Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-06-26

more more
greetings, more teal My battle with
Bertie was lost. I was defeated. We were
to have charades; and the first word to be
acted, was to be " fearful" out of compli-
ment to me. "You are in that unreasona-
BILE state ofagitation. that you will scarce
ly need to act anything, Gracey." could
only sit and smile; was beaten, aad very
amiable under my misfortune.
Now the room in which we acted was a
loug drawing-room. Standing at the top
of this room; if you looked down its
length of over thirty three feet, you saw
two doors; one was at the end of the room
on the right hand and led into library !;
the other at the side, as far down as could
be, and led into the hall. Our only pre-
paration for our favorite pastime was to
bring into the room two large screens.
They were so placed as to divide off the
end of the room which was to be our stage,
and to hide the two doors by which we
came on and went off, The middle space
between the screens was marked off by a
row of wax lights on the floor, and fence
made by long, low, wire guards, which had
been contrived for the purpose. The only
popularity of this drawing room arose
from the fact Of its having been made by
throwing two rooms together, by which
means there were two fire-places One
was at the end opposite our stage, the
other in the center of the left hand side,
and opposite the windows. They had
CRATES and chimney pieces exactly alike,
and each had looking glass that reached
up to the cornice'of the ROOM The glass
over the side chimney-piece could be seen
perfectly by the actors, and when at the
further end of the stage our situations
were reflected in it.
Before the charade began, spoke to
Major DeYerel. "The syllable fear is to
be scene with banditti, you know; you
are to be just entering the stage from the
library. I and my friends and our maid
are to come on the stage in state of ter
ror, the banditti having robbed us, and
turned us out of our carriage. rush up
to you to save us-and you"-he was
listening with the drollest expression and
halfsmile on his attentive face know |
looked alarmed for the success of any act
read my thoughts exactly.
"Dont be frightened before the time,"
he said. II won't arrange anything.
Whatever you may do, shall do exactly
as l ought to do. | mean, as I should do
is making signs for you"
What outrageous, silly confdencel And
yet he spoke so pleasantly that could not
scold.
BERTHE was in full power; blazing in
terest in the work to be begun instantly
glowed in his handsome face as he said,
"Oh, Major, have you pistols? All, you
have changed your coat" then saw that
he had a cloak on, and pistols strapped
around him. Your father dressed me"
he said, "I have not done anything my
self 60 with the stream this Valentines
Day, and make the best of the place on
which the stream may land me; that is all
| am going to do"
I can only add to this record of our con-
versation, that was more puzzled than
ever by Major Devereps words and man.
ner, and found myself on the stage inform
ing my audience, by means of talk with
my friends, that we had left our travelling
carriage for the luxury of an afternoon
walk, while proceeding towards Naples on
an October day.
Off he went, and on came the banditti
by the library door behind u.s. Their evil
intentions were announced in the same
fashion, and they passed off, as we had
The stage was then occupied by Major
Deverel, supposed to be ON a walking ex-
pedition. From the cries of alarm-the
clash OF Inexpensive women rushed back
to the stage. The maid on her knees in a
paroXysm Of fright, the friend, fainting on
the top of the maid, and I rushed up to
Major DeVerel, crying, "Save us!"
Then In moment a grand tableauX was
formed. found myself within the Majors
ct-- Iaft r
for had not intended my rush to end in
such harborage. But was mere feather
compared to his strength. With power
which l don't forget he drew me closer to
him, and held me Gagged within the bend of
What a face it was! His right arm was
cowed the chief of the banditti, Master
BERTHE, who looked mesmerized under the
earnest, glowing face, and steady, tri-
umphant eye. No one ever saw more
real thing than Major Devereps attitude
and expression; the curtain dropped
amidst immense applause, and I was re-
leased with a,quiet smile He put his pis-
tol into his belt and said, as if to himself,
1.-The queerest thing in the world. Pm
glad it's over"
"What is queer, and what is over?" I
said-we were rearranging ourselves in
the library now. He answered, "By-and-
by-by-and-by."
The word "full" was acted by busy
postman delivering valentines to a crowd
who met him, and from whose full bags
they filled pockets, baskets, brown paper
parcels. 1t was made very merry scene
by the boys and all the young friends, who
ms rot fIo
was full and the curtain dropped again.
The whole word was recounting of
the banditti danger to nervous lady, ex-
cellently acted by Mr.. Drake, who really
worked herself up to very fearful state,
allowed and the perpetual interruptions,
caused by the remedies she so constantly
called for, permitted.
There were two more charades, but the
Majors acting-the force, the interest, the
expression he had put into his part
formed the topic of the night. Every
body had "felt it So" That was the gen
eral experience; it found expression in
many words, and the Majors praises
reached him, of course. Ali the answer
he made was, " never acted in my life
never took part in any charades before"
PART II.
When all our friends had gone, and we
were alone, standing about in the supper
room, my brother told Major Deverel again
that he had never seen such acting as in
the first charade, adding, am very glad
we had you to do it."
$50 am l." was the brief answer. "But
to me it was not acting. For one moment,
| saw, reflected in the great glass over
your side fireplace, the whole scene. It
was in every Ilarticrlar the cnl1nternart of