Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-04-17

she was to give to our managers proposals
and If was then that the doubt and per
plexity with which she viewed them came
| under my notice. On the one hand sht
saw herself bound to a man to whom she
had antipathy, but who would immediate
| II relieve her from the anxiety which the
care Of her mother and sisters entaileC
| upon her fOr Caugar had not failed tc
avail himself of the strong argument which
her affection for her family placed in his
| hands,; and, on the other, freedom, no.
! only TO pursue her art with the hope o.
achieving a great London reputation bu
to indulge in the dream that it might moi
| always be upon the stage alone that she
would have TO play the heroine of domes
| tic drama, with Bernal Rutherstone for its
| hero.
The managers smooth words and prom
! lses had quite won over to his side Mrs
Halworth, a selfish, indolent woman, who
congratulating herself on the comfort that
would accrue To her from her daughter
| marriage, quite lost sight of the fact that
Cougar was not altogether disinterested
and had no intention of Julia's leaving the
stage, for he was fully aware of her capac-
ity, and knew he should be making no bad
investment by diverting her future earn
| ings into his own pocket.
| think you would do well, Mrs Hal.
worth, somewhat to check your daughters
| outspoken admiration of Mr.. Rutherstone.
was not aware until his engagement with
| me was announced this morning that she
| had ever been acquainted with him. 1t is
scarcely becoming for any young lady to
express her predictions in such glowing
terms, but you can understand that it is De
cullarly unpleasant for me to hear her
when the delicate nature of our present re
lations are considered. She said but now
that it was the cherished dream of her life
some day to play the heroine to his heroes,
and that directly he had heard she was to
do so here he had written to her, reclaim
ing his Old acquaintance, and reminding
her of their early hopes of some day form
ing an alliance, which, at any rate behind
the footlights, should astOnish the world
Now, you know, loving her as | do, this
was not agreeable to my feelings, especially
when she promised | should have my an
sWer to-day; but since the bills have been
out about Mr.. Ruthcrstone, she again puts
me Oft and declares she cannot decide in
so much haste She has tortured me al
ready long enough and this coincidence is,
to my mind, very significant"
Oh, dear! don't think anything of that
kind, Mr.. Cougar; | am sure YOU have no
cause to be anxious. She must make up
her mind; she promised me she would
yir' to your wishes, and this enthusiasm
abe II her old friend is only part of that
which she shows on all matters concerning
her profession. 1t is true, that in better
days, during my husbands lifetime, as
children, Julia and Mr.. Rutherstone knew
each other, and were constantly playing at
acting but they have not met for years,
and this letter | am quite sure is the first
my daughter has ever had from him. 1t
is chiefly about some stage directions,
dresses and hints he wants her to attend to ;
you shall see.'
well, we'll it may be so, but I shall
keep my eyes open when they meet, and
must warn you that | will not be tritied
with. If | see anything to Justify the sus-
picion which her conduct has suddenly
aroused, [ wash my hands of the whole
affair, | withdraw my proposals, and |
leave you to your present life of perjury.
| Meanwhile, caution her, and exercise
your authority by compelling her to make
| her choice
| This much Of the conversation | yolun-
| tarily overheard one evening, whilst
standing at the wing waiting for my cue,
the speakers being merely separated from
me by the canvas of the scene, but it was
sufficient to make me also keep my eyes
open when Bernal Ruthcrstone arrived.
This he did in a few days, and rehearsals
of a new play in five acts called The Duel
to the Death were Immediately entered on.
1t is unnecessary for my purpose to refer
to any but the one great scene, the sensa-
| ton, as it would be called, of the piece 1t
| is the story that grows ont of the story of
the drama that | am concerned with-thc
real tragedy evolved by the mimic one.
The plot was long and gloomy, culmi-
mating in the situation from which the
play took its name, in which the hero is
shot at the very moment his Mistress too
late to avert the fatal bullet, rllshes for
ward and falls across her lovers lifeless
form. Upon this climax to the fourth act
the act-drop descends. In London the
great success of the drama had arisen from
the reality and care with which this
scene had been rendered, and an i'm
mersity Of time and pains was therefore
spent at our tiieater in order TO do it equal
justice. The whole extent Of the stage
was occupied by an elaborate set rep
resenting a secluded glen.
Principals and seconds arrive, certain
pacific Overtures are made by the blame
less cornbatant, one Mark Mayburn and
rejected by the villain HoundSfOOt, who Is
the cause of the contest. Not only does
he refuse to listen to them, but insists that
| it shall indeed be "a duel to deathn' Sc
| it is settled that lots are to be drawn fOI
the first shot, which is to be twelve PAGES
| this falls to Houndsfoot; in the event OF
his missing he who is fired at (Mayburn
then steps forward one pace, and delivers
| his fire. If this, in lis turn, be unsuccessful
the duelist who had first fired then steps VI
| another pace and delivers his second shot
Then, gradually reducing the distance
and alternately firing, the chances are sup
posed to be equalized, and the two enemies
| brought closer and closer together.
| Cool and bloodthirsty deliberation marks
the conduct of both. Three shots have
been delivered on either side, but only two
| have taken effect One has slightly
wounded Houndsfoot; and the other, fired
by himself, has knocked the pistol from
his antagonists hand. 4 great point was
to be made of this incident, and of the re
newed efforts of the seconds to bring
about a peaceful arrangement. The blooC
of both principals, however, is too much
aroused, and Mark Mayburn, now equally
insisting on its being "a duel to the death,
pistols are reloaded, ground is again taker
up, and in horrible proximity to each Other
the duelists prepare for their last encoun
ter. The word is given, in another minute
all is over, and Mayburn, with a bulle
through his heart, falls to the ground, jus
| as the lucklesS heroine enters, as | have
Described