The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-28
<'So I has hearn, Says Hank.
 ssAre you going to iH2'' says I.

'I mout," says Hank, "and then agin moutn't. I don't see as it's no consarns of yourn nohow.s' knowed he was going, though. Hank he never missed circus.
 Well" says, ''they wasn't no harm to ast, was theyp'
 Well, you've asted, ain't you?'' says Hank.
 tsWell, them" says I, sT'd like to go to that there circus myself.''
 ''They ain't no use in me saying fur you not to go,' says Hank, fur you would go anyhow. You always does go off when you is needed"
 ''But I ain't got no money,' I says, 'sand was going to ast you could you spare me a half dolIar.''
 Great Jehosephat!' says Hank. 'tBut a1n't you getting stuck up! Whats the matter of you crawling in under the tent like you always done? First thing know you'll be wanting a pair of these here yaller shoes and a stovep1pe hat"
 "No,'' says I, CT ain't no dude, Hank, and you know it. But they is always things about a circus to spend money on besides jest the circus herself. They is the side show, fur instance, and they is the grand concert after WdIOs Ct11hGAdUGu l Ldh0 CHI d11 HI this year-the hull dern thing. jest fur oncet.'
 Hank he looks at me like I'd asted fur a house n' lot or a million dollars or something like that But he don't say nothing. He jest snorts
 ''Hank," says, 'I been doing right smart work around the shop fur two, three years now. If you wasn't loaf ing so much you'd "a noticed it more. And ain't never ast fur cent of pay fur it, nor''-
 ssYou ain't .vuth no pay,' sayEHank. s'You ain't wuth nothing but to eat vfttIes and wear out clothes.''
 Well" I says, 'I fgger earn my vittles and a good 'eal more. And as fur as clothes goes. never had none but what Elmira made out'n yourn."
 ssWho brung you up? asts Hank.
 s'You done it," says I, land by your own say so you done a dern poor job at it"
 "You go to that there circus,'' says Hank, a-far1ng up. land I'll lambaste you up to inch of your life So fur as handing out money fur you to sling 1t to the dogs, I ain't no bank, and if I was ain't no i1ut. But you jest let me hear of you even going nigh that circus lot and all the lammings you has ever got, rolled into oney won't be a measly little sarcunstance to what you will get. They afn't no leather faced young upstart with weepin' will low hair going to throw up to me how I brung him up. That's gratit0od fur you, that isY' says Hank. eff it hadn't l of been fur me giving you a home when I found you first, where would you of been now7''
 'sWelI," I says, "I might of been & good 'ea1 better off. If you hadn't of took me in the A1exanderses would of, and then wouldn't of been kep' out of school and growed up ignoramus like you is.''
 'sI never had no trouble keeping you away from school, notice" says Hank with a snort. HThis is the first I ever hearn of you wanting to go there. Which was true in one way and a lie in another. I hadn't never wanted to go talI lately, but he'd of damned me if I had of wanted to. He always said he would And now was too big and knowed it.
 We'll, Hank, he never give me no money, so watches my chancet that afternoon and slips in under the tent 1 the same as always. And I lays low under them green benches and wiggled through when seen a good chancet. The first person seen was Hank. Or course he seen me, and he shook his fist at me in promising kind of way, and they wasn't no trouble hggeTing out what he meant Fur a while I didn't enjoy that circus to no extent Fur was thinking that if Hank tries to lick me fur it I'll fight him back this time, which hadn't never fit him 1 r.z .As.7- something iron around the shop and jest natcherally lay me cold with it. I got home before Hank did. It was nigh sundown, and I was waiting In the door Of the shop fur Elmira to hol- l Ter vittles is ready. and Hank come along. He didn't waste no time. He l steps inside the shop, and he takes down strap, and he says: 1 ssYou come here and take off your shirt"
 But jest moves away. Hank he runs in on me, and he swings his strap. I throwed up my arm, and 1t 1 cut me acrost the knucllles. run in on him, and he dropped the strap and fetched me an open handed smack plumb on the mouth that jared my l head back and like to of busted it loose. Then got right mad. and I run in on him agin, and this time 1 got to him and wrastIed with him.
 We'll. sir, never was so surprised in 1 all my life before, fur I hadn't had holt on him more'n a minute before seen Pm stronger than Hank is. throwed him. and he hit the ground with considerable of jar, and then put my knee in the pit of his stomach and churned it couple. And thinks to myself what a fool must of been 1 fur better'n a year, because I might of done this any time. I got him by the l ears, and I slammed his head into the I gravel few times. him a-reaching fur my throat and a-pounding me with his ] fists, but me a-taking the licks and l keeping holt. And had a mighty con- tented time fur few minutes there on top of Hank, chuckIing to myself