The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1914-09-14
THE CLOWNS:
CODE
How II Was Overcome by
q Woman
By THOMAS L. MASON
Copyright by Frank A. Munsey Co.

By THOMAS L. MASON .
. Copyright by Frank A. Munsey Co. .
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .
1t was dusk when the old clown
came In from his walk and slowly
mounted the long stairs, which creak-
ed mournfully with his weight. The
fire In the wood stove had almost gone
out. He put on another stick, turned
on the draft and sat for some moments
in silence, rubbing his attenuated
hands.
Aided by long years Of constant
makeup, time had done its deadly
work upon his face. The result was q
network Of involved lines-lines that
crossed and recrossed and ran into one
facial puzzle. At short distance these
lines seemed to resolve themselves into
a picture, in which, like composite
photograph, all the scenes Of the mans
life had left their traces.
He went over to a battered leather
trunk in the corner, opened 1t, took out
huge scrap book and began reading
from it's yellow pages. 1t contained
the history Of his many trtumphs. 1t
told in clippings-varying from sin
gle sentence to pages with his picture
In the center-the story Of bis stage
career. These were some of the head
lines:
"Flaubert Outdoes Himself"
"Flaubert. the Prince of Clowns"
"Flaubert Funnier Than Ever"
THE Inimitable Flaubert."
Little Jimmie at His Best"
How many times had Flaubert read
all this! Now, in the long obscurity OF
age that had come upon him, 1t was
his only consolation. Once more he
lived In the arena or on the immense
stage of some hippodrome and per-
formed his delightful antics, while
blue eyed children clapped their hands
in glee and childlike grownups forgot
their dignity and renewed their youth
The old man. absorbed In his occu-
patton, read on and on, at times stop
ping to brush his cheek or blow his
nose with a tattered silk handkerchief.
Suddenly his ears were greeted by an
unfamiliar sound. He raised his head.
To one who lives In solitude an unusual
trif1e is always an object Of curiosity
He listened intently.
A cab had driven up and stopped In
front of the house. There was pause.
A bell had been rung. Steps were COM
ing up the stairs-slow-as slow as his
own. There was knock-once, twice
He opened the door. A woman stood
without. She, too, was old, but her
eyes cleaned still like diamonds in the
frosty air Of the hall.
Little Jimmy"
"Good heavens. You, Josephine"
Like two old French generals who
meet long after their wars, they en-
braced each other impulsively. Joseph
inc Tucalion, the prima donna, whose
name, now obsolete in the annals OF the
stage, had once been q household word
and Little Jimmy Flaubert, whom q
whole generation could not think OF
to face in the last quarter Of life
when the sun sinks low In the heavens
and the shadow of long, uncertain
night slowly gathers.
Nj. Flaubert handed his guest the
only wooden rocker in the room. She
sank into it, loosened her furs from
her neck and toasted her feet on the
stove rim.
"Ah, my dear, what search have
had for you! I went to Halbert, the
son of your old manager. He did not
know your address. He sent me to ar
agency. They had a record Of the
place you had lived in a year ago
From there | came here. Let me see
1t must be twenty years since l have
seen you"
For a time, like two voluble children
they disputed about dates. Then b
said gently:
"But tell me Of yourself, Josephine"
"Do you remember the night the en-
peror. carried away by his enthusiasm,
invited me to his palace? And now 1t
is all gone. A younger generation has
come up. and those lived with have
all passed away. But you, Little jim
my-you were foolish. Why did you
not save your money? lost much Of
mine. Still 1 have enough to live
upon"
The clown smiled gayly.
81 am quite comfortable. 1t does
not matter"
Tut! You can't deceive an old
friend. | suspected something. r.
He betrayed an air OF alarm
you did not come" he said. 'for
that, l hOpe-to-to"-
Nonsense! | see you are the same
as ever, as proud and vain as pea
cockr' She rose suddenly. "Come,
Little Jimmy; let US go out to d1nner?'
He rose with her. There was anx-
iety in his voice.
''Oh, no, thank you," he said Real
ly, Josephine, cannot. l have anoth-
er engagement this evening"
'Nonsenser' she repeated. "Come,
Jimmy! You mustr'
81 cannot. T.
She put her hand up to his cheek
and turned his face toward hers
See here, Little Jimmy" she said.
"Do you still love mew
II have always loved you!"
''Of course; you cannot help It That
Ia Thy I came. We are two Old peo-