Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-08-27
"Ca1be TT"
BY LOUIS V. JEFFERSON.
toopyrisht, 1905. BY Daiiy story Pub. COZ

IHAyE you seen the last issue o
III the Clipper?" The question wa
asked by rather plump, smooth
faced, pleasant sort of fellow, as W,
were lounging in the rotunda of tn,
Watson house-a resort of the pro
flesh between seasons.
Upon my answering in the negative
be pushed back his Panama, settled
himself down in his great armchair
put up his feet al a convenient angle
on another, displaying a pair Of pas
sionate hose, and while his features
took on an expression of retrospective
amusement, he continued:
"Well, l see Calbert is dead. Did
you ever know him? Did a stunt in
the continuous Smoke pictures and
magic and such stuff Oh, he was
good, and I'm sorry TO hear he's dead.
was his side-partner once, and I al
ways did like him. He was all right,
every way you take him, and therell
be lots worse off for his funeral l
never will forget the time was work
ing with him on the Empire circuit.
That was eight years ago. Oh, he was
top-liner when he died. / tell you!
He got his $500 a week and never
played on Sundays
"He was as brave as a lion and as
quick on the trigger as they make
! them, and he never stood for anything
crooked nor underhand anywhere. He
was great shakes for helping the weak,
and I've seen him give his last dollar
away TO set up some woman whose hus-
band or partner had deserted her. /
remember once we were doing
brother song and dance stunt down at
Memphis al the Grand. On the Bill
there was the usual melange from
grand opera TO prize fighting, and
among them was team doing fancy
shooting and knife throwing They
were a man and his woman-circus
people, think-who were trying their
luck in vaudeville-and they stopped
at the same hotel as we did; in fact.
had the very next room. He was one
of those little, wiry, black-haired
chaps with a temper like a tiger, dis
sipated and cruel as they make them;
and she was one Of those slender, deli
cate types of women with high voice
and yellow hair that you see every
once in awhile. She was a swell dress |
er, and quiet and peaceful; but to look |
in her face when She wasn't on exhibit |
ton, a blind man could have seen the |
trouble there. First time Calbert saw |
her, we were at band rehearsal sun |
day morning, and she came in. with |
her hands full Of her grips. and this |
fellow following her, scolding and |
swearing at her as if she was a slave |
She surprised us from the fact she |
didn't answer back. Calbert was right |
in the middle Of solo, with the orches- /
ira stunning away, half asleep. when
they crossed behind him, and the fell
low-Athene, | think he called himself
let out an unusually ugly oath. Cal
bert stopped short, wheeled about and
stared him coldly in the face. The
man half paused and his lips parted
over his ugly white teeth. as if he
dared any interference. Calbert eyed
him for a moment, and then said:
What sort of pup are you? Don't
you know a woman from a cat?'
"'How did you get in this? Tend
to your own business. She's my wife,
be answered.
"'Well, l don't care If she's your
mother. Ny business is to attend TO
any man that swears at a woman in
ny presence, and IL you speak once
more like that while I'm around, one
Or the other of us viii have to cancel
Tor this bill. See2' and he eyed him
'quarely in the face.
Their stunt was to do some fancy
shooting az swinging targets. hitting
zach one alternately while the orches-
ra kept time to the shots by playing
he Marsellaise,' breaking glass balls
IN time limit and all that sort of /
tuff, and ending with a display of ,
znife throwing that was really thrill ,
ng when one considered what might | ,
have happened if ever there should be ]
! mistake. You've seen the act. haven't | ,
rou? No? Oh, every circus has il.
NY StHAA a NbAldn up dEdlusL a |
BOARD and throw knives at her. try ,
ng TO see how near they can come TO !
Ter without hitting.
well, / remember, one evening
fter the show was over, and we had ,
rotten back 10 our room, Calbert was I
itting on the end Of his trunk unlacing S
is shoes, and l was trying to make i
Up my mind whether / wanted drink I
r not, when we heard his squeaky {
title voice suddenly raised in the next I
Dom, in a most sickening oath. Oh. I
swear myself, lots more than ought 1
o, but I never could stand hearing a '
nan curse a woman. He let 'em hv {
i her in blue streak, and then there I
Tas a rush Of feet, a struggling sound a
nd a woman's voice in pleading tones 2
hat ended in a gurgle. 1t all hap c
ened so quick that l was still SILVER S
ng in the shock when looked up and O
aw Calbert's face, set and white. In {
bout two shakes he had passed me I