“Here’s your hot peanuts, only a penny a sack,—right this way, ladies and gentlemen!” a shrill voice was calling.

“Ice-cold pink, yellow and purple lemonade!”

“Coney Island popcorn! Hot Crispetts! Ice-cream candy!”

“Walk up, ladies, and see the only living Wild Man of Borneo!”

“Tickets this way, ladies and gentlemen, to have your fortune told!”

Pandemonium appeared to reign in the big Gym. On buying an entrance ticket for one cent, one secured the privilege of beholding this remarkable scene. “Show Day in Podunk,” the committee called it. Most of the girls, costumed either as performers or patrons of the show, took part. A few faculty wives, with Miss Randolph and the other teachers, had received invitations and walked about leading some staring and delighted faculty children.

One end of the big gymnasium had been curtained off and made to look as much as possible like a circus tent. A few booths and stands, and several small tents for “side-shows”, constituted the rest of the scenery on which the long-suffering janitor and his assistants had been hammering and fixing all day. The committee had spent much time and thought on the plan and had pressed other girls into service to help with placards and posters.

Cathalina came hurrying in as if afraid she would be late. She wore a yellow sunbonnet, a bright red shoulder shawl and a deep pink calico dress which dipped decidedly in the back. By the hand she dragged a curly-headed boy in knickerbockers. “Naow Tommy,” she said loudly, “I can’t take you to ev’rything, so be a good boy an’ you kin see the animals an’ the big show!”

“O, Maw, there’s some ice-cream candy! I want a balloon, Maw! Gimme a nickel! Aw, Maw!” and Tommy tugged at his mother’s hand. Tommy was Isabel, of course, whose blue shirt-waist and purple tie matched the gaudiness of a plaid velvet cap. She hung back whining, as Cathalina tried to guide her obstreperous child toward the main tent.

Lilian, who had changed her plans, was a farmer in blue jeans, heavy boots, loose blouse, red bandanna handkerchief and a large straw hat. She brought in a large family of boys and girls, the boys in overalls or knickerbockers and the girls in every variety of dress.

There was the balloon man in ill-fitting attire. His balloons were quite popular and were to be seen bobbing all over the room. “Toot” went the whistle. Girls dressed as children blew out paper snakes or other things supposed to be dear to the childish heart. Some bought “come-back” balls or supplied themselves with squawkers with which to make night hideous. Country beaus threw confetti at coquettish lasses, fearfully and wonderfully decked for the occasion, or took them to have their fortune told. A patent medicine man sold a lotion which he loudly proclaimed as warranted to take off freckles and sunburn “while you sleep”. So popular was this, although it called for the quarters, that the supply gave out and he was forced to sell the prescription, a real one, supplied by Evelyn Calvert’s Southern Mammy.

“Madame Zitani Will Read Your Past and Foretell Your Future.” So read the sign before a little tent. Inside was Eloise, sparkling in a bright scarlet dress with laced bodice. “Lady, I never saw your face before,” said she to Cathalina, who, with the never satisfied “Tommy”, had entered the tent, “but cross my hand with one simoleon and I will tell your past and reveal your future.” Giggling girls stood around while Eloise took Cathalina’s hand, soft and not much like that of the hard-working lady she represented, and made up an extravagant tale of woe.

“But you will overcome all your troubles, have money left you and soon have nothing to do but ride in your automobiles and aeroplanes!”

Cathalina had assumed a wondering expression, nodding her head in assent to every remarkable event of her past life as related by the solemn Eloise. “Listen to that Timmy,” cried she.

“Come on, Maw, I want to see the Fat Lady and the Boa Constrictor.”

Just then a terrific drumming was heard, and from a side door appeared “Susan’s Band”. Grace Barnard as drum-major lead the way, with all the motions appropriate to that office and some extra antics. The members of the band wore their regular “gym” bloomers, of which a great many were in evidence tonight, with military coats and hats. These one of the girls had borrowed from her brother, a student in a boys’ military school across the lake. Strains of familiar songs and marches were vigorously produced on combs with all the skill which attaches to playing upon that difficult instrument. Accompanied by the clashing of cymbals and drums (which, to tell the truth, sounded much like a combination of spoons and dishpans), they marched to the entrance of the main tent and were evidence that the performance was about to begin.

“Ten minutes to see the animals, ladies and gents, before the gr-reat performance commences! Two rings! The famous Slinger Brothers on the trapeze! Only three cents admittance! There will be two performances, one right after the other,—so don’t all try to get in at once, please!” This last was added in an unprofessional tone as a necessary precaution, for with the entrance of the band, it looked as if the entire house was starting to the show. The herald was supposed to be one of the proprietors of the circus, Mr. Barnum, in fact; but the shade of the real Mr. Barnum would have been much insulted if he could have beheld his representative. Checked black and white knickerbockers (adapted from an old suit skirt), a dark maroon velvet coat, white vest, red necktie, green kid gloves, blue spectacles, a fierce black mustache, silk hat and a cane, were striking features of his outfit. Girls and teachers had to look twice before they recognized a quiet girl of the upper class, who had been known chiefly by good work in the classroom. Her dark hair was turned straight up under the silk hat and gave a bobbed effect.

“Come, Mrs. Goodman,” invited Miss Randolph laughing at and with the startling looking showman who could not keep his face straight, but took off his hat and bowed low to the ladies as they approached. “Let us see what kind of a performance the girls have.”

The curtains were parted for them as they paid over their pennies, and they entered a space where there was sawdust scattered upon the floor with a little hay and a few cages made from boxes. Three remarkable elephants were swinging long trunks about. “Don’t lean on me so hard, please,” whispered the front section of elephant to the rear section. “My back is ’most broken,” was the reply, “and I’m nearly smothered!”

“Make a breathing hole here, and I’ll try to stand it if you can’t help leaning all your weight on me!”

It was not all joy, apparently, to be transformed into a circus animal, but “anything for Y. W. and a little fun”, as the girls said. It was just as well that all the cages were labeled.

A semicircle of seats, in two tiers, had been made of boards nailed to boxes, somewhat insecurely, it seemed to the ladies as they climbed upon them. “I can’t tell which is more amusing,” said the professor’s wife to Miss Randolph, “audience or performers.” She waved her hand as she spoke at a row of supposed small boys on the front circle. They sat with open mouths, or passed sacks of peanuts and popcorn to each other.

“The girls are pretty good at this,” replied the principal. “Those two clowns coming out are Collegiate Seniors, Maxine Burton and Gertrude Mather.”

“Now, Titus,” said clown number one pompously, as he placed his hand upon a large wooden box in the center of the sawdust ring, “do you see this incubator?”

“Yes, suh,” replied clown number two, hideous with red and white paint and a clown’s suit much beruffled and gathered.

“And the egg that I now put in?”

“Yes, suh.”

“In exactly two minutes after I turn the crank, the whole process is complete and the chicken will appear. This incubator is the greatest invention of the age,—by Thomas Edison, ladies and gentlemen!”

Faint jeers and one quickly suppressed call of “chestnuts” came from the front row; but the ringmaster started in the direction of the “small boys” and the disturbance subsided.

“Br-rr-rr! Br-rr-rr!”

“Now I open the door, like this,—”

“Oooh-oo-ooh-oo-ooh-oo-oo!” With a great flapping and crowing, an immense rooster of decidedly human characteristics hopped out and flopped around amid loud manufactured applause, while clown number two pretended to faint and was carted off by two circus hands on one of the trucks used by the janitor for trunks.

A few more rather silly imitations of circus jokes followed, for busy girls could not be expected to be too original; then the elephants were announced, by the ringmaster, who wore a black velvet riding suit. This elegant gentleman cracked a whip and strode around in true histrionic style.

“Any little boy or girl who wants to may now have a ride on the elephant. These are the most docile elephants in captivity!”

In came the elephants, led by a deeply dyed native clad in a silk turban and a flowing kimono appropriately draped. They came slowly by necessity.

(“Now, when I step with my right foot, you step with your left, and then it will look natural.” Thus spoke the first section of elephant.

“Well, how can I do it? It joggles so!” returned rear section.)

“Now, what little boy will come first?” asked the ringmaster in honeyed tones.

One of the fattest little boys in the front row came ambling shyly out, his fingers in his mouth.

“That’s nice, Johnny; which elephant do you want to ride on?”

The nearest elephant reared around dangerously, so Johnny pointed to the next one. That also began to caper, if elephants can be said to caper, while rear section, peeping out, said to front section, “That’s Mabel Smith; I couldn’t hold her on my back a minute. I don’t know how much she weighs. Why didn’t they think to take some of the real little girls for this!”

“They wanted to be in Tom Thumb’s party!”

Owing to the press of school duties, this scene had not been rehearsed with the elephants, but to their relief, a strident voice from the audience called sharply, “Johnny Jones, come back here! You know it ain’t safe to ride on elephants!” A lady apparently of the deadly variety came stalking forth to lead away her venturesome offspring.

“O, yes, ladies and gents, it is perfectly safe!” the ringmaster assured the audience, whereat Cathalina brought little “Tommy” into the ring.

Now Tommy forgot that he had been warned to ascend carefully, and inspired by the occasion, placed one hand on the back of the elephant and vaulted lightly and easily up.

Crash! The elephant fell in, Tommy and all!—while to cover the confusion the band hastily marched from the side to the front and played strains from “Teddy in Africa”, with the appropriate bangs and explosions. Meanwhile the sections of elephant were reunited and Tommy, covered with sawdust, was dusted off. There followed a really fine exhibition by four of the most graceful gymnasts in the collegiate classes. They went through the different feats learned by long practice under the “gym” teacher, and added the bows, waves and smirks of circus performers.

The little girls, of course, had longed to dress up as grown folks. It was Cathalina’s bright idea to have them appear as midgets. They came on next and proved one of the most popular features of the evening, a surprise, for in the earlier part of the evening they had sold lemonade and popcorn and were dressed as butterflies.

Next and last came a trained pig performance. The clever girl who managed this brought in all sorts of jokes upon the girls present. The pig proved to be a remarkable speller! It had been intended to have a lion taming act and a rope-walking “stunt”, but, alas, it was necessary to get through by bedtime.

Hilary, who had been in the band, declared her voice ruined by the efforts of the evening.

“O, Cathalina,” yawned Isabel, as they all ascended in the elevator, “I wish I ‘wuz’ somebody’s little boy to be put to bed!”

“I’ll do it, Tommy,” offered Cathalina, who was herself ready to drop.

“Thank you, my dear young ‘maw,’ but you will go straight to your downy couch. Goodnight, ladies!” and Isabel ran clumping in her heavy shoes, like the boy she looked, down the corridor to her room.