The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-23
THE HOUSE OF HOWE
BY MAX HART.

s"o racinc coast, and at one time II
manifested all the symptoms of be-
coming city.
Somebody discovered carbonated
asphalt or rock salt or virgin gold In
the vicinity Of Potato Hill, and at the
precise moment Cab Horse was about
to take out city charter, order q
new post office from Washington.
/ print up set. of letter-heads and pre-
! pare for business as bona fide and
budding metropolis.
Scientists who studied the rise and
fall of Cab Horse were inclined for
some time to lay the whole blame
upon the slanting shoulders of Char
ley White. It is perfectly true that
the bad luck attending Charley White
Immediately preceded the finding Of
precious mineral in the neighborhood
of Potato Hill; but beyond that CO.
incidence. there is nothing to turn the
stern finger Of accusation toward Mr..
White.
The facts speak for themselves.
For long time Charley could not do
so.
About the time Cab Horse began to
boom and the gambling element
swarmed in from surrounding terri
tory, Ike Dorgan started the Silver
Stag on the street which would have
been named Main street If anyone had
thought it needed a name.
The Silver Stag was a combination
of all that is precious to the anti
gambling fraternity, the anti-dance
section of the community and the So
ciety for the Improvement of Morals
in General.
Ike Dofgan accumulated thirteen
thousand dollars by way of profit and
sold out to person named Howe,
and 1t was Howe who brought Charley
White to the thriving village of Cab
Horse. the reason being that Mr..
White was in undisputed possession of
the finest singing, yodeling and noise.
making voice west of Omaha
About the same time Charley White
discovered Cab Horse and its princi-
pal fount of recreation and amuse-
ment, the Silver Stag, Apache Nell
discovered him.
Nell was q peculiarly fine specimen
of young womanhood wasting its
fragrance on the desert air, and II she
had gone to New York. instead of
squandering her time in Cab Horse,
the Sunday papers would have printed
her photograph and prominent artists
would have beseeched her to pose for
them.
The natural md subsequent eventu-
atty was that Nell found many inter-
esting qualities in Charley White, and
he returned the compliment.
True, an irritated citizen named
Kelley had threatened to remove most
of Mr. Whites regular features be-
cause of NelPs open preference for the
singer, but that little disturbance
passed over without calamity.
Kelley attempted to drown his sor-
row in the well-known liquid made
for that purpose. and finally died of q
broken heart, superinduced by a
broken stomach, a couple of broken
kidneys and badly fractured liver.
At the very height of his popularity
Charley White suddenly and inexpli-
cably went into retirement.
The singer came down from his
pedestal and his song vac hushed.
Woe filled the throbbing atmosphere
of the Silver Stag and the chief
bouncer explained without avail.
While the regular patrons of the
Silver Stag faced this new sorrow in
melancholy and detection, there was
one who felt the disappointment great
est
Cassandra had come In from the
East-Lady Cassandra, with the soft
Italian voice and the dark eyes of the
land at the foot of the Alps.
She had appeared among the dancers
in the Silver Stag. and Immediately
men and women noticed her
Apache Nell joked with Charley
White about 1t.
THE dark and mysterious lady ap-
pears to be hypnotized when you
sing" chuckled Nell after Cassandra
had manifested her interest for a
week or more.
There was a vague note Of jealousy
In her voice.
She's a funny-looking wop," Char
ley retorted indifferertly. Lets take
walk before the nine o'clock session"
For month Cassandra paid silent
devotion before the shrine Of melody
and at the end Of that time her grief
was great.
Charley White ceased to sing.
Why" demanded Howe.
There's something the matter
with my throat" Charley explained.
They've come to like your singing
tremendously" Howe pleaded. See a
doctor. Fix your throat up as soon
as you can, and when you come back
there's an extra five a week tackled on
your pay"
The solitary Cab Horse physician
peered down the White throat with
fitting solemnity at the earnest re-
quest Of Mr.. Howe. took charge Of a
four-dollar fee and announced that
the trouble was probably a strain.
He will be well in . week." de-
clared the physician.
Il hope So" Howe replied gloomily.
But Mr.. White was not well in a
week, or in two or four weeks.
He mooned about Cab Horse and
avoided the Silver Stag. He hated TO
face the crowds and explain over and
over that his throat had gone back on
him.