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'Why, have you ever seen blood, except in a dentist's spittoon? jeered the young man. 'I wasn't speaking to you, she replied rather superbly. 'You can answer me, can't you? he said. For reply, she suddenly jabbed a knife across his thick, pale hand. He started up with a vulgar curse. 'Show's what you are, said the Pussum in contempt.
"I'm sorry but I don't see what I can do about it, unless I go off and smash things up to carry out the program as expected," he retorted, and it did not occur to him that the words sounded particularly ungracious. The thing was on his nerves so much that it seemed to him even Sudden was taunting him with the trouble he had caused. "No, the show's over now, and the audience has gone home.
"Are you going to dress up for him to the extent of evening clothes?" "Yes," said Patty; "I think I owe it to the American Girl." "Well," sighed Georgie, "I'm hungry, but I suppose I might as well go in and dress that doll for the College Settlement Association. The show's to-night." "Mine's done," said Priscilla; "and Patty wouldn't take one.
He come into the store this afternoon, head up, marchin' like a grenadier and shootin' his hand out before his face and drawin' it back again, and hollering out, 'Ta, ta, ta-ra-ta, ta, ta-ta-ra' why, the dumbest man ever lived could see in a minute show's 'comin' to-morrow and Wilkerson's playin' the trombone. Then he'd snort and goggle like an elephant.
"Your car'll be all right here, young ladies," he said, reaching for the quarter Ruth offered him. "I'm going to stay here myself and watch 'em until the show's over. Cal'late to stay here anyway till them wild Injuns and wilder cowboys air off Peleg Swift's land yonder. No knowing what they'll do if they ain't watched."
"Such is youth and enthusiasm," mused the showman, passing on out of the cook tent, once more to go over his arrangements, for there were many details to be looked after on this the first day of the show's season on the road. Phil called on Mrs. Sparling after breakfast, receiving from the showman's wife a most hospitable welcome.
The old man's face became fiery red and then deathly pale. He looked helplessly and pitifully from side to side. "Wind him up!" shouted a voice. "He's stopped short, never to go again," called another. "He's an old fraud, and his show's a fake!" "Speech! speech!" "No; a song! Let old dot-and-carry-one give us a song!" "Oh, shut up! Don't you see he's a ballet-dancer?"
"You are from the country, all right," was her sister's rejoinder. "I would have bet there wasn't a Reub in the state that wasn't wise to the Ferris breach of promise case, and here you blow in after the show's over and want to know who Nelly Nealy is. If that doesn't beat the band!" "This woman sued a man named Ferris is that it?" "A man named Ferris!"
Bill slouched up to the tent and entered. When he beheld the magnificent proportions of Robert he said but little, "Strike me pink!" were the only words the children could afterwards remember, but he produced fifteen shillings, mainly in sixpences and coppers, and handed it to Robert. "We'll fix up about what you're to draw when the show's over to-night," he said with hoarse heartiness.
The huge audience received the opening turns with a kind of judicial silence; but as Isabel, on a big black horse, came sweeping into the ring, a shout of admiration greeted her, and as she completed a really clever performance a roar of applause filled the big tent. Sidcup, who was standing beside Derrick, nodded two or three times with an air of satisfaction. "Show's going well," he said.
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