Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1917-02-08

though he had been out OF commits
sion and docked for repairs for some
time, his sublimal self must have got
in It's work, and the old habit assert
ed itself: to the church he went, at
tended at a respectful distance by the
Bearded Lady, the Fat Man, the Snake
Charmer, the King of the Cannibal Is
lands, the Living Skeleton, and the
Wild Man from Borneo, to say moth
ing of a large and effective chorus
of roaring villagers bringing UP the
rear.
It really was quite clever of Char
ley to recall that, this being wednes-
day, 1t was the proper day to visit the
church--as clever as 1t was disturbing
to Mickey when he, too, recalled that
It was about time for the service TO be
over, and that his mother must be
somewhere on the premises, to say
nothing OF the assembled mothers Of
the entire stock company-and the
rector, and the rector's wife.
Mrs. Burke, poor woman, was quite
unconscious Of what awaited her, as
she emerged from the service with the
rest of the congregation. 1t was an
smazed parent that caught sight Of
her son and heir scrambling off the
back of his steed onto the horse block
In front Of the church, clad in short
swimming trunks and much bluing.
The freaks, the regular artists, the
gymnasts, and the circus audience
generally shrieked and howled and
fought each other, In frantic effort
to succeed to Nickey's place on Char.
ley's back-for Charley now stood I'M.
dismayed and immovable, with a gen.
tie, pious look in his soft old eyes.
For one instant, Mrs. Burke and
her friends stood paralyzed with hor-
ror; and then like the good mothers
in Israel that they were, each jumped
to the rescue Of ner own particular
darling-that is, as soon as she could
identity him. CONSERVATION reigned
supreme. Mrs. Cooley caught the
Bearded Lady by the arm and shook
him fiercely, just as he was about TO
land an uppercut on the jaw Of the
King Of the Cannibal Islands. Mrs.
Burns found her offspring, the Fat
Nan, lying dispossessed on his back
IN the gutter. while Sine wilkins, the
Man Who Ate Glass, sat comfortably
on his stomach. Sine immediately
apoIogized to Mrs. Burns and disap
peared. Next Mrs. Perkins took the
Snake Charmer by his collar, and rap
ped him soundly with the piece of gar.
den hose which she captured as he
was using it to chastise the predatory
Wild Man frCm Borneo. Other mem,
bers of the company received equally
unlocked for censure of their dramat-
ic efforts.
Mickey, meantime had fled to the
pump behind the church, where ha
made his ablutions as best he could
then, seeing the vestry room Goor ajar
he, in his extremity, bolted for the
quiet seclusion of the sanctuary.
To his surprise and horror, he fouiid
Maxwell seated at table looking ov.
er the parish records; and when Nick
ey appeared, still rather blue, attired
in short red trunks, otherwise una.
dorned, Donald gazed at him in mute
establishment For one moment there
was silence as they eyed each other;
and then Maxwell burst into roars of
uncomfortable laughter, which were
not quite subdued as Mickey gave ID
rather incoherent account of the mis-
fortune which had brought him to sucn
| a predicament.
(To be continued.)