The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-05-21
"Ca1be rt''
Ry LOUIS v. JEFFERSON.
Copyright, 1893, by Daily Story Pub. Coz

(COpyTlSHtt isVS, US iAH. otohJ W. WI
HAVE you seen the last issue of
the Clipper?" The question was
asked by rather plump, smooth
faced, pleasant sort of fellow, as we
were lounging in the rotunda of the
fesh' between seasons.
Upon my answering in the negative,
he pushed back his Panama, settled
himself down in his great armchair,
put up his feet at convenient angle,
on another, displaying pair of pas
sionate hose, and while his features
took on an expression of retrospective
amusement, he continued:
"Well, / 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 al
ways did like him. He was all right,
every way you take him, and there1l
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
q top-liner when he died, tell you!
He got his $500 a week and never
played on Sundays.
He was as brave as 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. 1
remember once we were doing a
brother song and dance stunt down at
Memphis at 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, l 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 swell dress
sr, and quiet and peaceful; but to look
IN her face when she wasn't on exhibi-
uon, blind man could have seen the
trouble there. First time Calbert saw
ner, we were at band rehearsal Sun
gay morning, and she came in, with
her hands full of her grips, and this
1eiiow following her, scolding and
swearing at her as if she was slave.
one surprised us from the fact she
uiont answer back. Calbert was right
IN the middle of a solo, with the orches-
ira sfrumming away, half asleep. when
shey crossed behind him, and the fell
aoW-Athene, ! think he called himself
let out an unusually ugly oath. CAL
Oert stopped short, wheeled about and
s'ared him coldly in the face. The
man half paused and his lips parted
over his ugly white teeth, as if he
Jared any interference. Calbert eyed
llm nm for a moment, and then said:
unas sort of pup are you? Don't
Jou know woman from a cat?'
How did you get in this? Tend
= your own business. She's my wife,
ne answered.
Usu-r
Well, l don't care if she's your
mother. My business is to attend to
sny man that swears at woman in
my presence, and if you speak once
more like that while I'm around, one
os tne other of US will have to cancel
aor TINS bill. See?' and he eyed him
s4uarely in the face.
Inc little man grew white for min
rs and looked like he'd liked to have
a.en eaibert whole, but he thought
aer about it. and moved on to where