, 1870-09-25
THE sCENEPAINTER'S WIFE.


THE SCENErPAINTER'S WIFE.
"You would.nt think it. to look At be1 now,
sir, said the old clown a. he shook the ashes
once aB handsome WOMAN "a you'd see for
mxny long day. 1t Waz an accident that
spoiled her beauty
The speaker was attached to little eques-
t1iau company with which I had fallen in
during day . pedestrianlsm in Warwickshire,
The troop had hhlted ut = roadafde inn, where
was dawdlnR over ny simple meal, md by
the time had smoked my cigar in his com
pnnionship, the clown and were On footing
Of perfect f1endliaese.
l bad not been little etrnck BY tho woman
Of whom he spoke. She was tall and alin,
thought Her face waa chiefly remarkable
for the painful impression which It g2ve to I
stranger. 1t Was the face Of woman who
had undergone some great terror. Tia siekly
patlor Of the akin waA n1le conspicunus ty
The hectic brightness Of, the large eyes, and
deadly hurt inflicted long ago.
Ny new friend and hid stro1ed = little Way
fsum the inn, where the rest of the company
were otl!1 occupiod with their frugal dinner.
A stretch Of sunny common iay before us, and
Ills pipe and walked on meditatively. / took
out another cigar.
!''was i : iii from horseback that gavo her
that scarf" asked.
"A fall from horseback. 1I.dams Della
vsnti! No, Sir, that seam on her cheek waa
made BY the claws Of tiger TIA rather
ing It, Il you'd like to hear it; but for the
Lo1ds sake don't let her know I've been taIk-
ing Of her, II you should happen to scrape nc
9nAintanca with her when you 60 back to the
inn"
about7"
~ rather think she has. You sec she's not
quite light in the upper story, poor eonl; but
rho rides beautifully, and doeen't know vhAt
ts1r meaas. You'd scarcely believe how
handsome she looks It night, when she's
most rs we'll as it nsed to do ten years ago,
before she had the accident. Al, ehe was
hAnd>ome in those days, aud used to be run
after BY all the gentlemen like mad. But she
never was bad lot, nessr-wild aud self
wliled, but never wicked woman. as I'll stake
my life. I've Been her fr1end through thick
aud thin, when efie needed friend. and rve
understood her better than others.
She Was only tEelve years old WHEN she
came to us Wth her father, u noted lion
tanner. He WAS man that drank hard now
And then, and was very Hoyere with her at
such times, bnt abe always had br1re snirit,
,
the beasts. She used to take her share IN al1
. tho old mans performances, and when ho did,
and the lions we're eold OF, our p,oprictor
. kept tiger for her to perform with. He IVES
the clcverest Of AZ the animals, but lid a
: lsno Delavanti's to f.cs him. SIS rods In tho
circus As we'll as performing with the tiger,
and she was altogether the most 4aluab!e
! member of the company, and Was very we'll
paid for her york. shn was eighteen when
her father died, and within ycar Of his death
sbe married Joseph Wsylie, cur scene painter.
! fArcied Caroline mlght havo done better,
Joe WAS IS, re WIS ! day-a pale, sandy.
barred fellow, not much 10 look at, and by nc
means genius. Dut he was awfuIIy fo3d Of
Caroline. He had followed her about like .
dog eyer .tnce the csme among us. and
than love. told her 90, one day, but bhc on
ly laughed, and sald
i Hoe too good for mo, Mr.. Waters, that,
tho truth; don't deserve to be loved as Ii
The newly married couple did seem yer,
happy together. Il was a great treat to sci
Joe ut the wing mud watch hle wife thro1el
her performances. ready to pnt q ehawl owe
her pretty white shoulders when che ha,
done, or TO throw himsotf between her An
. Inn in pretty patfonizlng sort Of way. as
he had beon ever go much younger than hcl
, instead OF Twelve year, her senior. Sh
, I used to stand upon tiptoD aud kiss him be
, fore all the company, sometimes, :
! 1ehearsa1, much to tls delight He worke
: position II he improved in his art, and b
> thought nothtng too good for his bcautifr
young wife. They had very comfortable lod,
!. !. inge about half mile from the manufactu
= ing town where we were stationed for IL
= wintor months, and lived as well 4s simp
folks need iTe.
Our manager WAS the proprietor OF = cou,
Try theatre at seaport town fifty rnilca aw,
. . from the place wheso VIC we're stationed; Al
: whom pantomime time was coming on, po
Joseph WAylie was ordered on to paint Il
9 scenery for this other the,tfe, much to b
:, month Or six weeks away from hts wife.
= w1s their ftst parting, and the husband Il
10 It deeply. He loft Caroline to the care OF
old woman who took tho money, and vi
:. Erofeesed very wrm attachment Tor Nj
y, called IN tho bills
~ 5oaeph bad not been gone much more IT.,
n week when began to take notice Of
:. ~ young ohieez, who was in front every evonin
!, and who watched Carohne's pe1forman
"a With evident admiration. I sav him Q
~ se night in verr close conrcrsation wi
~ Mrs. Muggleton, the moncy-takcr, aud v
70 70 not over-pieased to hear Madame Delavani
aa n.1ne mentioned in the course Of their &C
versaHop. On the next night found b
~ lettering about tho stage door He was
81 very handsome man. and I corld not AZ,
~ y taking notice Of him. On inquiry, 1ou
~ ~, that his name was Jocelyn, and thAt he nj.
y Captain Of regiment then stationed il ,
y. ~ town. He WAS the only son OF wealthy n
~ ufsoturer. was told, and had plenty CT aos
to throw about
ie Ie 1had finished my performance c.slier IL
" ueunl one night soon after this. aud waa ",
;. ing for fsicnd at tho stage door, when c,
y, tain Jocelsn came mp tho dirk br-stre
:. emcking his cigar, and evidently waiting
some one. I fell back into the shadow OF I
door, and waited. feeling pretty sure that
wss on the watch for Caroline: was rig
She came out presently and joined him, p
he ting her hand under bis arm, As II ii y,
70 quite usual thing for him to bs her esco
"a followed them ut = h1t1e distance as Il
n, walked Cd, and waited till I saw Joe's II
ng safe within her own door. The Captain
en- nsuuter, and would fain hsre kept her th
"a longer, but she dismissed him with Il
h. times.
us Now. ns a very old friend Of Carolino's
taxed bes Win plsnl5 next dsy, ~ and fSoja
n no good could como Of any acquaintance
nd tween her and Captain Jncelyn.
Gu And no harm need come of it either, )
y, silly old fellow, she said. II hays been u
fS | " tiAt eO1t "a ANGukhQQ aAl my HE. Liner
u, nothing but the ruoat innocent hiztation
Nj tween MS"
m na 'tWhat would Joe think Of such IN in,
ali cent di1tation, Caroline ?" asked.
he ,"1oemustlear to putup with euch thing
en- she si., anaxsssd h.. - ,png = do my duty
IN misation, and that Fort Of thing. ice on,
~ to know that as we'll As do
.ce ~ should have thought the tiger and
lis horse would have gwen you enough Of excl
,oy ment, Caroline" I Bait, "withont 1unn
he into worss danger than the risk Of your lif
.re meut" ske answered; and then abe took
nd little watch in jewelled case, and lool
we Al it, and then ut me, In <half-boasttul, h,
Why, what "a Pretty watch, csrrie!" 9
M l. Is that q present from Joc 2"
mt "As il you didn't know better than ths
We she said. :" Country scene-painse1s can't
nd ford = buy diamond watches for their wiz
nd tried to lecture her, but she laughed
= my reproaches and saw her that night u
smother SIT from The Captain He was i
ssage-bo1, md threw her = bouquet Of chi
flowers after her scene will the tiger. IT.
the prettiest sight in the world to eee
r. pick up the aoweEs md oder them to
NC NC Wm-looking animal to smell, and /
'est snatch them awsy with ! laugh, and re,
sad curtsYing to the audience, and glancing
ing quettish}5 toward the boz whero her "a
:, In fer sat applaudinc her ~1
adi- Three Weeks vent hv 1iko +.ix-.ba n, u,
tho in front every nfcht. Rest cIose wstch t,
or the pair, for thought th.t hnwaro-
ON: might cArfy IN her ffIy4,t;nr -. -.
red true 1t hear. and xonii ~ a. Ne,
ttre deliberate wrong. Shc N. ro- -,-.,s,. ~.
and veyy wiIiul. buf fanciaS nr 5,,a,,ssna. su1uS
lose 70 long MHy with hn1 In ans 5ssnarst ~ ~
IN | c{Eepcy. So I Kent m crn NV, f.e- ~ "
aims alInirer, and thero wss rarn5r -io,,s ~,
oses did not see the CaptaIn,n hsct tnr;,aa ~ :,
; Or the door Of Nrs. NAylie's lodging hayo
b. went home to my oxn SINNER "'""
sav- Joe vas not exnccied hcma s,r ,n.
NAA@