Connecticut western news., 1915-06-24
CHAPTER K.
The New Star.


 ~ AM, Penrod, Herman and Yer ~ man withdrew ill considerable state from nonpaying view and,
 repairing to the hay loft, de clared the exhibition open to the pub lie. Oral proclamation was made by Sam, and then the lettering multitude was enticed by the seductive strains of a band, the two partners performing upon combs and parcr, Herman and Verman upon tin pans with sticks.
 The effect was immediate. Visitors appeared upon the stairway and sought admission. Herman and Verman took position among the exhibits, near the wall; Sam stood at the entrance off ciating as barker and ticket seller, while Penrod. with Adebonair suavity, acted as curator, master of ceremonies and lecturer. He greeted tie first to enter with a courtly bow. They COL sisted of Miss Rennsdale and her nurs- cry governess, and t5ey paid spot cash for their admission.
 Walk in, lay-decZe; walk right in. Pray do not obstruck the passageUay," said Penrod in a remarkable voice. Pray be seated. There is room for each and all"
 Miss RennsGale and governess were followed by Mir. Georgie Basset and baby sister (which proves the perfec tion of Georgie's character) and six or seven other neighborhood children, a most satisfactory audience. although, subsequent to Miss Rennsdale and gov erness, admission was wholly by pin.
 'Gen-til-mun and lay-deeze," shouted PenrOd, T will first call your attain shon to our genuine South American dog, part alligatorr' He pointed to the dachshund, and added, in his ordinary tone, That's him." Straightway re- assuming the character of snowman, he beloved: Next, you see Duke, the genuine, full blooded Indian dog from the far western plains and Rocky mountains. Next, the trained Michi- gan rats, captured way up there and trained to jump and run all around the box at the-at the-at the slightest pre-textv' He paused, partly to take breath and partly to enjoy his own sur prised discovery that this phrase was in his vocabulary.
 At the slightest pre-textv' he repeat ed, and continued, suiting the action to the word: 'I will now hammer upon the box, and each and all may see these genuine full blooded Michigan rats perform at the slightest pre-teXt! There! (Theres all they do now, but I and Sam are goin' to train 'em lots more before this afternoon.) Gen-til- nun and lay-deeze, I will kindly now call your at-tain-shon to Sherman, the wild animal from Africa, costing the lives of the wild trapper and many of his companions. Next let me kindly interodoos Herman and Verman. Their | father got mad and stuck his pitchfOrk right inside of another man, exactly as promised upon the advertisements out side the big tent, and got put in jail. | Look at them well, gen-til-mun and | lay-deeze. There is no extra charge, and re-mem-bur you are each and all now looking at two wild tattO0ed men which the father of is in jail. Point, Herman. Each and all will have chance to see. Point to sUmpthing else, Herman. This is the only genuine one fingered tattOoed wild man. Last on the program, gen-til-mun and lay deeze, we have Verman, the savage | tattooed wild boy, that can't speak only his native foreign languages. Talk some, Verman."
 Verman obliged and made an instan- taneous hit. He was encored raptur- Ously again and again, and, thrilling with the unique pleasure of being ap preciated and misunderstood at the same time, would have talked all day ] but too gladly. Sam Williams, how ever, with true showman's foresight. whispered to Penrod, who rang down 1 on the mOnolOgue.
 "Gen-til-mun and lay-deeze, this closes our pufformance. Pray pass out 1 quietly and with as little jostling as possible. AS soon as you are all out there's goin' to be new pufformance, and each and all are welcome at the same and simple price of admission. Pray pass out quietly and with as lit tie jostling as possible. Re-mem-bur the price is only 1 cent, the tenth part of dime, or twenty pins, no bent ones taken. Pray pass out quietly and with as little jostling as possible. The Scho- field & Williams military band will play before each puffOrmance, and each and all are welcome for the same and simple price of admission. Pray pass out quietly and with as little jostling as possible"
 Forthwith the Schofeld & Williams military band began a second overture, 1 in which something vaguely like a tune was at times distinguishable, and all of the first auGience returned, most of them having occupied the interval in nasty excursions for more pins, Miss 1 Rennsdale and gOverness, however