Chapter 3 A Day Of Memories

Mr. Sparling, the owner of the show, had been a witness of the latterpart of Teddy's act. The showman was standing over near the entrance tothe menagerie tent when Manuel took his unexpected flight, and theproprietor sat down on the grass, laughing until the tears started from hiseyes.

　　The act had been a breach of discipline, so Mr. Sparling prudently kepthimself out of sight until the show had progressed further.

　　Later in the evening he chanced to pass Teddy out in the paddock.

　　"Well, my lad, how is January working tonight?" he asked, with atwinkle in his eyes.

　　"Never better, sir, thank you.""I presume he obeys your commands perfectly, eh?""Does everything I tell him to, Mr. Sparling. I can do anything withthat donkey. Why, I could wink at him and make him kick your head off.

　　I--""I'll take your word for it, young man--I'll take your word for it. Letme warn you to be careful that you do not tell him to do anything that willinterfere with the programme. We must have our acts clean cut, andembodying nothing that has not been arranged for in advance. Do youunderstand?""Yes, sir," answered Teddy, giving the owner a keen, inquiring glance.

　　"I'll bet he saw that," mused the lad. "He's letting me off easybecause he had to laugh, just the same as the rest of the people did.""What did Mr. Sparling have to say?" questioned Phil, who hademerged from the dressing tent just as Teddy was walking away from theshowman.

　　Teddy told him.

　　"You got off pretty easy, I must say. It is a wonder he did notdiscipline you for that.""Do you think he saw Manuel fly?""He did, or else someone told him. Be careful, Teddy! You arelaying up trouble for all of us," warned Phil.

　　"I got even with Mr. Hat Thrower, just the same," grinned Tucker.

　　Teddy was the happiest boy in the show that night, and he went to hissleeping quarters chuckling all the way.

　　The show, this season, had opened in Chicago, and was now workingits way across the state of Illinois. The route had caused considerablecomment among the show people. They did not understand what theplans of the owner might be.

　　Ordinarily, give a showman the first week or two of the show's routeand he will tell you just what parts of the country the show will visitduring that particular season. The performers were unable to do so inthis instance. Phil Forrest was as much perplexed as the others, but hemade no mention of this to Mr. Sparling.

　　"He has some surprise up his sleeve, I am sure," decided Philshrewdly.

　　The next morning Phil asked Mr. Miaco, the head clown, if he knewwhere they were going.

　　"I do not," answered the clown. "This route has kept me guessing.

　　Boss Sparling may be headed for Australia for all I know. He's just aslikely to go there as anywhere else. Has the Spaniard bothered yousince that mix-up?""No.""Well, keep away from him. That is my advice.""I shall not bother him. You may depend upon that, Mr. Miaco.

　　can't say as much for Teddy.""Teddy put up that job with January last night, didn't he?""He hasn't said so.""Not necessary. I saw the whole thing. Lucky for Teddy that Mr.

　　Sparling did not happen to be about.""I am not so sure that he was not.""What?"Phil explained what Mr. Sparling had said to Teddy out in thepaddock.

　　"Yes, he saw it all right, but I guess he doesn't know about the troublein the dressing tent yesterday.""No, I think not. I hope he does not hear of it, either. I do not wishMr. Sparling to think that I am a troublemaker, or that I was mixed up inan unseemly row in the dressing tent. I should feel very much humiliatedwere I to be called to account for a thing like that. What are all thoseflags flying for in town today?""Don't you know?""No, I don't.""You don't know what day this is?""No, sir.""This is Decoration Day.""Oh, that's so.""We lose all track of days in the show business. I'll wager you do noteven know what town we are performing in today," laughed the clown.

　　"I shall have to confess that I do not.""I thought so. Of course you know we are in the state of Illinois?""Yes, I think I have heard something to that effect," grinned Phil.

　　By the time the boys had eaten their breakfast, and had strolled overtoward the tents, they found the dressing tents in place and the performersbusily engaged in unpacking their belongings, hanging their costumes onlines stretched across the dressing tent, and making such repairs in thecostumes as were found to be necessary, for a showman must be handywith the needle as well as with bar and trapeze.

　　Phil's trunk was next to that of Diaz. The Circus Boy did not mindthis at all, but the clown appeared to feel a continual resentment at the fact.

　　"Good morning, Mr. Diaz," greeted the lad, with a sunny smile.

　　"Shall we shake hands and be friends?"Diaz glared at him, but made no reply. He did not even appear tohave observed the hand that was extended toward him.

　　"I am sorry you feel that way about it, sir. If I was hasty I beg youwill forgive me," urged Phil.

　　Diaz turned his back on him.

　　"Very well, sir," said the Circus Boy, a little proudly and with slightlyheightened color, "I shall not trouble you again."Phil turned away and began unpacking his trunk, giving no furtherheed to the sullen clown.

　　"The Honorable Mr. Diaz says 'nix,'" laughed Teddy, who had been anamused witness to the one-sided conversation, the word "nix" being thecircus man's comprehensive way of saying, "I refuse.""Don't stir him up, Teddy," warned Phil.

　　"Say, what's going on over in the women's dressing tent?""I did not know that anything out of the ordinary was happeningthere," said Phil. "Why?""I see a lot of folks going in and out.""Nothing unusual about that, I guess.""Yes, there is.""What makes you think so?"" 'Cause they're carrying flowers in and making a great fuss. I'mgoing over to find out. Come along?""No, thank you. You had better keep out. You know you are notsupposed to go in the other dressing tent."Teddy was not disturbed by the warning. He turned and started forthe women's dressing tent, where he saw several of the other performerspassing through the entrance. Phil, who had stepped to the door of hisown dressing tent, observed the same thing.

　　"I guess there must be something going on over there. I shall have tofind out what it means," he thought.

　　"May I come in, Mrs. Waite?" called Phil from the entrance.

　　"Sure. Come in Phil," smiled the wardrobe woman.

　　Teddy had not wasted the breath to ask permission to enter, but themoment he stepped inside something caught his eyes, causing them toopen a little wider.

　　Two trunks had been drawn up in the center; over them was thrown anAmerican flag. At one end a flag on a standard had been planted, and onthe trunks, flowers and wreaths had been placed.

　　"What's that thing?" asked Teddy.

　　"That is my grave, Master Teddy," answered Mrs. Waite in a low tone.

　　"Your grave?""Yes.""Pshaw! That's a funny kind of grave. What's buried there--yourpet poodle?""Teddy! Teddy!" whispered Phil reprovingly.

　　"Go 'way. This is some kind of a joke," growled Teddy.

　　"It is not a joke, though I do not understand the meaning of it just yet.

　　You say this is your grave, Mrs. Waite?" asked Phil.

　　"Yes, Phil. You know my husband was a soldier?""No, I did not know that, Mrs. Waite. Will you tell me all about it?"Phil was deeply interested now.

　　"My husband was killed at the battle of Gettysburg. He lies inWoodlawn Cemetery. I am never at home on Decoration Day. I amalways on the road with the circus, so I cannot decorate the real grave.""I understand," breathed the Circus Boy.

　　"Being unable to decorate my husband's real grave, I carry my gravewith me. Each Memorial Day morning I prepare my grave here in thedressing tent, and decorate it as you see here, and all my friends of thecircus are very good and thoughtful on that occasion.""How long have you been with the show--how many years have youbeen decorating this little property grave, Mrs. Waite?" asked Phil.

　　"Thirty years, Phil.""Is it possible?""Yes, and it seems no more than two.""Do you intend remaining with the show much longer--aren't you evergoing to retire?""Yes. I am going to retire. I am getting old. I have laid up enoughmoney to keep me for the rest of my life, and I am going to take a restafter two years more with this outfit.""I am afraid you will miss the show," smiled the lad.

　　"I know I shall. I shall miss the life, the color, and I shall miss myboys and my girls. I love them all very much."One after another, the women of the circus had come in to the dressingtent, depositing their little floral remembrances on the property gravewhile Mrs. Waite was talking.

　　Teddy, as soon as he fully comprehended the meaning of the scene,had slipped out. In a little while he returned. He brought with him abunch of daisies that he had gathered on the circus lot. These he had tiedwith a soiled pink ribbon that he had ripped from one of his ring costumes.

　　Phil saw the daisies, and, noting their significance, smiledapprovingly.

　　"Teddy has a heart, after all," was his mental comment.

　　Teddy Tucker proceeded to the flag-draped grave, gently placed hisoffering upon it, then turned away.

　　As he did so, he was observed to brush a hand across his eyes as ifsomething there were blurring his sight.