husband?”
“You’ll see!” the nurse told her and left.
Fanny’s heart began to beat faster and she watched the doorway. Suddenly a familiar figure loomed in it but it wasn’t her husband, it was the big Phineas T. Barnum.
The big man came in awkwardly and seated himself on a chair by her bedside and took one of her hands in his. For once he didn’t have the inevitable cigar in his mouth. He said. “Thank God, you are alive!”
She said, “The wreck! David!”
“I know, I know,” he consoled her. “There is to be an investigation. Someone made an error in the schedule of the freight train. They sent it out on the same track on which the passenger train from New York was proceeding. Sent it to meet the other train in a head-on collision!”
“Dreadful! It was dreadful!”
“Of course it was,” the famous showman said. “The one bright thing is that you will recover.”
“My husband? Was he hurt?” she asked.
The big man looked troubled. He said, “They haven’t told you?”
“Told me what?”
“It was a terrible accident,” he went on awkwardly, his hands clutching hers. “You must be grateful for being alive. Accept God’s will. We cannot choose our fate. I’m sorry to tell you your husband was killed.”
“David dead?” she asked in shock.
The big man nodded. “I came to Philadelphia for his funeral. He was buried yesterday.”
“Buried! David!” And then she began to wail.
Barnum hurried out and summoned a nurse and then a doctor came. They gave her a tablet and the nurse remained with her until she became more calm.
The nurse said, “The sedative will help you.”
She looked up at her with dull eyes and said, “ls he still here?”
“Mr. Barnum? Yes. He’s waiting to see if you’re all right.”
“I want to see him again,” she said.
“You’re sure?” the nurse said anxiously.
“Yes.” She closed her eyes.
Minutes passed. The floorboards of the tiny bedroom creaked and she heard the voice of P.T. Barnum say, “I’m sorry. l didn’t intend to upset you.”
She opened her eyes and studied his sad face. She said, “I had to know. Sit down.”
He sat beside her. “You know you have my sympathy.”
“I know,” she said in the same dull voice. “Did he suffer?”
“Not at all,” the big man said. “He was killed instantly. So was poor old Lester Loft.”
“Nice old man,” she remembered. “Nancy and Peter?”
“Both alive. They received very minor injuries. The seat on which you and David were sitting took the brunt of the damage in your area of the car.”
“David must have a stone,” she said. “A nice stone telling about him.”
“We’ll look after that as soon as you’re able to help in a selection,” the showman promised.
“What about the company?”
“It has already opened,” P.T. Barnum said. “Peter Cortez has taken over David’s roles and Nancy Ray is playing the parts you were doing. Business is good. People are sympathetic towards the company. The newspapers here wrote warmly of you and David and expressed sadness that they would not be able to see you both on the stage.”
She closed her eyes. Then said, “They will see me.”
“What’s that?” the big man asked.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. “As soon as I’m able I want to take my place as head of the company.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes,” she said. “I will play opposite Peter. But I must have top billing. It must be Fanny Cornish above everything.”
P.T. Barnum nodded. “That offers no problem. I thought you might want to convalesce for a while somewhere quiet. Plan a new life.”
She said, “My new life will begin here. I want to continue what David and I began together. I will carry on for him.”
The master showman said, “I respect your courage and I understand why you
“You’ll see!” the nurse told her and left.
Fanny’s heart began to beat faster and she watched the doorway. Suddenly a familiar figure loomed in it but it wasn’t her husband, it was the big Phineas T. Barnum.
The big man came in awkwardly and seated himself on a chair by her bedside and took one of her hands in his. For once he didn’t have the inevitable cigar in his mouth. He said. “Thank God, you are alive!”
She said, “The wreck! David!”
“I know, I know,” he consoled her. “There is to be an investigation. Someone made an error in the schedule of the freight train. They sent it out on the same track on which the passenger train from New York was proceeding. Sent it to meet the other train in a head-on collision!”
“Dreadful! It was dreadful!”
“Of course it was,” the famous showman said. “The one bright thing is that you will recover.”
“My husband? Was he hurt?” she asked.
The big man looked troubled. He said, “They haven’t told you?”
“Told me what?”
“It was a terrible accident,” he went on awkwardly, his hands clutching hers. “You must be grateful for being alive. Accept God’s will. We cannot choose our fate. I’m sorry to tell you your husband was killed.”
“David dead?” she asked in shock.
The big man nodded. “I came to Philadelphia for his funeral. He was buried yesterday.”
“Buried! David!” And then she began to wail.
Barnum hurried out and summoned a nurse and then a doctor came. They gave her a tablet and the nurse remained with her until she became more calm.
The nurse said, “The sedative will help you.”
She looked up at her with dull eyes and said, “ls he still here?”
“Mr. Barnum? Yes. He’s waiting to see if you’re all right.”
“I want to see him again,” she said.
“You’re sure?” the nurse said anxiously.
“Yes.” She closed her eyes.
Minutes passed. The floorboards of the tiny bedroom creaked and she heard the voice of P.T. Barnum say, “I’m sorry. l didn’t intend to upset you.”
She opened her eyes and studied his sad face. She said, “I had to know. Sit down.”
He sat beside her. “You know you have my sympathy.”
“I know,” she said in the same dull voice. “Did he suffer?”
“Not at all,” the big man said. “He was killed instantly. So was poor old Lester Loft.”
“Nice old man,” she remembered. “Nancy and Peter?”
“Both alive. They received very minor injuries. The seat on which you and David were sitting took the brunt of the damage in your area of the car.”
“David must have a stone,” she said. “A nice stone telling about him.”
“We’ll look after that as soon as you’re able to help in a selection,” the showman promised.
“What about the company?”
“It has already opened,” P.T. Barnum said. “Peter Cortez has taken over David’s roles and Nancy Ray is playing the parts you were doing. Business is good. People are sympathetic towards the company. The newspapers here wrote warmly of you and David and expressed sadness that they would not be able to see you both on the stage.”
She closed her eyes. Then said, “They will see me.”
“What’s that?” the big man asked.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. “As soon as I’m able I want to take my place as head of the company.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes,” she said. “I will play opposite Peter. But I must have top billing. It must be Fanny Cornish above everything.”
P.T. Barnum nodded. “That offers no problem. I thought you might want to convalesce for a while somewhere quiet. Plan a new life.”
She said, “My new life will begin here. I want to continue what David and I began together. I will carry on for him.”
The master showman said, “I respect your courage and I understand why you
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