beautiful story of the "Hunchback of Notre Dame," and finally knock
down and overthrow the designing seducer, Captain Phoebus. The marvelous
spectacle would be produced under the patronage of the Hon. Colonel
Starbottle and the Mayor of Skinnerstown.
As all Rocky Canyon gathered open-mouthed around the poster, Jack
demurely joined the group. Every eye was turned upon him.
"It don't look as if yer Polly was in THIS show, any more than she
was in the tablows," said one, trying to conceal his curiosity under a
slight sneer. "She don't seem to be doin' any dancin'!"
"She never DID any dancin'," said Jack, with a smile.
"Never DID! Then what was all these yarns about her dancin' up at the
pass?"
"It was the Sacramento Pet who did all the dancin'; Polly only LENT
the goat. Ye see, the Pet kinder took a shine to Billy arter he bowled
Starbottle over thet day at the hotel, and she thought she might teach
him tricks. So she DID, doing all her teachin' and stage-rehearsin' up
there at the pass, so's to be outer sight, and keep this thing dark. She
bribed Polly to lend her the goat and keep her secret, and Polly never
let on a word to anybody but me."
"Then it was the Pet that Yuba Bill saw dancin' from the coach?"
"Yes."
"And that yer artist from New York painted as an 'Imp and Satire'?"
"Yes."
"Then that's how Polly didn't show up in them tablows at Skinnerstown?
It was Withholder who kinder smelt a rat, eh? and found out it was only
a theayter gal all along that did the dancin'?"
"Well, you see," said Jack, with affected hesitation, "thet's another
yarn. I don't know mebbe ez I oughter tell it. Et ain't got anything
to do with this advertisement o' the Pet, and might be rough on old man
Withholder! Ye mustn't ask me, boys."
But there was that in his eye, and above all in this lazy
procrastination of the true humorist when he is approaching his climax,
which rendered the crowd clamorous and unappeasable. They WOULD have the
story!
Seeing which, Jack leaned back against a rock with great gravity, put
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