Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-10

slightly tremulous as he broke in, dep
recatingly: II thought mebbe. Janey. we
could take the old gray and go in for
tn percession. TIL boy here
take day this time o. year! Amt you
'shamed. father? Putting such notions
| In the boys head. tool You can just
both o you put your, minds on potatoes
on the boy. Through? Hurry on, then.
and go to tn beans" So
Through? Yes, Sonny was through.
Sonny had been through ever since she
hateful potatoes. Well he knew that
when Miss Janey mistress of her fathers
lhouse. manager. of his farm, said that a
certain thing must be done she would
see to It that it was done. He could not
eat He wanted to get away before
smarting tears became dreadful sobs, and
he carried out her order gladly.
| All through the morning and into the
afternoon, after silent dinner (sulky,
Miss Janey put it,, he worked with the
old man with many choked-back sob
and wistful look off to the west where
the town lay. There was no mention
between them of the boy-alluring word
circus after fathers brief Its a darn
mention of fathers own disappointment,
and he sang more than usual through
the day in his feeble old voice. Yet later
the child nature which creeps back into
course came to the front, and when at
shutdown they went up to their room
shared together, which faced town. as
the old man said again: Its a darn
shame. Sonny, for you.' he added, land
me, too. cause mebbe there'I never be
another time for me-"
Sonny was beyond answering His face
was buried doop in the big, downy pillow,
that Miss Janey might not hear the long.
choking sobs because at supper she had
coid hat Sba sta
sulking, and that boys who didn't have
any grit in them were poor sorts, any
way
He only cried the harder into the pillow
when the old mans hand patted his
heaving shoulders, and, though he hardly
knew why, he was glad when he knew
father was asleep and he could get UP
and sit by the window and stare with
tear-wet, longing eyes down the long,
winding road, moon bathed, that led to
town. 1t was the road the circus would
come along at sunup So wildly had the
old man pictured that big event in boys
life-the meeting of the circus-that, sit
ting there Sonny forgot their bitter dis
| appointment; forgot Miss Janey in the
adjoining room, who said Boys without
grit were poor sorts, and was away in
town on the hike" with the rest OF the
boys at the first "tweet-tweet" of the
birds to meet the marvellous circus.
Proudly marching back to town with 1t.
perchance by the side of a great, gilded
cage of wheels. from which a deep, awe
inspiring roar came forth, or by the side
| of a ponderous elephant, Or
The old man stirred. There was
faint Darn shame. Sonny!-perhaps
therell never be-another time Very
| quickly Sonny came back to earth and
burning heartache. But suddenly. as he
stared out into the moonlit world, the
| brown eyes became rebellious. The old
man couldn't go-no, but couldn't he?
Couldn't he get up long before sunrise
no oil ma xara Inc teal
ly past Miss Janey's door and. once on the
road. fly to town. to the boys on the
hike and the circus? The wonderful
thought made the little body CULVER. For
many moments he crouched by the win
| dow. eyes wide. burning: then he crept
| into bed and breathlessly planned the
runaway trip. When sleep began to steal
| over him. childishly frantic at the thought
of the sun and the old man getting up
| ahead of him. he fought it desperately.
with such success that the first violet
hues of dawn within slip noiselessly
| past Miss Janey's door. down the stairs.
out into the yard and on, with swift feet,
along the road to town.
His heart pounded chokingly until he
had left the house well behind him. and
Miss Janey. and-oh. yes. the old man!
| He hadn't thought much about him since
| the daring plan had come. But now he
was passing the potato patch where he
would soon be working through the long
| day alone. And he had wanted to see
| the circus. Gee, how he had, Sonny re-
| called the best suit ready across the back
| of a chair: the shoes shined when Miss
Janey was not about to question. Well.
| he wouldn't need them now; he, would be
killing potatoes. doing Sonn}'s share, too.
| in the hope of ,essening Miss Janeys
| scolding. He sure wanted to see that
| circus. What was 1T he said last night?
| Something about mebbe there'd never be
another time for him Sonny didn't know
| lust what the old man had meant. but
| his voice had been wabbly, like though he
was going to cry. 1t hurt him now to
! think of 1T, and he wanted to cry himself
| as ne came to an abrupt halt. N.Y. but
! the old man would feel bad when he woke
up and found him gone. You wouldn't
catch him playing a Teller q trick. like
that. cause n wouldn't he what he call