In our last installment: An alarmed Jancy was shocked when her Tonio caught a speeding bullet with his teeth.
* * * *
The day had ended with a trip to the train station. While awaiting the appearance of Tonio, the Professor gave Jancy and Chester an explanation of how the bullet illusion was performed.
"In his hand Tonio had concealed a short tube with one open end and one closed end. He dropped the tube into the muzzle so that it would land with its open end upward. When the bullet was dropped, it fell into the tube, where Tonio rammed it with a special ramrod designed so that it could pick up the tube holding the bullet, thus removing the bullet from the rifle. When he put down the ramrod, he removed the tube and palmed the bullet. Later, when he feigned nervousness and cleared his throat, he popped the bullet into his mouth. The plate he held was pre-shattered and glued together so that he could crumble it with his hand. The rifle's explosion was real. The shattering of the plate was fake, as was Tonio's fall."
Chester was more impressed with the explanation than with the trick itself, but Jancy wasn't listening. Tonio had arrived. He hugged her goodbye and she turned glum.
As Tonio boarded the train, a squad of wounded New York Highlanders, still with their fighting kilts and crutches, struggled to load the coffins of their comrades onto the back of the train Under the railroad station canopy, an old woman sang 'They All Came Home But Mine.'
The depot candles spluttered low in their sockets as the Professor promised the now tearful Jancy that Tonio would be sending for her soon. Chester's eyes went to Jancy as she sank into her black coat like an octopus in its own ink. The train had pulled away, and her lover had become one with the night.
- - - - -
New Year's Day 1863, and a long line of people stood in front of the White House waiting their chance to shake the President's hand. A couple of thousand did, and by noon Abe's hand was swollen when he took a pen and signed the Proclamation of Emancipation.
The crowd had thinned out by late afternoon when Chester and Jancy arrived, with Jancy being tugged by an English bulldog on a leash. Stamps was the mascot at the War Department's mailroom, and he loved to do his duty behind the White House. While Jancy took care of that matter, Chester watched the President pass on his way to the War Department. All seemed so peaceful. Little did Chester know that The Lucky Seven remained docked on the Potomac and that Sir Richard Bumgardner was now personally prowling the White House lawn in search of Jancy Hall.
As Chester waited for Jancy's return, an Army Band played and marched past him, followed by a group of cheerless immigrants. Chester ended up at the center of a gathering around pot-bellied Sergeant Pokorski, who was trying to gain the immigrants' attention.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to America and to the next chapter in American history. You have come from all over the world to find freedom and happiness. And as you start your trek West, you will become players in the great unfolding drama of this nation."
The band began to play again, and as the crowd rushed off to the table full of food and refreshments, Pokorski approached Chester.
"Well, if it isn't unremarkable Chester Cronklin. How did you like my little speech?"
"You forgot the part about the torrential rains, the crippling cold, and the marauding Indians."
Then a hand tapped Chester's shoulder. When he turned he found Sir Richard giving him the once over.
"I understand that you are a friend of Miss Jancy Hall. I have some questions for her."
Chester appeared to ponder the name, "Jancy Hall?"as he moved to the elm picnic area surrounded by pigeons and immigrants. "Oh, yes, as I recall she has left the country. You know what they say about the Irish. A girl can leave Ireland, but Ireland never leaves the girl."
Sir Richard gave a hard stare. "Jancy isn't an Irish name. It's no kind of name I have ever heard before."
Chester pretended to be interested in the center dish on the table, a pyramid of whole rabbits smothered in onions. He responded offhandedly, "You know what Shakespeare said: What's in a name?"
Sir Richard tried to keep up with the logic. "Yes, Romeo and Juliet perhaps like this Miss Hall and her boyfriend."
As Chester straightened out one of the dead rabbit's ears, he saw Jancy coming around the bend. She was moving with a quicker step than normal, as Stamps strained at the leash in pursuit of a squirrel.
Leaving Sir Richard, Chester claimed, "Have to be going." Aware that he was still being watched, Chester pretended he had to meet-up with the two soldiers guarding the one side of the White House.
The two guards were peeking into one of the windows. Chester came on them, in surprise. "What are you two boys doing?"Chester asked. "Spending your Thursday trying to catch Mrs. Lincoln in her bloomers?"
The shorter of the two guards responded. "Don't be silly, Chester. Doctor Zacherie is in there cutting Abe's corns. And besides, this ain't no regular Thursday. The President's gonna be on his feet all day. And he's got that edict comin' out that frees them slaves in the Reb States."
The taller guard nodded toward the window. "You should've seen what was goin' on in there last night. The candles were burnin', and things were flyin' around the air. Mrs. Lincoln was having a seance with Mrs. Laury."
The smaller guard popped back in. "She's a spiritualist. And she's got Old Abe's wife believin' the livin' can talk to the dead."
Seeing that Sir Richard was circling closer again, Chester started to walk away with a parting goodbye. "Well, then, there's still hope for you two boys."
On hearing Stamps barking, Chester hurried around to the south side of the White House. The dog disliked the antics of the red squirrels dashing along the lawn, but he quieted down as he did his duty besides one of the trees Andrew Jackson had planted years earlier.
Before Sir Richard appeared on scene, Jancy was in luck. Stamps had pulled her into the midst of the Pennsylvania Volunteers who were drilling on the lawn. The dog wanted to get a closer look at the bobbing bucktails on the military caps. Together with the Volunteers, Jancy marched away to the War Department and to the mailroom, which Stamps called home. As a further distraction, Chester rushed to the front steps of the White House and embraced the departing Doctor Zacherie, a man he didn't know. The astonished doctor pulled away, yelling, "Meshugga!"
- - - - -
That evening, Jancy and Chester watched The Lucky Seven steam out of the Potomac on its way to New York City with its dissatisfied owner.Satisfied that he had kept Jancy's identity intact, Chester proceeded with Jancy up to North Twelfth Street, to the edge of town where hundreds of black people were dancing in the streets, celebrating the President's Proclamation. Bonfires were being lit, and everybody was singing "Jesus has set me free!'
In the middle of the hand clapping and foot stomping, Jancy and Chester soon found their black friend, Stanford. The three locked up to do a freedom dance of their own. Shouting above the singing and clapping, Stanford couldn't wait to tell Jancy his good news.
The happy black man said, "Mr. Tonio, he done give me enough gold so I's can join the rest of the black men in the Fifty-fourth."
As they rocked back and forth to the homemade music, Jancy and Chester got caught up in the whirl, with their do-si-do finale bringing applause from the crowd. Chester gazed at the laughing Jancy and hoped that Tonio would be able to provide the magical elements of lunacy and vision that would allow her dreams to fall into place.