The Schooner Bay Home for Indigent and Invalid Seamen

The Circus Comes to Town

Chapter 5:

The next evening the town council gathered. All but one of the members were in attendance; Justice of the Peace Josiah Turner, Constable Hiram Smith, Reverend John Whitman, Dr. Albert Everly, builder Adolphus Adam Cooper, the farrier Henry Callan and his cousin Tom Callan, the blacksmith. Captain Samuel Biggs had left on a voyage and probably wouldn't return until late November, but Captain Gregg was present as a guest.

Mr. Turner brought the meeting to order and then continued. "You all know why I've called this meeting. We cannot continue to allow outsiders to come to our home and change its character. We all thought that the building of the Majestic Sea Side Hotel would be a good thing for Schooner Bay; it would bring income and provide jobs to the town. We were less happy when building started on the Schooner Bay House. Several of you voiced your concerns about its placement and the number of rooms it would hold, fearing that it would destroy the dunes and bring too many people to the town in summer. That, we thought might overwhelm us, although others felt that more traffic would mean more income to all. Now Mr. Washington and his partners, Messrs. Watt and Wentworth are making an application to the county's Commissioners to obtain a parcel of land abutting the Gull Cottage property to its east. I have a contact in the county offices who tells me that the Commissioners are tending to be positive about the sale of the land, if the right price can be agreed upon. And I am sure that you agree with me that the 'three W's' can afford the price they will need to buy the land. The question now before us is how we can possibly prevent this. I will tell you right now that we do not have sufficient money in the town's coffers to offer a significant counter-proposal."

There was a general hubbub for a moment until Captain Gregg stood and requested recognition.

"Gentlemen, thank you for inviting me tonight. As some of you may remember, after I had completed Gull Cottage a survey determined that approximately one-eighth of the property lay outside the town line in land still held by the county. I was required to apply to the county for an easement of that land. While bureacratic, I found the commissioners to be honest to deal with. After a new survey (which I had to pay for myself) and all the papers were written, reviewed and signed, I found the process not too terribly painfur. Annoying yes. Painful, not really."

Again, a jumble of voices filled the room until Josiah brought order to the proceedings again. Tom Callan, the blacksmith raised his hand and was recognized.

"With all due respect, Captain, your experience is neither here nor there since we don't have the money. I can't see how the town would be able to get it, either." Turning to the rest of the room, "Do you?"

This time the room was filled with somber silence as the members of the town council looked at their feet. The only person there who could be said to have money was A.A. Cooper, and he couldn't afford to foot the entire bill. The Captain stood again. "It is not reasonable to expect one person to come forward and give his fortune for this venture even if he had those types of funds. I propose that the council form a committee to seek donations from the townspeople. I believe that it is possible to raise a respectable amount and I know just the person to head the committee."

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While the town council was meeting, Miss Van Pelt and the Appletons were finding their seats in the circus tents. Mr. Appleton had purchased bags of peanuts for each of them and as he handed them out, Mrs. Appleton turned to Miss Van Pelt and remarked, "Oh this is so exciting! I always enjoy the circus. Don't you?"

The spinster did not want to admit that she had actually never been to a circus and didn't know if it would be enjoyable or not, so she made a non-commital noise.

Mrs. Appleton continued. "Have you seen P.T. Barnum's show? His 'Moveable Museum' as he calls it? Mr. Appleton and I were able to attend it when it was in Buffalo. What an experience!"

"I'm sure it was," replied Miss Van Pelt. "I have not had that opportunity, myself." She was beginning to think that attending the New England Excelsior Circus was a mistake. It wasn't all the townspeople that she found alien, but the general ambiance was disturbing to her. Here she was, sitting on a painted plank in front of a ring of not-so-clean sawdust and the animal smells were beginning to turn her stomach. Perhaps she could use that as an excuse to return to the hotel. She was just about to tell Mrs. Appleton that she was not feeling well when the calliope began to play and the Ring Master, Mr. Chamberlain stepped into the middle of the sawdust. Miss Van Pelt might have been a spinster, but it was not because she did not admire the opposite sex. She felt that Mr. Chamberlain was an extremely good-looking man, and all thoughts of discomfort in the circus millieiu disappeared while she listened to his grandiloquent introductions.

Amy and Red had decided to return to the circus that night as well. They had been so amazed at the Contini Family's arial feats the night before, they felt that they had to come back immediately to experience it all over again. Before they took their seats, they lingered at the table selling refreshements. It was difficult for Red to ignore the cotton candy and the funnel cakes. Amy, always trying to be a good wife, immediately reminded him that he needed to avoid sweets, no matter how much he might wish to have them. She suggested a big bag of popcorn to share instead.

"Awww, Sweety…just this once?" he pleaded.

"No. Red Secor, you know that you've got to be very careful about what you eat. If you don't, you'll die and then I won't be your wife anymore. I want you to be my husband for a long, long time."

Red laughed at her and kissed her on the nose. "Well, if Mrs. Secor says so, I guess I better listen to her, because I want her to be my wife for a long, long time as well." He turned to the man behind the refreshments counter. "One large bag of popcorn, please." They took their treat and hand in hand entered the circus tent, enjoying looking at all the summer folk who were new and in attendance that night, including the very well dressed Appleton-Van Pelt group.

"Look at how those ladies are dressed," Amy whispered. "Aren't their dresses beautiful? And look at the pin on the older lady's dress. What kind of stone is that? I've never seen anything like that before!"

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Nate Douglas had intended to walk down to the fairgrounds where the circus had taken up residence, but Mrs. Muir would have none of it.

"That's much too far for you to walk and you'd likely injure your stump. We can get Peter or Sam to hitch up one of the horses for you."

"Thank you, but as I think on it, I'm not sure that I want to go down there today."

"Why did you want to go back to the circus during the day anyway?" Carolyn asked.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Muir. It's something I don't wish to speak of at the moment. Perhaps in time." He patted her hand, seeing her expression turn to one of concern. Since the afternoon was comfortably warm, he went across the road to the sea wall to enjoy his pipe and think a bit.

He could have been wrong, after all. It had been many, many years since he'd seen Alma and perhaps he was mis-remembering what she had looked like. Or perhaps he was wrong about the seeming age of Aida. And in any event, how could he meet the fire-breather and say, "You look like someone I knew about thirty years ago. Are you related to Alma Monroe?" And if she was Alma's daughter, what was her history? Why was she traveling with a circus? Was she the daughter of the rich old widower that Alma was to marry? Or…?

Nate sighed sadly. He was well aware that he was getting on in years, although he felt well enough. He was not likely to have another chance to find out if his suspicions were correct or not since circus folk often moved from one show to another and Aida might never come back to Schooner Bay again. He'd have to screw up his courage and find a way to politely ask her if she knew Alma.

He returned to Gull Cottage and found Mrs. Muir in her office writing a letter. Knocking on her open door to get her attention, Nate immediately regretted interrupting her work. Nevertheless, she waived him over to the guest chair next to the desk and graced him with her usual sunny smile.

"Did you come to some decision about going back to the fairgrounds?" she asked gently.

"Yes. Sock and Red are going to be going into town tomorrow to pick up Martha's weekly food orders. They can drop me at the circus and then come back for me after the get everything. I think that would work out well for everyone, don't you?"