Gideon by Wells Hastings
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Gideon

by Wells Hastings (1878- )

[ from_the century Magazine_, April, 1914; copyright, 1914, by_the century Co .; republished by_the author's permission .]

" an' de next' frawg dat houn' pup seen, he pass him by wide ."

the house, which had hung upon every word, roared with laughter, and shook with astorming volley of applause .Gideon bowed to right and to left, low, grinning, assured comedy obeisances; but as_the laughter and applause grew he shook his head, and signaled quietly for_the drop . he had answered many encores, and he_was an instinctive artist . it_was part of_the fuel of_his vanity that his audience had never yet had enough of him . dramatic judgment, as_well as dramatic sense of delivery, was native to him, qualities which the shrewd Felix Stuhk, his manager and exultant discoverer, recognized and wisely trusted in . off stage Gideon was watched over like a child and a delicate investment, but once behind the footlights he_was allowed to_go his own triumphant gait .

it_was small wonder that Stuhk deemed himself one_of_the cleverest managers in_the business; that his narrow, blue-shaven face was continually chiseled in smiles of complacent self- congratulation . he_was rapidly becoming rich, and there were bright prospects of even greater triumphs, with proportionately greater reward . he had made Gideon a national character, aheadliner, a star of_the first magnitude in_the firmament of_the vaudeville theater, and all in six short months . or, at any rate, he had helped to_make him all this; he had booked him well and given him his opportunity . to_be_sure, Gideon had done the rest; Stuhk was as ready as any_one to_do credit to Gideon's ability . still, after all, he, Stuhk, was_the discoverer, the theatrical Columbus who had had the courage and_the vision .

a now- hallowed attack of tonsilitis had driven him to Florida, where presently Gideon had_been employed to beguile his convalescence, and guide him over the intricate shallows of_that long lagoon known as_the Indian river in search of various fish . on days when fish had_been reluctant Gideon had_been lured into conversation, and gradually into narrative and_the relation of what had appeared to Gideon as humorous and entertaining; and finally Felix, the vague idea growing big within him, had one day persuaded his boatman to dance upon_the boards of a long pier where they had made fast for lunch . there, with all the sudden glory of crystallization, the vague idea took definite form and became the great inspiration of Stuhk's career .

Gideon had grown to_be to vaudeville much what uncle Remus is to literature: there_was virtue in_his very simplicity . his artistry itself was native and natural . he loved a good story, and he_told it from_his own sense of_the gleeful morsel upon his tongue as no training could_have made him . he always enjoyed his story and himself in_the telling .Tales never lost their savor, no matter how often repeated; age was powerless to dim the humor of_the thing, and as he had shouted and gurgled and laughed over the fun of things when all alone, or holding forth among_the men_and_women and little children of_his color, so he shouted and gurgled and broke from sonorous chuckles to musical, falsetto mirth when he fronted the sweeping tiers of faces across the intoxicating glare of_the footlights . he had that rare power of transmitting something of_his own enjoyments . when Gideon was on_the stage, Stuhk used to enjoy peeping out at_the intent, smiling faces of_the audience, where men_and_women and children, hardened theater-goers and folk fresh from_the country, sat with moving lips and faces lit with an eager interest and sympathy for_the black man strutting in loose- footed vivacity before them .

" he's simply unique," he boasted to wondering local managers--" unique, and it took me to_find him . there he_was, a little black gold- mine, and all of 'em passed him by until I_came . some eye ? what ? I guess you'll admit you_have to hand it some to your uncle Felix . if_that coon's health holds out, we'll have all the money there_is in_the mint ."

that was Felix's real anxiety--" if his health holds out ." Gideon's health was watched over as_if he had_been an ailing prince . his bubbling vivacity was_the foundation upon_which his charm and_his success were built .Stuhk became a sort of vicarious neurotic, eternally searching for symptoms in_his protege; Gideon's tongue, Gideon's liver, Gideon's heart were matters to him of an unfailing and anxious interest . and of late-- of_course it might_be imagination --Gideon had shown a little physical falling off . he ate a bit less, he had begun to move in a restless way, and, worst of all, he laughed less frequently .

as a matter of fact, there_was ground for Stuhk's apprehension . it_was not all a matter of managerial imagination: Gideon was less himself . physically there_was nothing the matter with_him; he could_have passed his rigid insurance scrutiny as easily as he had done months before, when his life and health had_been insured for a sum that made good copy for_his press- agent . he_was sound in every organ, but there_was something lacking in general tone .Gideon felt it himself, and was certain that a" misery," that embracing indisposition of_his race, was creeping upon him . he had_been fed well, too well; he_was growing rich, too rich; he had all the praise, all the flattery that his enormous appetite for approval desired, and too_much of it . white men sought him out and made much of him; white women talked to him about his career; and wherever he went, women of color-- black girls, brown girls, yellow girls-- wrote him of_their admiration, whispered, when he_would listen, of_their passion and hero- worship ." city niggers" bowed down before him; the high gallery was always packed with_them . musk- scented notes scrawled upon barbaric, " high- toned" stationery poured in upon him . even a few white women, to_his horror and embarrassment, had written him of love, letters which he straightway destroyed . his sense of_his position was strong in him; he_was proud of it . there_might_be "folks outer their haids," but he had the sense to remember . for months he had lived in a heaven of gratified vanity, but at last his appetite had begun to falter . he_was sated; his soul longed to wipe a spiritual mouth on_the back of a spiritual hand, and have_done . his face, now that_the curtain was down and he_was leaving the stage, was doleful, almost sullen .

Stuhk met him anxiously in_the wings, and walked with_him to_his dressing- room . he_felt suddenly very weary of Stuhk .

" nothing the matter, Gideon, is_there ? not feeling sick or anything ? "

" no, Misteh Stuhk; no, seh .Jes don' feel extry pert, that's all ."

" but what_is it-- anything bothering you ? "

Gideon sat gloomily before his mirror .

"Misteh Stuhk," he_said at last, "I been steddyin' it oveh, and I about come to_the delusion that I needs a good po'k- chop .Seems foolish, I_know, but it do' seem as_if a good po'k- chop, fried jes right, would he'p consid' able to disumpate this misery feelin' that's crawlin' and creepin' round my sperit ."

Stuhk laughed .

" pork- chop, eh ? is that_the best you_can think of ? I_know what you mean, though .I've thought for some_time that you were getting a little overtrained . what you_need is-- let me see-- yes, a nice bottle of wine . that's the ticket; it_will ease things up and won't do_you any harm .I'll go, with_you . ever had any champagne, Gideon ? "

Gideon struggled for politeness .

" yes, seh, I's had champagne, and it's a nice kind of lickeh sho enough; but, Misteh Stuhk, seh, I don' want any of_them high- tone drinks to- night, an' ef yo' don' mind, I'd rather amble off ' lone, or mebbe eat that po'k- chop with some otheh cullud man, ef I kin fin' one that ain' one_of_them no-' count Carolina niggers . do_you s' pose yo' could let me have a little money to- night, Misteh Stuhk ? "

Stuhk thought rapidly .Gideon had certainly worked hard, and he_was not dissipated . if he_wanted to roam the town by himself, there_was no harm in_it . the sullenness still showed in_the black face; heaven knew what he might do if he suddenly began to balk .Stuhk thought it wise to consent gracefully .

" good ! " he_said ." fly to_it . how_much do_you_want ? a hundred ? "

" how_much is coming to_me ? "

" about a thousand, Gideon ."

" well, I'd moughty like five hun' red of it, ef that's 'greeable to yo' ."

Felix whistled .

"Five hundred ? pork-chops must_be coming high . you don't want to carry all that money around, do_you ? "

Gideon did_not answer; he looked very gloomy .

Stuhk hastened to cheer him .

" of_course you_can_have anything you_want . wait a minute, and_I_will get it for_you .

"I'll bet that coon's going to_buy himself a ring or something," he reflected as he went in search of_the local manager and Gideon's money .

but Stuhk was wrong .Gideon had no intention of buying himself a ring . for_the matter of_that, he had several that were amply satisfactory . they had size and sparkle and luster, all the diamond brilliance that rings need to_have; and for none_of_them had he paid much over five dollars . he_was amply supplied with jewelry in_which he_felt perfect satisfaction . his present want was positive, if nebulous; he desired a fortune in_his pocket, bulky, tangible evidence of_his miraculous success . ever_since Stuhk had found him, life had had an unreal quality for him . his Monte Cristo wealth was too_much like a fabulous, dream- found treasure, money that could_not_be spent without danger of awakening . and he had dropped into_the habit of storing it about him, so_that in any pocket into which he plunged his hand he might find a roll of crisp evidence of reality . he liked his bills to_be of all denominations, and some so large as exquisitely to stagger imagination, others charming by their number and crispness-- the dignified, orange paper of a man of assured position and wealth-crackling greenbacks the design of_which tinged the whole with actuality . he_was specially partial to engravings of president Lincoln, the particular savior and patron of_his race . this five hundred dollars he_was adding to an unreckoned sum of about two thousand, merely as extra fortification against agrowing sense of gloom . he_wished to brace his flagging spirits with_the gay wine of possession, and he_was glad, when_the money came, that_it_was in an elastic- bound roll, so bulky that_it_was pleasantly uncomfortable in_his pocket as he left his manager .

as he turned into_the brilliantly lighted street from_the somber alleyway of_the stage entrance, he paused for a moment to glance at his own name, in three- foot letters of red, before_the doors of_the theater . he_could read, and_the large block type always pleased him ." this week: GIDEON ." that was all . none_of_the fulsome praise, the superlative, necessary definition given to lesser performers . he had_been, he remembered, "GIDEON, America's foremost native comedian," a title that was at once boast and challenge . that necessity was now past, for he_was a national character; any explanatory qualification would_have_been an insult to_the public intelligence . to_the world he_was just "Gideon"; that was enough . it gave him pleasure, as he sauntered along, to_see the announcement repeated on window cards and hoardings .

presently he_came to a window before which he paused in delighted wonder . it_was not a large window; to_the casual eye of_the passer- by there_was little to draw attention . by day it lighted the fractional floor space of a little stationer, who supplemented a slim business by asub- agency for railroad and steamship lines; but to- night this window seemed the framework of a marvel of coincidence . on_the broad, dusty sill inside were propped two cards: the one on_the left was his own red- lettered announcement for_the week; the one at_the right--oh, world of wonders ! -- was a photogravure of_that exact stretch of_the inner coast of Florida which Gideon knew best, which_was home .

there it_was, the Indian river, rippling idly in full sunlight, palmettos leaning over the water, palmettos standing as irregular sentries along the low, reeflike island which stretched away out_of_the picture . there_was the gigantic, lonely pine he_knew well, and, yes-- he_could just make it out-- there_was his own ramshackle little pier, which stretched in undulating fashion, like a long-legged, wading caterpillar, from_the abrupt shore- line of eroded coquina into deep water .

he thought at first that_this picture of_his home was some new and delicate device put forth by his press- agent . his name on one side of a window, his birthplace upon_the other-- what could_be more tastefully appropriate ? therefore, as he spelled out the reading- matter beneath the photogravure, he_was sharply disappointed . it read:

spend this winter in balmy Florida . come to_the land of perpetual sunshine . golf, tennis, driving, shooting, boating, fishing, all of_the best .

there_was more, but he had no heart for_it; he_was disappointed and puzzled . this picture had, after all, nothing to_do with_him . it_was a chance, and yet, what a strange chance ! it troubled and upset him . his black, round- featured face took on deep wrinkles of perplexity . the " misery" which had hung darkly on_his horizon for weeks engulfed him without warning . but in_the very bitterness of_his melancholy he_knew at last his disease . it_was not champagne or recreation that he_needed, not even a"po'k- chop," although his desire for_it had_been a symptom, agroping for a too homeopathic remedy: he_was homesick .

easy,

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