Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-12-21
Popcorn and Pink
Lemonade
By H. LOUIS RAYBoLD

y. 49,. ~ Aaeclurs Newspaper syndieate.J
well" said Uncle Jack at the
breakfast table, as ne untolued his
pspkIn win one dick, Il suppose next
EEK / have 10 make a sacrlnce Of
myself, negisct my BUSINESS. and waste
me whole Of a rare June afternoon
Low ABOUT Ii. BillyY"
dis young Eepnew. at the sound Of
his name. lifted uncomprelending
eyes from his mL1utinaI e.g toast cocoa
Combination. what you say, Uncle
Jaekr' he asked.
"Oh. notnlhg. Nothing at all. AT
least. nothing Of Importance. mere
~ remarked" tins exasperatlng
young man paused, then aaued i'm
pressIsely- that the circus, tile really.
truly circus, stupenuous, unpara-
lelled-n
~Circus, Uncle Jackl Circus2 Oh,
gosh, Uncle Jack, going TO take me?'
Now the readel must be immediate
ly dLsabused regarding Uncle Jacks
apparent reluctance to go to the cir
Gus. Uncle Jack would rather 20 to
tie circus than do almost ANYTHING
else, unless it we're to sped .ae equiv
aient 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
tlat tantalizing young woman that he
vas beasIly sick OF being fifth vice
president in the firm Of devoted Fetch
a. Carriers TOR her ladyship and was
ready to sell out all shares at once to
the latest conner. Caroline had re-
turned retort discourteous, and, an
other one of the vice presidents arrlv-
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
sIuired 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-annuallyy 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
piquanciesi which attracted new admir-
ers until it looked as if her old-time
companion would be crowded out Of
the running.
So much for the preliminaries which
helped to bring about Billy's circus
trip. Sailor-suited and exuberant, he
trotted along by his unele's side and
explored the dusty environs of the
grounds. poked peanuts at the trunk
waving elephants, gazed rapturously
at South American anteaters and Aus
tralian marsupials suddenly and I'M
scientifically become neighbors. and
finally in the awed silence of expee-
fancy, entered the big tent and headed
for grandstand seats.
wait, uncle. There's Jean. Wait,
Uncle Jack!"
Nov Bill, If we expect to get our
seats before someone else does-never
81 in my own seat at a circus yet,
BnlP
For Billy was tugging backward at
his unele's hand. "Wait for Jean.
She's hurrying like everything. Her
Aunt Caroline"
AT the name, Jack halted abruptly,
and somewhere in the baIk of his
mind an association of ideas began to
form. Jean-Caroline's niece! Yes,
there they were, sure enough, although
from Caroline's unconcern he felt sure
she had not seen him. Fresh and cool
in green linen and willie hat. Lord !!
how attractive she was and what
darn shame he couldn't follow his inn
pulse to rush wildly over. Yet dignity
demanded that 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 his head
or as Ii Billy hadn't told him. He
held himself stlffiy and refused to re-
lax even at the utmost efforts of near
human monkeys or bouncing clowns
why had Caroline come to the circus
without bringing along at least one of
her escorts?
The afternoon seemed as long TO
Jack as it was brief for Billy. but the
moment finally arrived when The last
chariot race hs.a been won, the span
gled beauty had deSc1 death and the
laws of gravity for the last time, and
the greatest show on earth. in a blare
OF trumpets, was over until evening.
Jack rose. determined not to glance
around. yet somehow or other in the
slowly-moving crowd jamming the
aisles he managed to keep always in
sight a bit of green linen. Halfway
to the entrance one Of those inexpli
cable occurrences took place which
arise from very small beginnings. A
muiIled explosion from an automobile
outside, the roar of hungry lion in
It's cage-something alarmed the mob
az one of the exits. Immediately the
.,Sf-tt ~ YanfP nplrino 81 fhA afrnne