The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-25

|
This time she looked really frightened. She
put her hand to hcr ,iert suddenly, and began
to tremble.
"why didn't lie come home 10 me ?" she
cried, 'and where did lie hidc himself last
nlghL!"
"l'm afraid lie must have gone ont upon I,c
drink, my dear
.Joe never drinks" she answered.
While she stood lookin.,at me with that pale
scared Face, one of our young mcl came run
ming towards us.
You're wanted, Waters" lle said shortly.
upstairs In the painting room"
''Joe's room cried Caroline. ''Tllcn he has
come back. Ill go with you.''
| She WIS following meas crossed the stage,
but the young man trird to stop her.
you'd better not come just vel, Mrs. Way
| lie, he said In hurried way that WAS strange
To him. ITS only Waters that's wanted ON II
| matter of business" And then. as Caroline
| followed close upon us, he look hold Of my arm
ami whispered, '.non't Let her come"
tried To keep her hack, but II was no use.
81 know il's my husband who wants YOU"
she said. They've been making mischief
about me. You shan't keep me away from
him
We on the narrow stairs leading to the
painting room by this time. couldn't keep
| Caroline of. She pushed past hull Of us,
AMI ran into the room before We could stop
| her.
"irs Ill her doing"
| heard her scream rs came 10 the door.
There WAS u little crowd In the painting room
round quiet figure lying ON II bench, and
| there was %lilSily pool Of blood upon the
| floor. Joseph Waylic lEld cut his lhr0nt.
"lle must have done IL last night" !" said the
| manager. There's ctlcrfor his wife on the
business, isn't it F.? Poor Joscphr -
| Caroline knclt down by the side of the bench
and stopped there on her knees, us still as
death, Till the room was clcar of al but me.
"'rlicy tlinli l deserve this, Waters" she
said, lifting her white face from the dead mans
shoulder, where she had hidden II; "but
meant no harm. Give me the letter.
You'd better wait Il bit, my dear" said.
| mo, 10 give IL me at once, please"
gave her the letter. II was very short.
The scene painter had come back to the thea
ire In timc to hear some portion Of that inter-
view between Captain ,Jocriyn and his wife.
| He evidently had believed her much more gull
| ty than She w;la.S
81 think yon must know how loved YOU,
Caroline" he wrote; II can't facc life with the
knowledge that you've been false to me-"
or course there was all Inquest. We wOrkcd
1t go that the jury gave n verdict OF temporary
Insanity, AND poor Joe was buried dccently IN
the ccInctcfy outside the town. Caroline sold
the watch and the bracelet that Captain Jocc-
] lyn had given her, In order to pay for her hus-
bands funeral. She was very quiet, and went
OIL with The performances as nsnal 4 week after
Joe's dsni but could see great change In
her. The rest of the company were very hard
| upon her, as thought, blaming her for her
husbands death, anil she was under cloud,
NJ
| ever, AMI went through all her performances
| In her OLD daring way. I'm sure, though,
| That she gricved sincerely for JOe's death,
| and that she had never meant to do him
wrong.
We travelled all through the next summer,
| and late In November went back,to Homer,
| sleigh. Caroline had seemed happier while
we we've were away, thought, and when we were
"l'vc got kind Of dread Of seeing that
place again, she said; ''l'm always dreaming
oil the painting room MS IL looked that January
| morning with The cold liyh; streaming In mpol
That dreadful figure on the bench Tie rooms
scarcely bccn ont OF my dreams one ni.rht
since I've been away from llomcrscigh; and
up there.n
the room was not particularly convenient
QUO, anu nad bcen used for lumber after Joc'S
death. Ihc man WHO came amer him didn't
On the first morning Of our return, CaroliiIr
went up AMI looked in at the dusty heap of
dlsllSet Stage furniture and broken properties
met her coming away from the room
20, Mr.. Wnters,n SHE said 10 me with real
ieciiiis, "T he had only walled TO hear me
speak for myself! They ai think deserved
what happened, and perhaps did, MS far us it
I9a5s @is%, ;Sa; i ,GT T.. S ,1sSIas Sl5y Mtntp
iancied amer this that her looks changed
for the worse, and that she had kind of nerv-
GUS way In going through her equestrian per-
formanccs, as If there was fever upon her. l
inc Tiger uct, ls was never OIL the stage with
her, but the brute seemed as submissive as
ever. On the last day OF the year she asked
our manager to let her of for the next night.
Its the anniversary OF my husbands dcuth,"
she said.
81 didn't know you were so precious fond of
him" " lie answered with Il snccr. $40, Mrs.
Waylic, we can't afford 10 dispense with YOUR
services Tomorrow night. The tiger net is
one OF our strong fcatires with tile gallery,
and ! expect iull house for New Years
night"
She begged him very hard 10 let her of. but
II was no use. There was no rehearsal on
New Years morning, and she went To the Ill
tie cemetery where Joe was buried, three
miles walk in the cold and rain. In the even
Ing, when she came to the wing her eyes were
brighter than usual, and she shivcrcd n good
deal, more than liked 10 see.
vi think must have caught cold In the
cemetery today" she said 10 me when no
ticcd this. ''Iwlsh could have kept this
| night sncrcd-this one nlgbt-to my husbands
memory. He has been in my mind so much
to-day"
She went on, and stood at the wing watch
Ing her. The audience applalidcd yocllrro,lsly,
but She did not rake her accustomed curtsey:
| ana she went .Dout her work In n llstlcss way
that w;s very different from her usual spirited
| and when She had got about halfway through
her tricks with him, lie began TO respond To
ner word OF command In IL s,llky unwilling
ana she used her light whip more freely tian
usual. ~
One of the tigers concluding tricks was n
leap through garland Of flowers which Caro-
centre of the stage with this garland in her
! hands, ready for The animals spring, when her
| eyes wandered 10 the front OF the house, and
she rose suddenly with IL shrlii scream, ana
her arms ouistretched wildly. Whether the
! slilky brute thought That size was going TO
strike him or.not, don't know but he sprana
savagely ut her os she rose, and In the next
moment she, was lying OH the ground helpless,
rushed upon the stage with haIE.a-tlozen
others, and we hud The brute milzzled and
ropcd In Il few brcathless moments. but not
before he had torn CarOline,s cheek anu
shoulder with his claws. She was lnsensIble
when we carried her OF the stage, and shc
was confined TO her bed three months after the
acclaenl win brain fever. When She came
lmOnO ltfIiN M hnl