Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-01-11

claimed the actor. "You are one Of natures
nobility, sir, and daily contact with the brute
has ne your mind At
collar. ! think you mentioned . goose?''
sEoaa beef q the top, foast goose at the bot
ss'a f h;,d as .S;. ss'sn,'E
appreciate above any Of the featkered tribe."
replied the walking gentleman. :" A. ressr-
He departed, wondering ut the silence and
gravity of . man who could draw N eighty
Herr Prusinowski LETT the tavern, and strolled
listlessly along the street. 1t was not quite
which he could do what he pleased with him.
| self. Under ordinary circumstances he might
have gone home, TO have few words with his
"little woman" and make some amendment in
his toilet; but tonight he hardly cared 70 face
| his wife. She would see that something was
wrong, and question him. The impression that
subject &c did not want TO talk about, not even
| with her, he turned out Of the busy thorough
fare in which the Queens Theater was situated
presently into q broad, quiet. old-fashioned
| of broad square red-brick houses OF the GeOrg-
! Ian era, grim and respectable, with q shop only
here and there, and then superior class Of
shop: 1t was very quiet street at this time Of
upon the broad pavement and empty road, and
there was just glimpse Of moonlit water at
the END OF the street where 1t opened on the
quay. .f.
There was only one shop open at this hour, a
tobacc0nist's at corner. PrusinOwsH felt in
his coat-pOcket with dim recollection of hav-
ing allowed Mr.. Fjtz Raymond to empty his to-
bacco pouch that evening, and then strOued
across the road toward the tobacconists ship.
While ne WAS in the act Of crossing, man came
out Of the shop and walked slowly away toward
the quay The iion-tamer recognized him at a
glance, and darted after him. 1t was the occu-
pant of the stalls, = tall, angular figure in the
tleman. '...-.. -----....-
1t was an uniustiiable thing, of course; but
Rudolph PrtisinOwsk did not stop to consider
the etiquette of the situation. He was resolved
to accOst this man. He would have done the
same wherever he had met him.
81 beg your pardon, he said, at the stranger =
shoulder; 81 believe you were in front tonight
The man turned and faced him. 1t was not a
progressing countenance by any means, that
long cadayerous yisage, with the pale prominent
it look more than usually cadaverous.
eyes" he said; 81 have been at the Queens
Theater this evening. Dear me! you are the
He spoke in a formal, deliberate way, that
was strangely irritating to Herr Prusinowskis
nerves. These artists-even professors of the
lowest arts--are apt to be sensitive.
"You have some kind of business with me,
Herr Prusinowski?" the stranger said interr0ga-
lively, the liOn-tamer standing for the nome Mt
staring at him like neyly-awakened sleep
,
81 wanted to ask you q question, he said
abruptly, rousine himself with an effort. "fhis
isn't the first time I've seen you. You took a
Prlvase box at Manchester five years ago for my
81 did," replied the stranger. ssI congratu-
late you on the possession of an excellent
escape that night at Manchester, l imagine.
One of your animals turned restiye."
yes" said the lion-tamer modify, s'that
brute Robinson cut up rough. L lost my nerve,
a
appointment for you. wasn't it," .
Excuse me, hardly catch your meaning -
"YOu thought it was all over with me, didn't
you? Come now, 1 want 30 know your motive
for coming TO see me that time-I want to know
your motive for coming to see me Tonight"
suppose the motive mist be sufdciently obvious.
People generally attend that sort OF entertain
ment, and every sort Of entertainment, in search
OF amuse ment."
"Other people perhaps-not you. know
what mans face means, and watched yours,
as close-well. almost as close as you watched
me. 1t wasn't the face OF man that came to
"YOu seem to have peculiar way Of looking
at things, Mr.. 'Prusn0wski,", replied the
stranger, rubbing his bony, close-shayen chin
you, 1 am somewhat interested in lion tanning.
L am an idle man, you see. My means enable
me to live pretty much please and where
manner compelled to create an interest for
himself in things outside his own life. am an
amateur of wild-beast shows. There was man
called Green-you may have heard nj him. per-
haps. saw that man Green perform seventeen
consecutive times. Was peculiarly interested
in him."
'Yes," said Prusinowski, II know all about
Green. He was kified-klled- by n tiger that
he'd made good deal Of money out OFF,
He Was" answered the stranger; ~ saw IT, -
Hen PrusnOwski shuddered. -
81 thought So" he said; az thought as much.
"Upon nv honor that is very unpleasant
way Of putting IT, replied the stranssr 81
point Of view. I have heard it asserted that
men of your profession always do meet with
some fatal accident sooner or later. Since you
has formed one element Of interest for me in
this kind OF performance. L can understand
the delight of the Roman people. from the
emperor ,G down 70 Inc sumo hest in
classical turn of mind, and am proud to &C
knowledge a taste which connects me with a
al don't understand half that palaver, ;" said
Herr Prusinowski rudely; but trust in God
may never see your face again."s
"Really, now! but why?"
"Because you are q cold bloOded scOundrel.
and you would like to see me killed"
s.My dear Mr.. PrnsinOwski, that is style OF
language which, il were an ill-tempered man,
pe4eS let pas You haTe rsS
remark that 1 should like to see you killed by
one Of those brutes of yours. But if you are
utStlntu 70 meet your uc8Ln IN tnaJ manner.
which it is to be hoped yOu are not, freely adj
init that should wish to be spectator Of the
catastrophe. 1t would not make the smallest
difference to you, and it would highly interest
ing to me- Is this your way? No? In that
case, good night" -.
He lifted his hat tremendously. and departed
tewarted toward the patch OF moonlit water at
the end of the street, leaving the liOn-tamer
standing on the, pavement, transfixed and
brOOding.
1t was just as he had imagined--the man was
an amateur Of sudden death.
The supper at the Lion aud Lamb public
hOuse--a snug little hOstelry five doors from the
theater, and much affected by the actOrs-was
q gaetronomic success, but not social one.
The fare was excellent. The giver Of the feast
ordered liquors on a liberal scale, and eatablcs
and turntables disappeared with a celebrity
cheering to witness. Yet the banquet was not
a cheerful one. Nothing could rouse Prnsi-
nOwski from the gloom that had fallen upon
him. The actors did their utmost to beguile
him into gaiety, with bOisterOus talk and laugh
ter, racy anecdotes, and an unlimited amount
of that humorous converse commonly known As
"chaff," to which the theatrical mind is espe-
cially prone; but all their efforts failed. Once
or twice he did make some show of rallying-
gave smart answer or two, threw q lobster
claw at the tragic Fitz Raymond, when that
great artist was engaged In argument, and
pushed stick Of celery down the coat-cOllar OF
the absent minded de Ia Z0uche. But these
were the feeblest spurts Of gaiety, and by de-