The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-10
casTLET0N.s GEDHARDT
An AIsatian Baron Who is 1sstaaek Z on
Kate CastletOns


On Wednesday evening, says the Stock
ton Herald, when The play was half oveI
at the Avon theatre, the actors of Rice s
surprise party" on the stage were noticed
to exchange glances and smiles. Pretty
Kate Castleton in her demnre Quaker
costume cast doAn her eyes mod
estly, and did not look with the rest Of
the company toward the door of the dress
circle. The bewitching poke bonnet oil
gray was turned sideways to the audience
| and hid the bushes that chased one an
other over her young checks. Seeing the
eyes of the actors SO frequently directed
toward the door many of the audience
Twisted their heads round and stared that
way; too They saw the ticket takel
land another person standing there. The
ticket man excited no curiosity, but his
companion did. The ladies wondered no
doubt who the tall, dark, wax ustached
fashionably dressed and distinguished
looking man of thirty-fiv was that lean
ed gracefully against theSyall, and never
took his deep broyneyes from the charm
ing Castleton as she sang For goodness
sake don't say / told you, and skipped
about the stage.
Who isshe?" Herald gossip ask ed
one Of the business meh of the troupe
after the show.
He's baron from Alsacc.
Member of the company
''Well-un- not exactly. Hes
what we call our first treating gentle
man.
| "Eh?"
Whey he's mashed ont fiat and thin
on Miss Castleton, lavishes his wealth *on
her. and the rest of US come in for the
crumbs and heeltaps from her table, don'i
you sees It's one cloud burst of cham
payne and tempest of cigars for the boys.
He is the most open handed dude ever
. saw. Why he's given Kate not less than
81 500 worth of diamonds. and the hotel
servants wear their legs out carrying up
bundles to her rooms wherever she
goes.
Does he follow her round. o.
Follow her? Fred Gebhardt was a
cold, neglected lover compared with this
chap. She paralyzed him first in San
Francisco, and he has taken in the show
every night since, no matter where we
played. He's like her shadow? Eh? No,
no, my boy, Miss Castleton is young and
Hikes admiration, tn all, and she dosen
turn up her.nose at diamonds. Only
ladies in plays and novels do that. She
| might marry the Baron. / suppose, and
I won't be surprised if it ends that way
| don't-know where he gets his money
| but he always has lots of it. | suppose
he hogs it from the tenants on his an
cestral estates, like the rest of the nobility
| He's a gentleman every inch of him, and
though Icalled him adude minute ago,
didn't mean it. Why shouldn't he be
mashed? Kate is a mighty pretty gfrl
Il -
The Baron pnt upat the grand central
hotel on Wednesdayanig with the rest
of the company He lodged in room No
| 23 but he spent several hours in No. Ii
Miss CastletOn's apartments, where
also others of the company. A lot OF
champagne was punished at the enamored
Barons expense He first asked that
Roederer be brought up, declaring the
wine to he ssze hos" Cor the Baron has
| strong French accent but had to con
| himself with HeIdsIch. For several
| hours there was high jinks, the Baron,
who has good tenor voice, helping to
| entertain the others with tender ballads
in the French tongue. He placed his
heart and bent his back like a barrel hoop
when he babe his enslaYer good night
| and sighed himself off TO his room.
Yesterday the Baron left Stockton with
| the company for Sacramento. He has
| bought a ticket for Denver, and will re
| volve around his attracting star at all
intermediate points where the troupe
stops to play. His passion is not preying
upon his health by any means He was
tho happiest looking man. as well as
the handsOmest in the bus as il left
the hotel yesterday forenoon. As Miss
Castleten sat opposite him, "A picture of
charming modesty, perhaps that had
something TO do with the Joyous express
ion upon the noble countenance.