Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-03-07

and looking at the professor closely l
recognized him. Professor Beda, the
premier tight rope dancer of the world
and champion prestidigitator of the
universe. was no other than Harry Beck
er, who had been a private in my com
pany of Forest rangers during the war
Sir" said he, Il ar. sorry to see sc
small an attendance here this evening
However, it is my boat that l never
disappoint the public. and though am
afraid the proceeds of tie evening 5 on
tertainment will barely pay expenses,
nevertheless with your Lind permission
the performance will noIy proceed.
And it dill proceed. IS gravely and
cheerily as though the hall had leen
crammcd to suffocation the professor
went I'll. o:leh his enter ainment. He
borrowtl a. watch and pounded it in
a mortar: he begged the san of Il half
crown-it was all had in the world,
but trusted him with it-he spirited
any pocket handkerchief into the center
Of a candle and performed {. number of
other tricks with ease and dexterity.
All his little jokes and funniments, all
the antics of his assistant -Sprightly he
was called in the pro 3ramme-
-punctually gone through. and a very
fair show Il was-for the colonies.
When he cane to 'This concludes ihe
first portion of the entertainment. There
will be an intermission OF 10 minutes, -
I could stand it no longer. The melan-
choly pianist was announced to sing
comic song. which perhas precipitated
my decision. l asked him to tell Pro-
fessor Beda that the audience would be
glad to speak to him fer minute or
two. l "went round"
II am glad to see you, sir, +" said the
professor. Pray be seated. May I
offer you a little whisky and water?
You are a gentleman of the press,
sir, understand. "
Yes. represented Tho Post and was
there to do his show.
"I thought, sir, l would give you
specimen of what can do. and If you d
like it am quite prepared to go through
the whole entertainment.
I explained that there was no occa-
sion for that, because | could write
about il quite as we'll without seeing it
perhaps better. If '"gentlemen of
the press were to confine themselves
tc what they see, the business would
soon go to the dogs.
We had some whisky and water, and
the professor began to talk less formally.
"Well, sir, they told me down south
Alexander was one Of the best pitches
in the profession. 1t doesn t look much
like it. Seems to me about the one
horsedest place ever I was in, except
Naipaw, and that ain t even a one DON
key place. Not a soul in the house but
you, sir, and this here blessed show has
cost me out of pocket e5 10. Paid in
advance too A couple O pound for
the hall and the lights, a lound for the
.pianner, a couple O. pound Tor fixing up
the rope and 10 bob for a money taker.
Think of that, sir! Amt it hard? Amt
it cruel? Ten bob for money taker!''
That did seem hard indeed, but ex-
planned that | thought that shows usual
ly took especial care to lave money
taker of their own for obvious reasons.
So they do, sir, and SO do 1. My wife
takes the money always always has
done ever since took to the business
but my luck dead out. She S up at Brit
ten's-you know, sir, the Lotel-in bed
with smashed foot. Some clumsy fool
on the Star of the South as we were
coming here from the south lets great
packing case right on her foot and
smashes her. The doctor says she'll be
a fortnight or better. Ten bob for a
money taker! If it amt tho cruelest
thing as ever I hear! And then the
rain! Did anybody ever see it rain like
it? It's been a-coming down, down,
down like this for three blessed days.
Not soul in tho house. Ten bob for
money taker Help yourself, sir.
suggested that he might have better
luck the next night and corroborated
the opinion he had heard down south
that Alexander was an excellent place
as rule for performances of all kinds.
'No, sir. The luck's out, and I'm
about broke. that's what l am, and
amt got the money There's the hall,
they will have it in advance; there's the
pianner, they wants that in advance,
and there's the advertisements not a
line they'll give me till I've paid for to-
days ads, nor a line, not The Post, nor
The Indenendent, nor none Of 'em. 'Ad-
vance New Zealand. That's their mot
to, is it? Pay in advance it ought to be.
Ten bob for money taker!''
Then a brilliant idea occurred to me.
The professor was stone broke. So
was l. l knew what the professor did
not apparently-that these black nor
casters at Alexander never lasted more
than three days. In all probability the
next day would be bright and lovely,
cold and sunshiny. If SO, the sloppy
roads would in few hours be hard,
firm and dry, for the soil is limestone.
I knew how promo the people OF all con-
ditions were to shows. The money for
the hall and the 'pianner" Icould bor-
row from Clifford. The ads l could
manage with a little persuasion, not un-
mixed with cheek, and as to the money
taker I'd be my own, so that 10
bob and the modification attaching
thereto would be saved. Happy thought!
I'd risk it,
Professor Beda," said l. otherwise
Harry Becker he gave start-''yea.
you were in my company of the Forest
rangers. I've grown beard since and
altered good deal no doubt. Now,
professor, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll
pay for the hall and the 'pianner, and
the ads tomorrow You do your enter
tainment. III take the money, and aft
er e10 We'll share the receipts. -
81 should never have known you, sir,
with that beard. The old Forest ran
gers! Do you remember Captain Ross
being shot alongside me and you, sir,
at Waiapu? How he did bleed lshould
never have known you, sir. Well, sir,
I'll tell you what it is, it ain t no risk
to me, and I'll do it. l can't be no
worse off than l am. How I'm to leave
the town and pay the hotel and doctor
and passage money ON TO Tauranga,
blessed If l know. I'll do it, sir. Shake
hands on it. It's bargain. Me and
you divides after 10 pound.
We cemented that arrangement with
another whisky, and away I posted to
the Office CT The Post. Tho venture
looked unpromising enough. The rain
was still sluicing down with purposeful