Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-16
THE WRONG TRAP.


stands hosiery which bOaSts tie curious
sign OF the City of Lushington The house
Is great resort for actors and for those ge-
MAI owners of open hearts and Straitenei
pockets who glory i'm belonging TO the orier
OF AntediiUVian BuffalopS. TIE chic NOM
OF the inn is the meeting-room or the Buha-
Ices. II il divided into ..yvariS." So-calia1
az thcSn divisions have lUgubriOlS titles
Poverty Ward Insanity Warl. Suicide Ward
\ moral undeTieS this labelling Of the evils
which follow the abuse OF good liquor
One e ening in Oct0b # two com alians m
{ ullIef the shadow of Insanity Ward at q
CITY OF Washington" They were artists 4
a very humble Stamp-pantomimiSts who
picked Upa living In Strolling fashion during
the summer, and whose harvest time wa
chris mas, and the weeks OF January and
feoruary. One was a harlequin yciept
Smit. erS, but pTefcrriug to be called in tha
/ bills SignoT Tomato. TIE other pO>turei as
| clown; his ramn was Puiso I. AMI he too hal
a nom dc theatre, calling himself Little Pud-
dikiDs.
| To The latter parsonage, smoking in gloomy
| Solit ldc-for The usually vell-fillet room of
tie City of Washington" was that night
empty-entereI Mr.. Smithers. The old coll
leagues greetet each other warmly. for they
nal shared in the frolics ofmlny haTlequi-
made.
And how has luck gone with your" asked
! PuGs o.. after some talk together.
! Fairly for the tim" of year" aHSw ere the
| htrleqUin. e have taken a ballet troupe On
! "a tour through the sccond-ratc towns, anj
! con" pretty wcil.'
| j have been lucky and unluclIv nv shifts
| and >t3rjS-doing hit here ami there at tn
| ciicascs. and taking turn now and then At
5hr mU>ic-h halls That pays best OF all
| in for that entirely"
| Not Just yet any way. You ar, engaged
| Tor tn Forum, aren't yoU?" asked the haTle-
Not yet, butt expect to b." replied tn
y am. and 50 is my little woman"
| "COniound it," CALCULATED pGIson; Il
| hoped to- get Mary ia there"
But Lora has got 1t. She's to be coIun-
binc."
Is that your girI2'
"That's mine. Lora with an o, not you-
/ common Gl5."
Oh" said the clown, refectively, High
| she passes for IHghtalian. but she's
| English. Shes billed a. Lora Lorini."
The two friends shook hands and partel aS
| the City of Lushington' began to receive an
| lncurSioH Oft usual frequeuters.
IL-PUDSoN's STORY.
am lying here on this bel helpless.
| shall tot die yet, the doctor says, th' bones
ara setting, and i'm n few weeks / may be
| about again; but shall never be fit for the
| clowns business any more. This misery AMI
| suffering have brought upon myself il has
| been the result of my own wicked ami
lnOSity-the consequence of a jealousy which
urged me into crime. | will tell You how IL
came about.
! Joined the Forum company this last win
| ter when SmitherS and were en gagged for the
pantom inc To my surprise | found that
the girl To whom | had been paying address
| SeS-MdrN MOTIFS by namp-WuS engaged Tor
columhinc. hal understood from SmitherS
that some sweetheart of his namci LDra
Iorini was going To take that part. The
sight of Mary was an unexpected pleasure,
and going up TO her / said: Mary, my dear,
this is good luck; but thought the column
binc was to be Lora LOrini."
So she is" she answered.
what then are you to br! liar lcluin, or
soma nonsense of that SOrt:''
"No-cOlumbne."
stared at her, utterly ignorant Of her
Don't You know" she went on. chat my
prot, SSiOnal name is Lora Lorini?"
was staggered.
but. Smithers," cried-"Smithers
claims Lora as his girl? Surely. Mary. YOU
have not been playing both of us falSe?''
His girl, indeed! Neither his nor yours, if
il comes to that, unless you keep civil
tongue III your head. Can't n girl have more
than one admircr, should like To know
''She may have a dozen admirers. bat she
cannot have more than one plighted lover, if
she has any sense of decency.'
Mary turned on her heel and fiounced of
] noticed during the rehcarSals how she de
voted herself exclusively to Smitiiers, while
l got never a word There came bitter,
gnawing pain at myheart at being treated
So-a hunger to be reycngcd on him and her.
Many n time had it in my mind to stick
my clasp-knife into his throat; but the at
tempt was too risky: il might have failed,
and Sh0uid iniaillbly get arrested for il.
l bTODded over a Subtler revenge: but first /
took Mary aside. II want to speak TO you"
! said.
uoiI want ~ spctA 10 1p', eilc stRCilS
NO fo.ics-this is weighty matter" re-
tortcd sternly. "Listen and be careful
81 ask you ifyou love George SInither. bet
ter than you do mc?''
"LOr', Tom. how do know"
'IO OH must know the state OF your own
feelings"
We'll. he's not so cross rs you, and he's
beautiful dancer, ard he's SO gracefully
made-and in fact do like him
''Better than me?''
'GOu see, my poor Tom, he has many ad-
yantaSeS over you"
Go replied, grinding my teeth. chose
advantages shall be shOrt-lived.' And this
time it was who turned Oh my heel anu left
her.
This was on the 9th of December. the Sc
cOnd night of the pantOmime. At the fall of
the curtain sought out Smithers, and said,
See here, George, I've thought, OF bit of
business in that scene before the BARRIERS
shop i get hold of your wand; you stand
there sO-now do the shivery-shaky business
while tickle you up with IL: Now you re-
gain lt-force me back-and l fall into a huge
pot of bears grease
SmitherS agreed. Whatdeep design under
lay this fOOling? You will see.
The next night, just before the scene was TO
be enacted which we had planned, L stole
down under the stage, and unbOlted a trap on
the spot where L intended Smithers should
stand. In the midst of his harlequin play, |
resolved TO push him Onj this pitfall that he
might precipitatc himself down, and break
his limb or his neck.
Cautiously stole back again. and our in
teTlude commenced. After allowing him 10
culver and wriggle in his Spangles while I
shook the baton over him, placed my hand
on his chest, and pushed him on to the snare.
He did not fall! To my amaZement the
trap held.
UnsuSpectingly SmitherS then repOSsesSed
himself OF the wand, and pushed me back.
With sudden gasp and cry, L felt myself
plunging down in the dark, striking my ell
bows and chin on the edge of the open trap.
lay there under the stage with broken
leg and fractured ribs. / had unbol:ed the
wrong trap, and fallen into my own snare.
The audience, as / heard afterwards, clapped
and laughed, ascribng my disappearance TO
cOncOcted part of the business. An apOiOgy
had To be made. Luckily for the manager, a
fellow happened TO be in the company who
was accustomed TO go clowning In an anna
teur sort of way, and he volunteered TO finish
the harlequinade, taking my place. After a
very short delay, filled up with dancing, he
was ready for his business
They took me to the hospital, and here
have lain for weeks and weeks. What my
feelings have been in the long night-watcheS
| can never describe. The remOrSe. the con-
seriousness how well Ihave deserved the doom
| intended for another, the bitter repentance
when George SmitherS came TO my bedside
full of kindly solicitude, and burst not con-
I will g.