Jim Harris walked down the street with his clothes dusty and worn looking. He had decided that he needed a ruse to get into the Happy Days circus.
"I'll have to call on my old talent as a magician." Jim thought to himself as he neared the hotel. "I will also need a convincing story as to why I need a job and why I'm looking at the circus for that job." He was thinking longer on the problem when he came to the hotel. He slumped wearily onto the desk without looking at the clerk. His hands were grubby from rubbing dust into his clothes, and he lifted one to brush back the locks of hair that had danced across his face in the wind.
"Needin' a room, mister?" The clerk asked with curiosity as he looked at the somewhat sorry spectacle that was Jim Harris.
"Yea, you got one? I might need it fer a few nights, but I can only pay fer one night now." Jim pulled a few coins out of his pocket and began counting them out on the counter. "This oughta be enough fer a night." Jim pushed a little pile of coins towards the clerk and putting the other few back into his pocket.
"Run on some hard luck?" The clerk asked prying for information.
"Yea, got real bad sick back in Dansville a couple months ago; the others went on ahead to Hanover where we were supposed to be playing." Jim answered without looking up.
"Ahh, I see, an out of work circus actor then? Did you know that there is the Happy Days circus here in town? Maybe you could get a job with them." The clerk chattered.
"That's what I'm hoping." Jim looked up at the clerk at last.
"Well, when you go asking for a job, just ask to speak with Arty Gordon. There's another fellow there named Hal Racab, and he is more likely to bump you off than hire you!"
To be continued...
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