knob squeaks when you try to turr
it quietly9 That door knob squeak
ed, and when we turned it and weni
into the sitting room, there sat the
editor, waiting for us. went ir
first, and Jim sneaked in behind me
well" father said, you've beer
TO the circus?"
There was no use trying to de-
ceive him. I was willing to try, but
knew it was impossible, so I re-
piled meekly:
'Yes. sir"
He thought awhile. as though try
ing to decide just how hard hi
would whip us, and finally inquired
"How did you like it?"
I was too wise a boy to be enthu-
siastic under the circumstances, 81
I replied:
"Oh, I didn't think it amounted
to much" II did, though; it was
the very best show I ever saw in my
life.l
For some reason the editor didn'
grab us and begin the punishment
we expected, and he had no switch
did they say anything abou
me9" he asked.
I hadn't thought of that before
hut evidently he had been expecting
an attack. I repeated what tht
clown had said, making it as milo
as possible.
How, did the people take it?" hi
asked again.
Then I had an idea.
I replied with animation:
well, sir, you should have beer
there and seen how the people tool
It'll Bill Hillman. the sheriff. walk
ed down to the ring, shook his fist
at the clown. and said the people
wouldn't stand for low circus peo-
lple abusing a prominent man like
YOU. And Mr.. Cuddy. the banker
he walked down to the ring, too
and told the circus men what hi
thought of them. He said you were
one Of the most useful men in towT
and that people looked up to you
and that they didn't want to hear
any more Of that.
The editor was evidently pleased
Still he delayed the whipping.
WELL" he said at last, after
thinking awhile. hurry on TO bed
We have big days work ahead O
us tomorrow"
When we got in bed. we chuckles
softly, and Jim nudged me with hi
elbow and said I was certainly tn
Modest. wisest boy the country eve