The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-17

"Cooky" Roberts He wore enormously
high heels, he bad thick cork so.es on the
outside and tn ok extra soles on the In
side of all his boots and shoes. His wigs
were slightly padded at their tops-every-
thing possible was done for a gain in
hight, while all the time he was splutter-
ing and swearing at what he called this
cursed cult of legs"
Look at them" he snorted, for he did
snort like horse when he was angry
as he generally was, at the theater, at
least; look at 'em, Ellsler-there's Muir
doch, Proctor. Davenport--all gone to
legs, damn 'em-and calling themselves
actorsl You don't look for brains in a
mans legs, do you? No! no! it's the era
mum that tells! Yes, blast EN-! let 'em
come here and match craniums with me,
that they think it smart to call 'Cockyr
They're a lot of theatrical tongs-all legs
and no headsr'
And yet this poor, tuning little man.
with his exaggerated strut, would have
given anything short of his life, to have
added even few inches to his anatomy,
the brevity of which was quite forgotten
by the public when he gave his really
brilliant and pathetic performance Of Bel
phegor-one of the earliest of the social
ed emotional plays.
have very kindly remembrance of
that fretful little star because when they
were discussing the cast of a play one
of those tormenting parts turned up chat
are of great Importance to the piece, but
of no Importance themselves. Capable
actresses refuse to play them, and inca
pable ones create havoc in them. This
one had already been refused, when Mr..
Roberts suddenly exclaimed: who was
It made those announcements last night?
She spoke with beautiful distinotness-let
that hay ha no
do 1t all right"
COurtship and Oner of Marriage.
Oh, dear Mr. Roberts! never "Cocky"
to me! Oh. wise little Judge! how l did
honor him for those precious words-"let
that young woman have the part" That
young Woman!" l could have embraced
him for very gratitude-a part and the
term young woman" And since, as my
Old washerwoman used to say: 1T never
rains but it pours," while these two words
were still making music in my ears, by
some flash of intuition / realized that
was being courted by Frank. The dis
covery filled me with the utmost salts
faction. l gave no thought to him in
sentimental way, either then or ever, quite
selfishly l thought only of my own gain
in dignity and Importance, for l started
out in life with the old-fashioned idea
that a man honored woman by his court
ship, and knew naught Of the lover who
"loves and rides away" Yet, in a few
days, the curious cat-like instinct of tho
unconscious coquette awakened in me, and
l began very gently to try my claws.
/ wished very muJh to know If he were
jealous, as l had been told that real low
ers always were so, and naturally did
not wish mine 40 fall short of any of the
time honored attributes of loverdom.
Therefore, lone mornlng-selected for
experimental use a man whose volume of
speech was a terror to alI-had he been
put 40 the sword he would have
talked to the swordsman till the
final blow cut his speech He
was most unattractive, too in APP
pearance, being one of those actors who
get shaved after rehearsal instead of be-
fore it, thus gained a reputation for I'M
tidiness that facts may not always justify
but he served my purpose ali the better
for that.
1 deliberately placed myself at his
side-I was only a ballet girl, but l had
two good ears, was welcomed. CONVEX
sation, or rather the monologue burst
Notwithstanding at the side of the stage,
with rehearsal going on, he-of course
spoke low. l watched for Franks arrival.
He camel heard his cherry Good morn
ing. ladies! Good morning, gentlemen!'
and then he started towards me; but
heard nothing-saw nothing of him-my
appraised eyes, as wide as l could possibly
make them, were fixed upon the face of
the ta.ker Yet, with jump of the heart
/ knew the brightness had gone from
Franks face, the spring from his step. I
smiled sweetly as l knew howl seemed
to hang upon the words of the untidy
one-and oh! if Frank could only have
known what those words were; how l was
haip 10 Nh Lrar bad
that very morning, succeeded in stopping
a leaky hole in his shoe by melting piece
of India rubber over and on to Il, and
that not a drop of water had penetrated
when he had walked through the rain
pudd. es-and right there, like music, there
came to my listening ears, a word of
four letters-a forbidden word, but one
fun of consolat ton to the distressed male,
"a word beginning with 3D." and for
fear that you may think IL was Dear
why, l will be explicit, and say that II
was "Damni'' and that it was from the
anger whitehead lips of Frank-who, during
the morning, gave not only to me but to
all lockers on, most convincing proof of
his Jealousy, and that was but the begin
ming of my experiments. / did this to see
If 1t would make him angry-I did that,
to see if it would please him. Sometimes
scratched him with my investigating
claws, then L was sorry truly sorry, De-
cause was grateful always for his gentle
goodness to me, and never meant to hurt
him. But he represented the entire sex 70
me, and l was learning all ] could, think
ing, as / once told him. that the knowi-
edge might be useful on the stage some
time, and wondered al the very fury my
words provoked in him.
We quarreled, sometimes, Hike spiteful
children. as, when l startled into laughter
by hearing his voice break In q speech,
unfortunately excused myself by saying,
1T was just like a young rooster you
known
And he, white with anger, cried:
You're a solid mass Of rudeness, to
laugh at a misfortune; you have no
breeding"
Which brought from me the rejoinder:
II know it, but you would have shown
better breeding yourself, had you not told
me of it."
nd tbap ba tyas On Iypaa In ha