The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-30
TIE EVENING STORY
The Tragic Clown.
Ru Tan4 nShnrn


1t was Boost Week in Fays Cor
ners. There were flags flying and bunt-
ing swaying in the breeze along the
main street. A pair of plaster of Paris
| figures had been set up on two of the
-four corners" the shrill whistle of the
peanut and popcorn stand was n the
air, badge and button vendars had set
up their stands on the curb and the
streets were crowded.
The focus of the excitement centered
on Fays Corners commons, a green
park of two or three acres in the CEN
ter of the town. Here a tent had been
set up and a temporary reviewing
stand, and already baby carriages
| were gathering in anticipation of the
| great event. AS an opening feature of
the boost week performance there was
to be a baby parade. This was the
idea of Silas Stebbins, the leading
banker of Fays Corners, who had ruIr-
chased an array of silver mugs and
silver spoons and silver napkin rings
| as prizes for the winning specimens of
babyhood.
The judges-the three prettiest girls
| in Fays Corners-had arrived betirues
and were sitting in the reviewing
| stand One of them-the little dark
eyed one-was Mardy, Silas Stsbbins
daughter. She felt herself to be the
| happiest girl in the world to have
father who could provide so luxurious
ly for his fellow townsmen. 1t seeln ed
as if there never was such an event
in Fays Corners.
She grew impatient waiting for the
parade to begin, SO she left her fellow
judges and walked down the C0nl-
mons to the tent to see how the plans
for the afternoon We're progressing.
There was to be a great surprise which
she and her father had planned for The
amusement of the small boys and the
girls of the place. There were to free
ice-cream cones for all the children and
there was to be real clown. Mardy
had hardly been able to keep this great
surprise from the other judges-hcr
chums.
She had reached the tent and was
just going in to see whether the ice
cream-cone man had arrived when she
saw coming toward her the clown. He
was dressed in the boomer shaped white
duck trousers, faring white coat, enor-
NOUS white shoes and white gloves.
His face was painted white with red
cheeks and triangle eyes-just the sort
of clown that Mardy had seen at the
circus and hoped would come He
walked toward her with painful strides
holding his hands uncomfortably from
him and tripping over the large clumsy
shoes. Something in his very gestures
was irreSiStibly funny.
The clown took a step toward NJ lIily
and DOTTED his hat with one large glow
ed hand and bowed. Then, with an ac-
cent that struck Mardy as being one of
untold richness, he said: "Oh, good day,
am I really at all funny"
Mardy had but to look at him again
to go off into another ripple of
laughter.
TT is such a relief to think I am
funny said the clown.
Aren't you ALWAYS funny?"
ooh. my, no. said the clown; this
is the first time. That is why feel
so nervous about it" He stopped
short. Perhaps i shouldn't have said
anything about it, only when you
laughed L thought perhaps you could
help me. You see, I know little a bout
clowns never watched one long enough
to know what to do. But. you see when
the gentleman here-the banker-sent to
the city to the theatrical agency that
he wanted a clown and had to have it
by today, why all the clowns they had
on the books were busy, and 1 happen
ed to be in at the time and all there
was for me to do was to take the
signment So 1 went to the costuiner's
and got the costume. And here l am.
But don't you say anything about this
| to the banker, if you happen to know
him. about my not being a bona fide
clown. That is between me and the
agency entirely But, I say. do YOU
mind telling me what / did just now
that made you laugh? 1 want to 90 it
again, and if you know anything that
| clowns usually do, will you please tell
me-"
"Oh, you are so very funny said
Mardy laughing again, Just the way
you talk and walk. and"
Thank you, really" said the clown.
Il didn't realize it.
You might have little snake on
ed
the antics of the clown at the circus
she had seen. You tie the snake to
your foot with a string and then it
follows you and you pretend to be
afraid and the harder you run the fas-
ter it follows you. 1 have a paper
snake 1 could let you have"
Thanks, awfully.' said the clown,
with feeling.
And then you must try to do what
other people are doing. You could pre-
tend to wheel a baby carriage when the
baby parade begins You could have
a wheeIbarrow with a pig in it for
the baby. think I could lend you one
of our wheelbarrows and one of our
little pigs, and after that you can come
up on the grandstand and pretend to
help the judges to pick out the best
baby
Mardy, full of her secret, hurried
home and returned with the paper
snake and her fathers hired man"
bringing a WheelbarrOW and the small
pig Then with little rehearsing in
side the tent Mardy showed the serious
minded clown how to manipulate the
pig and the snake in true clown style.
Mardy hurried to the reviewing stand
and forgot the clown and his secret
| in the serious duty of reviewing babies.
Once or twice the uDroarious laughter
of the people, gathered in the commons,
recalled to Mardy the presence of the
clown and she knew that he was max
| ing a hit