The Washington herald., 1912-04-07

were RatnernH IN the west lie olQ NOT ike tHc
look OF them. The day had been too hot and he
had heard Of the sudden Iowa storms, and ne
feared low-down"-the one great catastrophe
for the tent man. which throws the great canvas
structures fiat rips the tents to useless shreds and
saps the tent stakes at the end OF their ropes like
writhing serpents wounding and often killing the
shelter-seekng men and women and children.
The circus and carnival the biggest thing
Andersville had ever attempted, but the great
spreads of canvas were i'll adapted to weather
from end to end, worried Kilkenny, for giant
lights had been swung from cross bars nailed at
the tops Of the eentre-poles and Kilkenny did not
and against his better Judgment, for your tent man
wants his big top so rugged that in an emergency
down the centre poles to lie fat under the wind
He shook his head and swore heartily he glanced
from the gathering storm to the tent which was
canvas-man TO have the stakes driven deep into
the ground.
IF wan av thin stakes pulls out Casey" he
said, "cut every dang rope. II ye don't, mind ye
tn whole shootin match will blow clean inta
tn mkt county"
That was at six-thrty, when the crowd was
"T' th' divi with these amaehoors Kilkenny"
said Casey. Tell thin t cut out tn big top show,
an G let 5n me s git til tent BID dGwn said Kilkenny
81 have me eye on tn storm. II she's goin' Z
break, I'll git thin out ay n big top, in pnty
quick"
Wilbur was the manager Of the ring show with
its twenty clowns, three real elephants, and hired
asGt He came running and psT;pGSs Kilkenny
calmly. Rush it throo. This is tn last noght
an twill make no diffrunee. Cut thin clown acts
short. Git tn audjienss out as soon as ye can
Where will l find you II need your" asked
TS "WRerer %T'' tn throube is" said Kilkenny and
Wilbur hurried away.
The circus and carnival occupied two entire
suburban blocks. The street between had been
turned into Midway with wooden booths well
rooted. One block was given over to the Wild
On the other block stood the big top at one end
and two large tents lashed together to shelter the
Worlds Carnival stood at the other Between
them stood the big menagerie and side-show tent
with a real camel, boys in animal costumes, and
minstrel show giving continuous performances
There were other tents sheltering other amateur
sheltered by the wooden booths, stood tie big
tent Of the Blue Birds vaudeville show, the tent
that was Kilkennys prde-new, strong, double
waterproofed and double staked. 1t was the one
tent to which he gave no thought.
At six the evening crowd began pouring in
through the peristyle, filling the grounds to sufo.
cation. The thousands OF electric lights glittered
the amateur barkers yeped through their mega
feti and other carnival stuffs and in hour the
side show, the vaudeville shows, the moving pic
ture shows, the worlds fair tents and the midway
all filled and the big top was filing Under
the glare of the electric lights the sky was hidden,
and the crowd paid no attention to it, but Kill
kenny his hill kept watch
Three bands were playing tumultuously and the
managers of the show rushed here and there, on
important errands or on errands they wished to
have seem important. 1t was all breathless and
hysterical The wild carnival spirit spread The
ladies at the confetti booths could not hand out
the confetti as rapidly as the crowd sought to
purchase it. Every man, woman and child was
covered with the multi i-colored snow. and the
booths and trees and wires draped with the
brilliant ribbons of the ribbon confetti 1t was as