Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-07-15

BANA1Np VI WV IANNO SAAA - w
s fOrmance. GLOW / wish Jessie wer
5 here to see me?-YOu don't loo
: well; l hope there is nothing tn
matter.
Z lie thought so much gas had alIcC
) ted him, perhaps; but he should b
6 all right in moment.
l I'm 80 glad you are here; it
such a pleasure to have some one t,
} talk to about Alice, and you know
whata dear little girl she is. Do yol
know, was ass enough to be jeal
GUS Of you once; however, / can onl,
say l am sorry for my stpidity, an(
hope we shall see a great deal of yol
when we set up in our little estab
lishment. l am sure you are no
well-there's some brandy in tina
room do you have some"
He once more assured me that ht
was well, and the curtain rising fol
the second act, had to leave him t
look after the BUSINESS of the scene
There was not so much applause a
the beginning of the second act, fol
villainy seemed to be having rather
the best OF it; but | prophetically
fOresaw the enthusiasm which woult
accompany the downfall of Sir Jas
per's evil designs. and the triumph o.
virtue in scene three ;and, ,the scowl'
which Lenchford emitted from his
well-darkened eyes, and the depth to
which his voice deccnded as he strobe
about the stage, proposing 10 murder
most of the drdmGtiS persons, and to
immure the rest in deepest dungeons
beneath the moat of his castle, cvi-
IDENTIFY thrilled the audience. ITar-
ley's song went beautifully. | had
introduced some hits at local affairs,
praised ShoTevillc and its inhabi-
tants, and represented all other wa
tering-Dlaces within fifty miles as
hotbeds of fever and plague, popula-
ted by robbers, and these sentiments,
set to a popular air, were vigorously
encord.
"The audience appears very well
pleased, Mr.. Thomas remarked as |
rejOined him. "Do you goon again
soonp"
eyes, I'm on directly" | replied :;
"the next is the great scene which |
hope will crown the success of my
piece. The people in the county
have not grown tired of brcad-sword
cOmbats, and letting of a gun or q
pistol invariably brings down the
house so we are going to give them
plenty of steel and gunpowder. My
cue will be given in few minutes
You'll discover that there's more
behind, Sir Jasper when | hear that
| rush on with my smugglcrs, fire off
two pistols, and fight furiously with
Sir Jasper, and kill him. 1t would
be better to finish the piece then. but
Delamerc has scene which he wish
es to show, so We finish in front Of
the cNstle,-EXcusc me, | must lis
ten."
shall never forget that moment,
which subsequent events have fixed
so firmly to my remembrance. |
hear now the heavy breathing in my
ear, as stood by Thomas's side, and
can see his tace-his cruel iacc-with
lowered eyebrows and a drop of
blood which tricklCd from his lip, as
turned for a second toward him.
But had too much to think about
to wonder why he should bite his lip !;
was listening for the cue which
pretaced my great scene.
AT last it came:
"And I'm afraid you'll discover
that there's more behind Sir JAS
per-"
We rushed on to the stage, where
were Sir Jasper and his band. |
fired my pistol in the air; there was a
crash in the orchestra firearms went
Off on all sides them felt n burn
ing pain in my left side, and ! re-
member no more.
cannot describe the whirl of
tangled ideas which rushed through
my mind with returning conscious
ness. l was in strange bed, in a
strange room, but by my bedside
was the familiar face of Harding.
"IIardingl what is all this? Where
am /? What's happened? Why am
all tied up? How did /"
TIush dear old fellow, you mustn't
talk. The doctor will be here dircc-
ly. I've got great deal to tell you,
when he says l may"
need not prolong my story,
soon pulled through-tllat process
being materially assisted by the care
and tenderness of an attentive little
nurse, who soon appeared OH the
sCene-and heard all that had happen
cd.
Thomas had visited Shorcvillc OH
a concert-giving tour, to his aston
ishment. had seen me. lie followed
me to the theatre, as he had informed
me, and when there had seen the
third scene. The idea had struck
him, that if in the skirmish bullet
was fired, no one would know
whence il came, and it would be at
tributed to accident. Convinced
that if | were out of the way Alice
would look with a favorable eye on
him, he had procured a revolver,
made his way behind the scene, as
have described, and put his plan
into execution, firing ut ne the mo-
ment left his side. In making his
way hurriedly from the stage, in the
midst OF the excitement which fol-
lowed the "accident he had fallen
down the chasm through which some
scenery was to have been raised for
the last scene, and had fractured his
skull so badly that he mad since died,
having previously given resume of
his amiable intentions.
| My cousin had heard Of my cxpc-
ditiOn, and, wishing to save one OF
his family from what he was pleased
TO term " profession of lowering
tendency" had called IN IIarling,
knowing him 10 he all intimNtc friend
of mine Harding informed him OF
the reasons which had influenced my
movements, and he had proposed to
allow me sufficient sum 10 crafty
my wishes. Harding had arrived al
Shorcvillo on the evening of the
performance, and made up his mind
to see my play frcm the front. What
ne saw the reader knows and he