, 1922-12-21
Popcorn and Pink
Lemonade
By H. LOUIS RAYBoLD

$3.50" 1880 oaNh 80 kHS
breakfast table, as he unfolded his
napkin with one flick, Il suppose next
week | have TO make a sacrifice of
myself, neglect my business, and waste
the whole of u rare June afternoon.
How about 1t, Bil:y?"
His young nephew, at the sound of
his name, lifted uncomprehending
eyes from his matutinal egg-toast-cocoa
combination. What Q say, Uncle
Jack? he asked.
"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. AT
least, nothing of Importance. | mere
ly remarked'-here this exasperating
young man paused, then added i'm
pressively-'that the circus, the really,
truly circus, stupendous, unpara-
lelled-"
Circus, Uncle Jack? Circus? Oh,
gosh, Uncle Jack, going to take me?'
Now the reader must be Immediate
ly disabused regarding Uncle jacks
apparent reluctance TO go to the cir
GUS. Uncle Jack would rather go to
the circus than do almost anything
else, unless it were to spend the equiv
alent hours In the company of Miss
Caroline Prescott-an alternative,
however, which was out of the ques-
ton.
For only yesterday Jack with con-
siderable vehemence for him, had told
that tantalizing young woman that he
was beastly sick OF being fifth vice
president in the firm of devoted Fetch
* Carriers for her ladyship and was
F-nnhN~ m gAl .Ve III ala... -
the latest conner. Caroline had re-
turned a retort discourteous, and, an
other Il Of the vice presidents arriv-
Ing inopportunely. Jack had taken an
abrupt departure.
Now the question reasonably arises
as to just why Jack should have ex-
pected any special consideration. He
did so on the grounds Of having
squirrel Caroline ever since he had
first held her miniature umbrella over
her head on the way to kindergarten
and of having asked her to marry him
semi-annually ever since she was sew
enteen and he nineteen-some five or
six years ago. But with each passing
year she had added new charms and
p~iquancies which attracted new admir-
ers until 1t looked as If her oid-time
companion would be crowded out of
the running.
So much for the prellmlnarles which
helped to bring about Billy's circus
trip. Sailor-suited and exuberant, he
trotted along by his uncle's side and
explored the dusty environs of the
grounds, poked peanuts at the trunk
waving elephants, gazed rapturously
at South American a~nteaters and Aus
tralian marsuplals suddenly and I'M
scientifically become %neighbors, and
finally in the awed silence of expec-
fancy, entered the big tent and headed
for grandstand seats.
walt, uncle. There's Jean. Wait.
Uncle Jack !"
Nov Bill, IL we expect to get our
seats before someone else does-never
sat in my w seat at a circus yet,
Bill I"
For Billy was Juggling backward at
his uncle's hand. "Wait for Jean.
She's hurrylng like everything. Her
Aunt Caroline"
At the name, Jack halted abruptly,
and somewhere in the bach of his
mind an association of ideas began to
form. Jean-Caroline's niecel Yes,
there they were, sure enough. although
from Caroline's he felt sure
she mad not seer him. Fresh and cool
IN green linen and wide hat. Lord
how attractive she was and what a
darn shame he couldn't follow his inn
pulse to rush wildly over. Yet dignity
demanded hat he stick by his guns.
Through the performance which fol-
lowed, Jack was quite as conscious
that Caroline was sitting directly in
back OF him, three rows up. as If he
had had eyes In the back Of IL $ head,
or as II Billy hadn't told hin. lie