Jack Worthing

“ Jack was sure there was adoration in them. He knew Holloway was in love with her. How could he be a man and help it. Oh, it was damnable—unbearable.
He stood up suddenly. He couldn’t help it. He was crazed, maddened, choked, stifled. The fates must intervene and rescue his reason or else—
There was a blessed sound—the announcing of dinner.
Later there was music in the great white salon where the organ was. Maude Lome sang, and the man with the monocle accompanied her on the organ. Mrs. Rosscott sat on a divan between Holloway and General Jiggs. Jack was left out in the cold. ”

“ He left his home with Professor Klopper under a misapprehension. Everything is all right. If he sees this will he please communicate at once with the undersigned? A reward will be paid for suitable information of the whereabouts of the boy.
“Sylvester Allen.”
“It’s my father! My father! He’s back from China!” cried Jack. “Hurrah! Dad’s back! Hurry, some one! Get me a pen and paper. I’ll write at once! No, I’ll telegraph! Whoop! Now I’m all right!”
The nurse came running back into the room.
“What is it?” she asked. “What has happened? You must not excite yourself. You will have a relapse.” ”

“ As the June afternoon was drawing to a close, Miss Klopper, the professor’s sister, came to Jack’s door.
“Here is your supper,” she said, handing in a tray, none too well filled. “My brother says you are to remain in your room until to-morrow morning, when he hopes you will have repented. I hope you will, too. Boys are such perverse creatures.”
Jack said nothing. He took the tray, for he was very hungry. But he did not intend to remain in his room all that evening, when there was a vaudeville show in town. ”

“ This state of things was by no means cheerful, and Wolston determined to break up the monotony by introducing a subject of conversation likely to interest them all, the old as well as the young.
"By the way, gentlemen," said he, "it occurs to me that you have not yet thought of selecting a profession; your future career seems at present somewhat obscure."
"What would you have?" inquired Jack; "there is no use for lawyers and judges in our colony, except to try plundering monkeys or protect jackal orphans." ”

“ Make him quit,” advised Mitz, the ringmaster, who had just finished putting several horses through their paces, and who was retiring to the dressing-tent. “Make him quit the show,” he added.
Jack looked at him apprehensively, but the ugly ringmaster had been taught a lesson. He did not flick his whip at the boy.
The young clown hesitated. He did not know whether to ignore Ted and go on with his act, or appeal to Mr. Paine, who was at the far side of the ring, making an announcement about a young woman who did a “loop the gap” act in an automobile. ”

“ Clayton had given Jack Witherspoon his whole history, and the future
campaign was laid out in all its details.
"As for these Fidelity Company men," said Jack, "you can give them the go by in only frequenting secluded places.
"As long as you avoid the public resorts of New York, they cannot reach you. But keep your eyes always open. And, remember, secrecy above all. If Hugh Worthington should divine our plan to unveil his devilment, you might be the victim of some 'strange accident!'
"Money has a long arm in these days," ominously said the lawyer, "and, it can strike with remorseless power. ”

“ Kyle’s direction he painted his face, and then he donned a suit belonging to a clown who had left the circus because of ill health.
“Well, you look, as good as the average clown,” said Jack’s friend when the boy was fully attired. “Now, it’s what you do that will count to-night, and until you get your new act. Then you may find it easier to make a hit. Don’t be nervous. You may think all in the tent are looking at you, but they’re not. Go ahead just as if you were doing it for Mr. Paine. He’s the one that counts, for if he doesn’t like your act he’ll discharge you.” ”

“ I don’t care for Sam Kyle. If you bother with me and spoil my act, you’ve got to take the consequences.”
[130] “I’m not going to bother you,” replied Jack.
“That’s a hot act you have,” went on Ted. “I wonder the old man lets you get away with it. What in the world people can find in that to laugh at I can’t see. It’s on the blink, I think.”
Jack did not consider that any good would come of answering the mean clown, and he passed into the dressing-tent, as his turn was over for the afternoon. He encountered his friend Sam, who was washing up after the performance. ”

“ I thought—why—are we at the next place where we’re going to show?”
“That’s what,” answered Sam. “Come on. It’s only a short walk to the grounds, and if you don’t hustle there may be no steak left.”
Jack looked from the window of his berth. He saw that the train was in a railroad yard, and from the flatcars men were sliding down the big animal cages.
He hurriedly dressed, made his toilet in the washroom of the car, and went out to find Sam waiting for him. They were soon at the circus [118] grounds, and the boy clown saw a crowd of men laying out the canvas for the big tent. ”

“ Then came the last one.
“I’m tired to-night,” thought Jack. “I don’t feel just like myself. Guess I must be getting homesick. Oh, but I would like to see dad and mom again! I wish I was back in Westville, even if the professor would have me arrested. Well, here goes for the last turn, and then I’m going to bed and sleep.”
There was some delay in getting his platform over to the far side of the tent, where he was to make his last jump, and it was almost time for the final races when it was in position.
Jack climbed up, and his airship was hoisted up [191] to him. ”

“ It wasn't any particular consolation to Roll-about to hear of it, and she crept away into a lonely corner, and moaned and licked her paws for a long time.
"Master Jack and Miss Gretchen,"—how the Bear family did learn to hate those children! Every rude and disagreeable thing Greedy did, he quoted them as examples. Jack, it seemed, said, 'I won't,' and fought for his dinner; and Gretchen scratched and bit right and left; and they quarrelled with each other. Their evil example had ruined all that was good in poor Greedy. He said the most unpleasant things. He found fault with every thing. ”

“ I guess you can knock off now. We’re in pretty good shape.”
He scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to Jack, who took it over to the ticket wagon. It was drawing close to the time for the performance, and there was quite a throng in front of the gaudily painted vehicle.
As Jack was working his way through the press to the window, he heard a familiar voice ask:
“Waal, are ye goin’ to th’ show? Thought ye didn’t have no money.”
“Why, Ferd,” exclaimed Jack, recognizing his friend of the milk wagon. “I’m glad to see you,” he went on. “Have you bought your ticket yet?” ”

“ Jones’ place?” Dan questioned.
“That’s the plan, if she’s still willing to take him. Mr. Wentworth has agreed Jack may have this last chance to settle down and make good. If he runs away again, though, it means the state reformatory for him.”
“Do you think Mrs. Jones can handle him?” asked Burton Holloway as he started the engine of the station wagon. “Jack needs a firm hand.”
“She can manage him if anyone can,” Mr. Hatfield replied confidently. “Furthermore, she needs money. It will make an ideal arrangement, providing Jack doesn’t let us down.” ”

“ Paine had gone to another part of the dressing-tent.
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Because the fat lady has kicked up a row, and she says she won’t go on exhibition. That’ll queer the show.”
“What’s the matter with her?” asked Jack, not caring particularly, however, as he was anxious about his own act.
“Why, there’s a rooster under the raised platform she sits on, and she’s superstitious about roosters. ”

“ Next moment Jack burst from the thicket and ran across the plain at a speed that told of imminent danger. From the same thicket there also rushed a large grizzly bear, whose speed was greater than that of Jack, though it did not appear to be so.
All the blood in Watty Wilkins’s body seemed to fly back to his heart, and immediately after it rushed to his brain and toes. Prompt action! no time to think! Life! death! Watty never afterwards could tell clearly what he felt or did on that tremendous occasion, but Jack could tell what he did, for he saw him do it. ”

“ Jack turned pale, and crushed the paper in his hand. Evening found him wandering on the heights of Hampstead, but the next morning he was at his easel. He was a free man now in every sense, and the world looked brighter to him. He worked as hard as ever, and with increasing success, but he spent most of his evenings with his comrades of the brush, with whom he was immensely popular. He was indifferent to women, however, and they did not enter into his life.
But a few months before the opening of this story Jack had taken his new studio at Ravenscourt Park, in the west of London. ”

“ While hard at work, the chief espied Jack. “How did that dog get up here?” he asked in astonishment.
“Up the ladder, sir,” replied Reordan, promptly; for he never lost an opportunity to show off Jack’s intelligence.
“Well, that beats the Dutch,” said the chief. “It isn’t natural for a dog to mount ladders. He’ll come to a bad end.”
“The chief doesn’t like Jack,” said Reordan to himself. “I must keep him out of his way, or there’ll be an order to get rid of him. Keep close, Jack, old boy!” ”

“ Ask Sam.”
[101] Jack found the head clown eating his early supper in the big dining-tent.
“Sit down and eat with me,” invited Mr. Kyle, when Ike had related the result of the runaway’s trial. “I don’t like to cut up capers on a full stomach,” he went on, “so I eat early. Well, I hear you made good.”
“Mr. Paine seemed to like what I did, though I don’t know that it was very funny,” replied Jack modestly.
“It’s not so easy to make people laugh,” spoke the old clown. “I’ve known elaborate acts to fall as flat as a pancake, and, again, some simple little thing would bring roars of laughter. ”

“ Then came a blare of trumpets.
“Come on!” cried Sam, and he ran from the dressing-tent into the big canvas-covered arena, where the performance had started. Other clowns followed him, and a score of additional performers—acrobats, tumblers and tight-rope walkers—ran out. Jack followed more slowly. This was to [108] be the real test. He wondered how he would succeed.
He decided he would repeat the same thing he had done for the manager that afternoon. He had secured several of the paper-covered hoops, and he resolved to give as odd an imitation of a man trying to fly as possible. ”

“ He had been told by Sam Kyle that all the clowns repeated their acts four times, in different parts of the ring, so that the entire audience might see them. Bearing this in mind, Jack prepared to go through the same stunt a little farther along. He succeeded even better than at first, and his funny antics earned him loud applause.
“Ha! hum! Not so bad,” murmured a voice near him, as he finished his second attempt. He looked up and saw Mr. Paine.
“Keep it up, my boy,” said the manager. “I guess you’ll do.” ”

“ But it was impossible to pick out any particular individual in that big audience, and Jack felt safe, at least for the time being.
After the performance, instead of removing his costume and washing off the paint, he remained attired as he was in his clown outfit. His friends tried to find out why he kept it on all day, but he did not tell them.
“He’s getting crazy, that’s what’s the matter with him,” said Ted Chester, with a sneer. “He’s [150] so stuck on his act that he thinks all the people are looking at him.”
“That’s usually the way you are,” commented Sam Kyle. ”

“ With trembling fingers, and a deep sense of humiliation in his heart, Jack lighted a lamp. But even with this greater light there was no trace of the missing packet. Only that seemed to have been taken, as far as Jack could make out.
But now Jennie and her mother, frightened and alarmed, were begging to know what had happened. There was no trace of the masked man. He had slipped out while Jack lay unconscious, our hero thought. ”

“ Meanwhile the circus was traveling about from [143] city to city, and Jack was becoming accustomed to the free and easy life, though it had its drawbacks, especially in a storm.
“Where do we show to-morrow?” asked the boy of Sam, one night when they were in the sleeping car.
“Northrup is the next stop.”
“Northrup? That’s not far from where I live—or used to live,” he added, as he thought rather sadly that he had no real home now. “Maybe I’ll see some of the boys from Westville,” he went on. ”

“ I broke a hoop in the bag this afternoon.”
Jack started for the property tent, and he had [186] scarcely reached it when, from the menagerie, there came such a terrifying yell, mingled with a trumpet of rage, that every one who heard it stood still in horror.
“That’s an elephant!” cried Mr. Delafield. “Something’s gone wrong!”
“Ajax! It must be Ajax!” shouted Jack. “Bill told me he was acting queer a while ago!”
“Then he’s killed some one,” exclaimed the property man, as he rushed from his tent. “I know that yell. I heard one like it once before! Ajax has killed a man!” ”

“ We only make all the noise we can on battered horns, broken drums and all the odd things the property man can get together. I’ll give you a trumpet. All you’ll have to do is to blow it as loud as you can.”
Jack thought this would be easy enough, and he soon retired to the dressing-tent to make-up for the street parade. The big wagon on which the clowns were to ride was hauled by eight prancing horses, and when Jack saw it, and knew he was to be on it, he felt a sense of pride that he had so soon been able to make a place for himself in such a big aggregation as a circus. ”