The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-06-30
The Price.
BY ELINOR M. LOCK.

NdluSI duu 1 SlIuCh up our lOuS
friendship. 1t happened chiefly be-
cause misery loves company and both
of us were very miserable. Twenty
five years have brought many
changes to US and to-day I am an
actor, playing in the best houses to
the finest audiences in the country,
and Bob is known as the greatest
living comedian. To see him come
upon the stage, they tell me, is to
laugh. His face is absurd and his
| gestures are models of mimicry. But
I can lever laugh when I see him,
because I know what it has cost him
to be the funniest man in the coun-
try.
I shall not bore you with my own
h%ardships any more than Bob's story
makes it necessary. Suffice it to say,
that at the time I first met Bob I had
had my first taste of trouble and
knew the sight of sorrow when I
met it in another man. We were
members of a circus troupe at the
time. I was the animal. trainer, and
Bob had risen from what is known
as a "mover" to be one of the clowns.
Just a year before that I had mar
ried a good girl whom I loved and
who had run away from a comfort
able home to share my life of poverty
and chance, and wishing to be what
she called a help to me-" she learned
my business and worked with me
lay after day. I never should have
let her. I didn't realize that she
never got over her fear of the brutes.
And one day, poor girl, when I was
training a cage Of cats, one of them
got away from me and threw her
and mangled her-but, as I say, this
is not my story. I tell this because
it was what drew me toward poor
old Bob when I found he had trouble,
too.
Bob wasn't a success in the ring.
He was funny enough sometimes and
the crowds would roar with delight
and the manager would look appro-
val and everything would seem to
oe going we'll. But every once in a
while would come a time when Bob
went through his antics like a man
in a dream and with no more spon-
taneity or wit than an engine. Then
the crowd did not laugh and the
manager blamed it chiefly on Bob.
There was one time in particular that
his dull fit lasted for a week, and at
last the manager called him, and in
my hearing administered a very
hearty rating. He told Bob plainly
that if he didn't do better he'd have
to move on. Bob stood and took it
silently and when it was over he
went away, slowly, without a word.
[ followed him to his quarters in the
dressing tent and caught up just as
he was going in.
Don't be down, old chap" I said.
Better luck tomorrow"
He shook his head and his face
under the paint and dust looked very
young and miserable.
"Come in" he said.
I went in with him and I was the
most astonished man you ever saw.
There were the simplest things in
the way of furnishing you ever saw
"a chair, a rickety table, an old bag
and a cot bed in n end. And on
the bed there was a curly-haired girl
with an old little face and a pair of
big dark eyes.
WELL" I said. She looked at me
and then past ME at him and her face
broke into a little smile.
whats your name?" I asked her,
for the sake of saying something.
Cay" she answered.
"Her mother named her that"
said Bob, sitting down. beside her,
"but we didn't know then how little
she was going to have to be gay
about"
SIS she sick?" 1 asked. I never
saw a man so gentle as he was as he
lifted her into a new position.
shes got a bad spine," he said.
81 can't do-very much for her. Her
mothers dead-you see, and I'm all
there is to take care of her. I think
sometimes she ought to have a wo-
man to see to her, but IL do the
best 1 can"
He'd held up all right till then, but
after that he turned his face to the
wall and cried like 2 boy. I think I
did, too. At any rate, the next thing
I remember was that VIC were both
sitting on the bed holding the hands
of the poor little child and telling
all our woes. l learned from him
that she was always in pain and that
there vas no hope Of saving her.
But, if he could make some money,
Bob said, there would be things he
could get that would make her hap
pier. I emptied my pockets and Bob
found a dime or two in a drawer and
we went out and bought 4 big doll
for her. It was no use getting medi-
cine. for anyone could sec that the
time for that was past. We snug
gleG the doll in to Eer a!d to- see the
poor thing lying there with it in her
arms and smiling now and then fol
happiness, made US beth wipe our
eyes.
Well, after that I cane often end
brought her oranges and candy, when
I had Tie money, and stories and
Jokes when there wasn't any cash
She was q dear little thing and nevel
uttered a complaint, but we saw hel
grow worse and worse day after day
II got harder than ever for Bob to sc