Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1919-07-03
Mothers Of Men
By KENNETH CROEsBEcK
(Copyright.)

slowly past the living skeleton and the
latest woman in the world, past the
footing, gaudy calliope, under the,
nose Of the derby hated young man in
shirt-sleeves with fog-horn voice, and
into the tent containing the greatest
show on earth.
The circus wagons, bright spots of
color and tinsel, shimmered under the
hot August sun.
The great white tent spread its
glare Of canvas over what had been q
green field, and about it, like strange
chickens of stranger mother, clus-
tered the booths of worlds wonders,
the candy and lemonade stands, and
the camp of 'the only cannibals living
in captivity"
Beyond 1t, straining at its ropes like
living thing, strangest wonder of
them all, rose the shining dome Of a
balloon.
In this. that very afternoon, the
daring aeronaut, Signor Mello Mellini,
would make his nerve-paralyzing as
cent, as before the crowned heads Of
the world.
A bell rang sharply in the Enclosure,
signaling the time when the great pro-
cession Of wonders was to begin it's
triumphal march before the wondering
eyes Of the audience.
Its sound had hardly ceased, when
a boy entered, yellow envelope in
his hand, calling laconically:
"Ryerson, Ryerson, telegram for
Ryerson!"
At the summons, strange figure
rose from corner Of the inclOsure
Its face was painted into a perpetual
grin, its head was bald and shining,
save for the regular occurrence of
bright yellow spots, it's costume was
white and baggy, and its feet were
long and Tapping, like some impos-
sible animal.
"Im Ryerson," said the clown
"Give us the WIRE"
The boy handed it over together
with a stub of pencil for receipt sig
nature, and made off,
Ryerson opened the envelope and
read its contents. His first start was
of amazement, and then, as he re-read
the message, his face, under it's paint
ed grin, became set in hard lines. The
literal, Unconditional telegraph had
brought him:
1--WE get turned out of the house to-
day at five. Can't you do nothing?
FATHER"
Utterly at loss, he walked vacant
ly around the Enclosure, his great feet
Tapping on the ground.
The second bell rang, and the living
contents of the Enclosure seemed to
throw itself through flap in the can
vas, to be greeted with clatter Of ap-
plause from the tiers of human faces
around the ring.
He did not know they had gone
His one realization was Of an old man
and an old womap, fifty miles away in
the village Of Lynburg, who that
very afternoon were to lose the only
shelter they had.
"Can't you do nothing? The words
seemed to burn his poor brain. A
harsh voice broke In on him.
you Ryerson, beat it into the ring 4!
Get on the job, quick!"
It was Mainwaring, the proprietor,
jeweled, and hard as nails, who had
hustled through the Enclosure, and was
gone as quickly as he had come.
Ryerson, distracted with anxiety,
walked not into the tent, but out be-
hind it. Before him was the proprie-
tors wagon.
He hesitated a moment, and, as the
vision of his fathers scanned old face
came to him, glanced quickly round
him, ran clumsily up the movable
steps, and into the wagon.
Mainwaring's small desk stood be-
fore him. He ran to it. It was locked.
1t was only chance, at best, but in
desperation he struck Its front blow
with his clenched fist, and the flimsy
affair came apart under his hand.
He threw up the flap, rummaged
rapidly through the papers, opened
drawer after drawer, until he hap
pened upon a familiar leather-bound
purse. He opened it, his eyes glisten-
ing amid the cracking paint counted
the contents rapidly, and crowded it
into an inner pocket.
In a moment more he was on the
ground outside the wagon, unobserved.
A church steeple rose over the trees
at the end of the field. It was three
o'clock. He had acted on impulse, and
as he realized with a sinking Of the
heart, in vain.
He could never reach Lynburg In
two hours. He looked round him like
a hunted animal. AS he did sO a
thought struck his driven brain like
an inspiration. The balloon!
He knew balloons, having made an
occasional ascension to help out a
regular balloonist during a former
engagement" that had featured In his
checkered career.
He walked rapidly to the rope lad
der which hung over the side Of the
basket, and. climbing it. almost fell
into the light wicker framework. Sig
nor Mellini was already there, at work
arranging his ballast. He started to
his feet as the strange apparition
wriggled over the side.
"Oh. it's you, Ryerson." he said.
"Why amt you in the tentT
II want the balloon. Mellini," said
the clown. Get out Of it"
"Ah, quit your kiddin'," said the dis
tinguished signor. "It's too bloomin'
hot!"
Get out" said Ryerson ominously
"Get out, or I'll throw you out"
The aeronaut cast one glance at the
white face streaming with nerSnira.