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Mitchell, Lebbeus, 1879-1963

"The Circus Comes to Town"

Jerry thought he was going
to cry. His shoulders hunched forward until the clown was the most
forlorn looking object Jerry had almost ever seen. The corners of his
mouth kept going down and down until they nearly touched his chin.
Jerry kept fascinated eyes on that chalky white face with the very,
very red lips. It was the drollest expression of grief he had ever seen,
and a smile began to play about his own lips.
That tentative smile on Jerry's part brought another sudden and
remarkable change over the clown's countenance. He began that silent
laugh again and it grew and it grew until the face was all a huge grin.
Jerry found himself grinning out of pure, contagious sympathy.
Then the clown laughed harder than ever, still without making a sound,
and held his sides as though he had laughed so hard that they ached. He
emitted one short, little staccato laugh and stopped suddenly, as if he
were waiting to see if Jerry liked the sound before continuing with it.
Jerry did like it and laughed out loud himself.


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