Previously in the novel: West Texas farm boy Harley grew up to because principal comedian in a traveling tent show, married the prettiest girl in town and eventually owned his own show. The Great Depression hit, and the dirt farmers needed him more than ever to make them laugh and to give them hope.
Years slipped away, but Harley’s fans stayed faithful even though the Great Depression had ravaged their businesses and the dust storms had destroyed their farms. Each evening, as the sun went down over the many villages of the plains, wagons and rickety old cars with lights flickering made their way to Harley Sadler’s Own Show tent, a place of safe haven from the cruelties of life.
In one particular wagon pulled by a lanky old mule, a family with dirty, hungry bare foot children in the back crested a rolling hill. In the distance they could see the lights of the tent show.
“Here we are, don’t have enough money to feed the children or the chickens, pigs and cows, but you waste our money on some silly tent show,” the farmer’s wife complained.
The farmer clicked his reins. “I butchered a pig and sold it for enough to pay for flour and sugar with a few cents leftover for the show tickets.”
“And those few cents would have paid for thread so I could patch the holes in the children’s clothes. But as long as you can have your fun you don’t care if your kids wear rags.” Her face reddened with resentment and anger.
“Do you know what today is?” he asked softly.
She shrugged her thin shoulders. “Just another day.”
“It was ten years ago tonight we went out together. We went to see Harley playing Toby.” He paused. “Sure, all our dreams are dead, but as long as we can still see Harley and laugh, we can remember happy times. As long as we can laugh and have hope, we have life.” His eyes filled with tears.
She reached over and patted his hand. “Well, let’s not be late. I want to see what kind of new outfit Billie is wearing.”
After they hitched their mule and wagon to a post, the family stood in line for tickets. The mother continued to crane her neck to find Billie. The tent flap went up, and Harley appeared, beaming and shaking hands with the fans.
“Thanks for comin’ this year,” the farmer with the wife and kids said.
“Why, it wouldn’t be a tour without a stop in Wimberly.”
“Is Billie here?” the farm woman asked eagerly. “I haven’t seen her yet. She always wears the prettiest clothes.”
“She does, doesn’t she?” His eyes wandered over the woman’s head. “No, I haven’t seen her yet this evening either.”
“Are you Toby in this one?” The next farm wife stepped forward. She looked like she wanted to give him a big hug but she restrained herself.
“Nope. I’m old gramps. But I think you’ll like it.” He continued to scan the crowd for his wife.
Gloria and Louise—now grown into pretty teen-agers—ran up to stop Harley in the middle of his usual greeting of the folks waiting to buy tickets.
“Daddy,” Gloria said in her best “please let me have my way voice”, “Can we do our new dance tonight? We rehearsed all day and I think we finally got it down.”
“Yes,” Louise giggled. “I stopped bumping into Gloria as I came out of my spin.”
“Fine, fine. That’ll be good, girls. Hm, Gloria, have you seen your mom?”
“She said she had to go into town.”
That was what Harley feared. Billie went to buy another bottle of whiskey. It was not that Billie was a loud, obnoxious drunk who hurt people when she opened her mouth. She did not become loud and giggling. Nor did she pass out in her bed. Instead she was the same sweet person she always was, but she did forget her lines more easily. What bothered Harley the most was the fact Billie was so terribly unhappy she had to seek solace in alcohol.
Harley did not know what created that soul-killing void nor did he know how to fill that void with happiness. That made him feel helpless. After all, he was the man who lived to make people laugh and he was unable to help the one person he most wanted to be happy. He stuck his head into the women’s dressing room where Faye and a new actress Sue were almost dressed.
“Have you ladies seen Billie?”
Sue, a few years younger than Faye and Billie, laughed and threw back her head carelessly. “Oh, Harley, you worry too much.”
Faye narrowed her eyes as she assessed the new ingenue. “I see you picked up how to toss her hair just like Billie. Now if you could do it with a little bit more innocence, you’ll have it made.”
Harley laughed nervously. “Oh, Faye. Sue doesn’t know you as well as I do. She doesn’t know you’re just kidding.” He left before either one could come up with a snappy response.
On the other side of the tent from the ticket crowd, two boys tried to crawl under the tent to see the show for free. Burnie found them as he was on his trip to check the stakes. Gently he pulled their legs to bring them out.
“Hey,” Billy screamed. “Let me go!”
“I will as soon as you quit squirming,” Burnie told him.
“Aw, it won’t hurt nothin’ if we got in free,” Sammy groused.
“No, it wouldn’t,” Burnie explained patiently, “if you asked for tickets and don’t sneak in.”
Harley rounded the tent corner, recognized them and ambled up.
“Why, Billy and Sammy Arrington,” he announced with pleasure. “You two sure have grown since last summer.”
“Oh.” Billy ducked his head. “Hi, Harley.”
“Your parents are looking for you at the front gate.”
“Let’s go!” Sammy mumbled, then he and Billy scampered off.
Harley watched them until they disappeared. “Burnie, let me know when Billie gets back from town.”
“Sure enough,” Burnie replied.
Thirty minutes to curtain, Billie was still missing. Everyone else in the company knew better not to wait so close to show time to check in. Harley did not try to hide from the audience. He stood by the stage, staring at the tent opening, waiting for Billie’s grand entrance.
He heard buzzing in the back of the room. The audience saw Billie appear. She wore her usual self-assured smile, walking down the aisle as though she were a model on a runway in New York City. That was, of course, until she saw Harley glaring at her.
She rushed past him, not making eye contact but went to straight to her dressing room. Harley followed her closely, not saying a word. Billie sat at her makeup table and took off her hat and gloves. “I’m sorry I’m late. Time got away from me.”
“Where were you?”
“Shopping.”
“You know I get worried when you go off without telling me.”
Billie forced herself to laugh. “You’re beginning to sound like a daddy.”
“May I see what’s in the sack?” he asked softly.
“Of course.” She pulled out a shampoo bottle. “You see, it wasn’t what you thought.”
“Curtain’s in half an hour.” Harley turned to leave.
“Aren’t you going to say break a leg?”
“Break a leg.
“And a kiss?”
The tension in Harley’s shoulders faded as he remembered how much he loved Billie. He crossed over to her and kissed her on the cheek, wrapping his arms around her.
“That’s a Toby kiss.”
Gently he took her face in his hands and kissed her on the lips. Embracing her for a long moment, he finally pulled away, patted her cheek and left.
Billie stared into the mirror while tears formed in her eyes and gently dropped from her lashes.