The San Francisco call., 1904-11-13

weeks. But ne menQeO anu uSlbSo
them all over again-a herculean task.
I couldn't do that oh. he is really in
teresting, even If you were not married
to him"
l was quite sure he was, l said.
You never know" she resumed
comfortably. and one felt a large posi-
bility Of patience difficult Of surprise,
"tust where he will break out next.
Besides the bead bags he is working
on a patent for killing flies now"
Make ii feas," I said, and his for
tune is made,'
But Mr.. Roberts is so rabidly loyal
that he wouldn't kill even a flea that
was Californian" his wife laughed.
This engagement is a great pleasure
to him, you know. He thinks of it as
just fun, as a boy who is going to
speak a piece for his mother. Mrs.
Roberts is out in front tonight and 1t
is the prettiest picture to see them
together. She weighs ninety pounds
and stands about feet
How Mr.. Roberts g1lded the kitchen
rocker, WIS planning to clear the New
York streets Of snow by heating them.
how Mrs. Roberts had discovered him
as a comedian, how she had prevented
him from playing Romeo and Pygmali-
on-for which the American stage
should be grateful-and so on, busily
occupied the time until the actor re-
turned. Mrs. Roberts was just saying:
He never could play lovers"
With an attempt at archness l asked:
What aever?"
{,Tn lie wit
never could play lovers" with a ten
der glance wifeward.
Then Joh-l began to speak for him
self 1t was in old Maguire's day at
the California that the actor made his
debut In shrewd and humorous fash
ion he described him, the manager who
had no cffice but the sidewalk in front
Of the theater.
L went to him the day after 1 made
my debut" recounted the actor, his
eyes glinting merrily, fully expecting
that Tom would give me the lead the
following week. But all he said, and
I shall never forget it-remember,
was very thin then-was this: Can't
you keep your heels in and not stand
like a pair of cCmpasses?'"
Regretfully he told me then that his
height had prevented his appearance in
the Legitimate" drama, but of how it
had been useful in his eight years en-
gagement with Fanny Davenport.
Femininely Mrs. Roberts elucidated
that Miss Davenport was a wise as
we'll as large woman, who knew that
large men made her look more girlish
by contrast"
Keffron in Cleopatra" the Indian in
The Girl 1 Left Behind Me-" and his,
part in Arizona" in which Mr.. Rob-
erts made such a hit in London, were
instanced as among his favorite roles;
end of his part in The County Chair
man." after acknowledging that he
liked II greatly, the actor said it was
one of the very few roles in which he
appeared without much make up-"got
a cold. in fact, from taking it Off"
George Ade of course came up after
that, and interesting in the extreme
was Mr. Roberts little sketch of the
dramatist, gentle, retiring, kindness it
self, and much liked among men. His
dislike Of the theatrical the actor
phrased thus: "Ade has a fit at any
thing like theatricalism. He was con-
tinually down on overemphasis-no
dotting the e. of joke. And Mr.. Saw
age is wholly with him. Savage says:
We're banking on Ade's humor, and If
the audience can't get il without your
fiinging il at them they must go with
out it. You just play the author and
never mind advertising the actor
And that's what we are trying to do.
Then again, as you were kind enough
to say this morning-(and 1 want to
say that San Francisco-and I'm
proud of il, I know they know a good
thing when they see it's the only
city where there has been not the
slightest adverse criticism)-our COM
pany is not a No. q company. 1 don't
think there is $3.50 a week difference
in the salary list between ours and the
original company. Also. in some in
stances L think the company playing
here is even better than the one at
Wallack's."
The little milliner and the drum
mer," 1 surmised hastily, and he
nodded. IT am desolee to have for