The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-10-11
ON THE TRAMP.

was only a clown, a painted, grinning
clown, attached, on small salary, to a
theater in the capital of one or the little
duches into which Germany was devided
before the genius and ambition of Bismarck
had effected its consolidation into the en-
pire. My role was popular because every
body liked to laugh and likes one who puts
them in a laughing mood. My makeup
was considered a marvel of perfection.
My songs always took, and my gestures and
grimaces never failed to elicit the most
rapturous applause. 1t used to be said that
my face must be made of india-rubber it
could be twisted and distorted into such
strange expressions. But [ hated the life,
and my success made it more and more
distasteful
One night | went home completely worn
out In body and mind. My little sister Ada,
fifteen years old, and light and graceful rs
| a sylph, who was engaged as a danseuse at
the same theater, also seemed dispirited
and worn. The play had been running
| forty nights, and the whole company was
heartily sick of it. But it was not this
alone which eXered n depressing influence
| on my spirits that evening. For many
weeks had been losing my heart to Frau
! lein Dora, the principal danseuse of the
| theater, who was no less lovely in mind
and heart than in h person, She was the
most beautiful woman [ had ever seen
| tall, well formed, graceful with step
| like fairy queen; large, thoughtful eyes,
and a sweet, winning smile What first
drew me to her was her kindness to my
sister, whom she took every opportunity to
befriend and assist in her profession. This
| was the more surprising, because Ada
| hoo I
| i'll the theatrical profession, Jealousy is the
| rule and generosity the exception. So |
| learned to like Dora and then to love her
| but SO did every body else. All the gentry
| of the place fell in love with her and raved
| about her beauty and her dancing in a way
| that nearly drove me wild with jealousy.
was in love in the old-fashioned way we
read of i'll novels am not ashamed 10
confess it-eager to kiss the ground on
which she trod, and would not believe that
any one else could love and worship her
with the same devotion. | must not omit
to say that Dora, in the midst of all this
adulation, displayed the most discreet and
modest behavior. she was always attended.
to and from the thcater, 10y her mother :
and always returned the rich presents which
! were showertd upon her.
Among all who paid court to Dora, [
feared only one, the young, rich, hand
some and accomplished Count Ernest Won
Walters, who pressed his suit with uure
hitting ardor. What chance had the Door
clown against this man? Yet / fancIed if
he were only out of the way | need not
despair of winning her. Did She not love
my sister, and had she not often spoken
kindly to me and praised my acting and
singing? But this day had learned the
worst-that her kindness to me sprang only
| from a gentle and friendly feeling for the
brother of the girl she had learned to love
| like a sister, and that she had promised to
become the wife of Count Won Walters.
What wonder that [ went to my lodgings
vita despair in my heart
My little sister eXerted herself to make
things cheerful in our quiet sitting room.
She suspected nothing cf the real cause of
| my dOwnheartedness, for she, confident in
everything else, had never been intrusted
with secret of my love for Dora; and, in
the hope of drawing me out of my moody
silence, prattled on about a number of I'M
| important matters. She was interrupted
| 10y knock at the door followed bv the
entrance of our landlady. The good soul
apologized for coming in at so late an hour,
but the postman had brought a letter for
Il,
as II bore foreign postmark, she thought
1t might be important [ should get it that
evening. thanked her mechanically. but
a glance at the postmaTk caused me TO tear
the letter open with eager and TREMBLING
fingers; for had often heard my father
speak of an only brother who had settled
in England in early youth, and from whom
vague report came, from time to time. of
q successful mercantile career The letter
was ppstmarked London, and the heavy
black border lines told the story before the
seal was broken. My uncle is dead He
had never married, and on his death bed
remembering his only brother, he left all
his wealth TO him or his children. For a
moment | felt stunned and faint; and Ada
throwing her arms about my neck begged
me to tell her what bad news was in my
letter TO make me look so strange and pale
took her on my knee, and told her we
were rich, and would have no more need
to act in the theater. We would leave this
miserable little town and go to Berlin.
To my surprise, Ada again put her arms
about my neck, and whispered softly ::
" Need we leave the theater Immediately.
dear brother p
No, child,' said |, wondering what
she could mean . but tell me why Won
should want to stay another day, when YOU
can leave at once and he free from this
slavery ,"
Because, dear BROTHER she answered
hesitatlng and blushing, "Fraulein Dora
told me was great deal pretlier than she
was, and better dancer; and that should
have the first place III the new dance they
are to put on the stage next week. Oh. I
would like to have such triumph once
1t would be such pleasant way to say
goodbye to the stage
L could deny her nothing, my little sis
ter: and though for me it was like GOING
into the torture room of the inquisition to
enter the theater and see Count Ernest on
such familiar terms with Dora, / consented
Tor the present TO conceal my good fortune
from our friends, and go on lust the same
as 1t nothlrg had happened.
The eventtul evening came at length.
The play WAS interspersed with ballet dane
ing, andwas to end with a grand transform
alton scene, in which Ada and Dora were
70 rise rs sea nymphs, 10 shell-like car
from the waters or the mimic lake 1t SO
happened that. Just before the last scene. /
went into the room underneath the stage
where the machinery for raising the car
was placed, impelled by strange forbod-
ing of impending misfortune, to assure my
self that everything was in order; and that
no precaution against accident had been
neglected. There l found the master ma
chinist dark and gloomy-visaged man.
Standing by the car, muttering to himself in
an undertone Better she should die than
marry the count. He has bewitched her.