Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 22, 2025
"And just to show you that I'm honest in this business," he went on hurriedly, "I'm going to begin by paying you the fifty I still owe on your salary, Joey. That's the kind of a man I am. I do what I say I'll do. Here's your fifty, Joey." "Not that kind of money for me, thank you," said Grinaldi, with a scowl that brought his painted eyebrows together.
Mary Braddock drew herself up, her eyes flashed and her lips parted to resent this easy proprietorship. But she saw that a group of performers were staring at them in plain curiosity. She closed her lips in bitter determination, and walked off at his side. Close behind came her daughter and the young Virginian. Joey Grinaldi addressed himself to the little knot of strollers.
"Certainly," he said gravely. "Ruby, you will go with us," she went on. "My husband must be made to understand that we are to thank you and Joey for this bit of luxury." Joey Grinaldi sought out Braddock and told him of his determination to share his little store of savings with Mrs. Braddock and Christine. There was a scene, but the clown stood his ground.
Grinaldi eyed him speculatively. "You say they're 'ere now? So close as that?" he demanded in a low voice. "I passed them on the mountain. I tried to make the railroad ahead of them. There was a bridge down back there. There were two of them, officers from the county seat. They won't have any mercy if they find me. They'll take me back and I'll be hung. I can't prove anything I can't escape."
A dozen men were stripping themselves of one set of tights to don another, for in those days the ordinary acrobat did many turns in the process of earning his daily bread. By the time Grinaldi returned, young Jenison was completely arrayed in an extra costume of the clown's, a creation in red and white stripes, much too baggy in all directions, but dry as toast.
Tom Braddock, strangely sobered and bleached out by a tardy remorse, went about mechanically in the management of the show which he no longer owned. Joey Grinaldi delivered two precious, carefully preserved missives into the hands of the distracted Virginian. One of these letters said that the writer would wait for him to the end of time, loving him always with all her heart.
"Don't say that, Jacky. It was in your ves'cut as usual?" "Yes. The lining is slashed with a knife." "Jacky, are you sure?" almost groaned the clown. "Why why, there ain't nobody 'ere as would steal a pin. No, sir, not one of " "I know that, Joey," said David. He was very white and his eyes were heavy with pain. "I know who stole it." Grinaldi looked up sharply.
At last, he raced from the ring, pursued by the inflated bladder in the hand of Joey Grinaldi, their joint mummery over for the afternoon. Christine was sitting on the trunk that he had occupied so recently; Mrs. Braddock was nowhere in sight. "David," she said slowly, as he drew up panting, "they did not go to the side-show."
"I couldn't be a clown," began David in consternation. "Sure you can," interrupted the boss. "It's as easy as fallin' off a log. Joey can tell you all the tricks. He's the best in the world, Joey Grinaldi is. That's what I've got him for. We've got the best show in the world, too. Barnum ain't in the same class with us. Forepaugh and Van Amberg?
He meant to follow new methods in the effort to secure possession of David's money. Christine beamed with delight. She kissed her father's stubbly cheek and called him a darling! "Don't you tell 'im you've stuck that money away in a bank," was all that Joey Grinaldi said when David told him of Braddock's sudden change of front.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking