Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1910-11-25

THANK you. Wish l felt as look
then"
you'd make the Gould and Wander
bilt crowd look like visitors II you
hadn't forgot your overcoat-"
81 left It at the Waldorf-Astoria no.
tel
"Sa-ay, if that amt like me" drawl-
ed the man. the twinkle Of moonlight
striking a humorous CLINT In his eye.
"Kind of absentminded. left my
Sunday suit Just that way at the White
House last week. where I'd been spend
ing Saturday to Monday with my
friend Willy T."
You think I'm lying" said Love
land. with curiosity rather than resent
ment. They turned me out Of the ho-
tel because ! couldn't pay for my din
ner."
Had you eat II
mo. wish now had"
81 believe you. Whew-ew-just to
eat once at the Waldorf. You amt
New Yorker, are yOu?"
Sc. I'm an Englishman." Loveland
answered quickly.
Gee, but you're swell lookin' en-
igrant! l amt New Yorker myself
not ty birth. was a hayseed tn |
turned nineteen. wOrkin' on my Step
fathers farm-mean old skinfiint-but
| couldn't see my way to cuttin' till
my mother was gone. Then | footed
it to New York-siXty mile-chuck full
Of hope and nothn' else unless beans"
~ regular Mark Tapley." said Val
Never played the part In private
life my names Bill Williams. Some
switches round to Willing Bill, be-
cause generally do my days work
without howlin'. blew into New York
without attractin' much notice. and
that's nineteen years ago, and l
haven't attracted much since; that's a
fact But you may do better Don't
be discouraged by a setback II your
games square. and / bet 1t Is or you
wouldn't be In the dog savin' business
What is your lay. anyhow? Excuse
the liberty"
"l,ctrieving my fortune" said Val
after moments reflection.
You can see me one better. Mines
to make yet. and I'm no kid like you.
| won't see thirty-eight again. I'm an
artist. But New York amt woke up
to my talent. Maybe I've been too
versatile That never did pay. The
line Id mapped out was paintin' pic.
lures, but my chance was slow comm.
Had to take what could get on the
way along. supin'. sandwichin', bark
| in
"Eh. whaty broke in Loveland.
"You don't savyy? Oh. supin' In
theaters. There's several, specially
one In the BOwery, wouldn't "a been
complete without me for years till l
got the chuck like you did at the Wal
dorf. I've always kind Of lowered
around the profession. though l don't
say I'm proud Of my career as a
know. There was money in the bust
ness, though. If the freaks hadn't
caught on that l had the heart OF
soft boiled egg. Besides, my voice
amt an automobile horn. and barkin'
| for couple Of seasons stove hole In
my top note One Of my old COWS
switched ME on to job paintin' freak
showboards. and I'd "a been at 1t yet
If freaks didn't last too long. Once
| you've put them on the boards there
they are At present my specialty's
meenoos."
Val looked blank. thinking Of emus.
French for grub cards. A swell like
| you ought 10 be on to that. But I'm
just thinkin' what there Is for you.
This stunt of mine dropped into by
luck. Twas Shakespeare introduced
me, like he did you tonight"
why Shakespeare" Loveland cut
| In.
"Oh. there's "a girl in that story
| actress In the theater where l suped-a
real actress. mind you. fascinator
from Fascinatorville Why LII so
much as looked at me don't know.
but she did. was near twice her age,
and 'twould have been playin' the
game too low down to try and hook
on to her. though l was tempted, she
was so pretty. so good to me. l don't
know what would "a been the upshot
if the properly man, who had his eye
on the GAL hadn't got me the sack and
Lii an engagement on the road. She
and / drifted apart. l never wrote,
though she asked me to. knew twas
better not-for her. But you see why
I'm nuts on the dog. He was hers.
and Shakespeare was her name for
him. She loves Shakespeare's plays.
and her ambition was to act In 'em.
But all that's sonNthin' / wouldn't "a
mentioned If you hadn't kind Of earned
the right to Shakes history. | was
tellin' you about my speciality and
how Shake introduced me to 1t. We
was on our beam ends, Shake and me.
our ribs shown through like silk.
One mornin' after night out like this.
only a square downtown, / was circu-
latin around till blew into Twelfth
street and dropped my eyes on to
new restaurant with q good fried
smell, and an idea hit my brain like
hammer. In | walks and offers to
swop it with the boss for a dinner.
He wasn't takin' any just then, but ]
talked till | walked him up. showed
him what | could do in the art line
and began to work ON the spot with
grand new thing in meenoos. I've
been at it ever since. and. though the
pay don't go up by leaps and bounds.
the house has. and lots o the eaters
4 Il 49,