The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-12-06
THE TISSUE-PAPER MAN
By William B. Osborne
b. Osborne

"Aw-." he said, why don't they
bring on the Alderman? What the
IS the use o. this?"
Another man nudged him. THE
Alderman" he explained, "ain't a-goin
to be on hand tonight"
AS he spoke a stout man entered
from behind the scenes and stepped up
toward the front of the stage. He was
cheered loudly.
THAT must be the Alderman" whis
pered Miss CatherWood to Tommy
Boggs. But he wasn't. He whispered
for moment TO the speaker. and the
speaker nodded and shook his head.
The big man raised Ills hand.
Ladies and gents, he said, wed
fully expected TO have the Alderman
with us here tonight, but I'm givin'
1t to you straight that
He was interrupted by a mighty
yell. Hi. hi, hi" yelled the crowd:
what we givin' us? Look behind
you!"
The big man turned and everybody
looked and howled. "Hoorayl hooray!
hoorayi" yelled the crowd. Miss Cath
erwood looked with the rest, and then
she gave a little gasp. For the man
that the whole crowd was looking and
yelling at was a young man attired in
a full-dress suit. He was bowling, with
conventional stiffness. right and left.
thony Wadsworth.
TONY, Tony. Tony. Tony!" yelled
the crowd. The big man stepped for
ward. "Mr. Tony Wadsworth." he ex-
claimed, by way of Introduction, and
pandemonium broke loose. Mr.. An
thony Wadsworth stepped forward a
pace or two. 'Ain't he corkin'," said
the loquacious individual near Miss
Catherwood. land he always comes
hero SWaIIoW-fail Sllif-ba knows
what's what, he does"
Wadsworth nodded, and the crowd
became instantly silent. II didn't in
tend to be here tonight" he explained.
He hesitated. THE fact is" he went
on. II had an engagement with my
girl and she turned me down. didn't
have any other place to go and 1 came
here"
This, in black and white, amounts to
nothing. But 1t was the way that
Wadsworth said 1t that took. "Ha,
ha. hal" roared the crowd; Imagine
Tony's girl a-turnin' of him down. Go
on, Tony"
Mr.. Anthony Wadsworth raised his
hand high In the air and started in.
directly into the eyes of Miss Gather
wood herself. He turned white and
then he turned red. Then he turned
away, and apparently forgot her. And
then he started in. He started in as
only Alderman Anthony Wadsworth
knew how. Miss Catherwood had
thought the campaign orator had
talked as no other man could talk.
That was because she had never heard
Mr.. Anthony Wadsworth. With one
hand in his trousers pocket and the
other in the air. the Alderman walked
UP and down the stage, casting into the
very faces Of his audience. humor,
pathos expletive. vituperation, sar-
casm. congratulation-every
And when he finished the crowd
surged I'D to the platform and literally
when II was all over, drew q sharp
breath. ITO think" she walled to her
self. that 1 have refused such a man"
The next night Mr.. Anthony Wads-
worth called upon her. She met him
at the door. She was radiant
1--we come to ask your pardon, %
he said contritely.
For what?" she inquired.
"You-you haven't forgotten" he
stammered, "about-about my-my girl
last night. II don't know why 1
said it. I felt reckless. I suppose"
She laughed joyously. That" she
said, SIS the only part Of your speech
last night that I had forgotten. II
was just superb"
He laughed. Dear me-" he an
swered, that's nothing: every fellow
inN politics has to do that. That's not
the question" he went on. There's
something else"
"W-what?" she inquired timidly
II want to know" he continued,
whether-whether my-my girl is go
ing to turn me down tonight. If so,
I've got meeting in the Fifth Dis
trict-the boys are waiting for me-
Miss Catherwood stepped toward
him and held out her hand. "They
can't have you" she answered gently,
Anthony Wadsworth, Alderman