The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-10-04
REALISTIC PERFORMANCE.

A REALISTIC PERFORMANCE. Recently the Constellation Dramatic company passed through Little Rock, giving . hurried performance and then hastening toward the broad fields oi Texas where the circus draws its golden breath and where the stro;iipg players rant and lock askance at broad-brimmed hats. The manager of the company, Mir. Henry Stalkie, was full of hope. He expected nothing but success. Those who expect nothing but success some times receive something else. Strange, but fact.
 About week after the company leA Little Rock, Mir. Stalkie suddenly ap- peared again. When asked concerning the company, he sighed heavily and threw away the stub of cigar that he had been carrying around for some time. It is not known that he had been carrying it for anything else.
 Well" said he, "I am on the dodge. The main part of the troupe is doubtless enjoying itself, but am keeping out of tke way of man who seeks to shed my blood. Queer circumstance. I'll tell you about it. Shortly after we began playing in Texas, one of our actors was taken i'll and had to be sent home. I tried to fill his place, but the public hesi- tated not in severe criticism but was not disappointed for never aspired to thrill an audience. have better way of getting even. take tickets at the door.
 It became necessary to get some one else, and after looking around while, I engaged young Texan who had played in amateur troupes. He did surprisingly we'll, much better in fact than his prede- cessor, and we were much pleased with him, yet gave him no special encourage ment. for did not want to puff him up. Our great success is play where a young lover climbs over a fence, and despite a furious dog that is chained to a post, has an interview with his sweet heart. Just before we reached a little town, where we were going to play, our one-eyed dog died. He was not valuable, and the loss was really nothing, bu, we had to have another dog. Jus, before the doors were opened, told boy that if he would bring me good sized dog, l would let him come in. explained, and the boy, in delighted tones, declared that he had the very dog. He hurried away and soon returned, leading the animal, a monster, too, for he lifted his lip and showed me set of teeth. When the time came, we fastened him to an im- provised post. We gave him a pan of water and hunk of corn-bread. He lay down and shut his eyes. The boy had guaranteed satisfaction, and from ap- pearances we all thought that the dog would perform his duties quite as well, if not better, than the lazy canine whose early demise had aecessitated change. The scene came. The lover, our cowboy, climbed the fence, and said:
 'Ha, the dog. An, is this the kind of means adopted by Leonora's father? To thwart tenderness of sentiment with the force of a brute will show him. Leonora, Leonora. awake from thy peaceful slumbexs, for
 "' The dog made furious lunge, pulled up the post and seized the cow boy lover. Ofcourse the audience, think ing that the dog was trained actor, performing his part, roared with laughter, and even when the young man left part of his stage effects in the dogs mouth and yelled for help. the people continued to laugh. We saw the mistake, but hang it, who wanted to rush out and face the dog: didn't. went down stairs. After awhile one of the boys came down and asked:
 Has he got away yet?'
 Yes, but he's badly demoraIized.' 
 I'm glad that he escaped
 "' You'd better wish that he had not
 "Why?
 "' Because he's get six-shooter and is looking for you. He swears that you foisted the misfortune upon him.
 ".Whatv
 q" Yes; says that because he success fully took role in which you had failed, you wanted revenge. The boy who fur nished the dog has just been carried down stairs and the cowboy, jus, as came out, was cutting the ears from the boys father. The people still think that it is all in the play; and when the poor mans ears fell on the floor, some fellow shouted: Do it again. Best slight of hand trick l ever saw. Hesays that he will kill you if he has to follow you to Russia and