The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-02-03
Written for the Star.l
An Old Play inThree Parts.
By DARD BEST.
PART I.

ment between Ostrander and Gathryn
two years ago; and now Ostrander, who
had been at college and abroad in
Europe, was reported on his way home.
II was in reality one of these trivial Cir
cumstances heightened by jealousy
and wish to appear proud on Gathryn's
side, and sense of rank injustice and
real pride on the part of Ostrander. He
had gone awaV hurt, but still loving, the
hand which struck the blow; she had
stayed ON at her Aunts old country
| house, passing her time in calling upon
her supply of girl friends residing for
miles about in the shore country, storing
| ner mind with wisdom, but mostly weep
| ing in odd, shadowy cNrners over her
loss OF 0strander.
Now, no one guessed that this lurking
about under the gable ends of the far
corners of the old house and pink-tinged
eyelids meant remorse, save her nice
lyoung cousin Erle.. He was a. WIDE
awake nineteenth century youth, and
one day when he caught her weeping he
pounced down, made himself master of
a crumpled little paper in her lap, and,
after having read the innocent writing
with never thought of her blazing eyes,
he marched off, whistllng, in a bee-line
) for the telegraph office.
And so hewas coming home. Gathryn
heard Erie mention it casually to Aunt
Glenn, some three days or SO after his
mean, heartless actions over her sor.
row; and, although She was i'll a fair
way to die with Suppressed curiosity,
she made no sign. up
There was tosbe q garden fete at Aunt
GlenWs tomorrow night, in honor Of
Erle's nineteenth birthday. Erle him
self was the mover of the ,parttyThls
sei-es TEEN having grown suddenly into
& gantc proportions. He would have
everything his own way, and insisted !,
in the bargain, that they should enact
R3meo and Juliet just before the fete.
You'll be my juliet. won't you, seeing
it's Dau birthday, GathieH}
"Nu!' she had said, still sore at heart
over his meanness, "I won't?"
"On, very Well! II you'd rather not-
and ls,pose you would rather not, see
ing you're SO sad and sour and mOpey
and@
"Hush, for goodness sake! Oh, Erie"
and the sly boots crept close to himA
"you'll not tell on nie?"
-'No, dear. Do you suppose for an5in-
slant that your secrets are not safe with
me-are not sacred to me-my almost
sIster?V
Tears sprang into the pleading eyes,
and the brown head found y convenient
resting place upon his arm. ''Oh, Erie.
be good 10 mel | have been wretched SO
longW
"Fhere, now, cheer up! Wise folks
say that clouds are liDeu with silver
but, ten to one, yours is the purest
lghld!'~ rr "' f".@ - 2'7''
-"On, ErIew
"And. now, here's your Drawing Room
Drama, and Tomorrow morning Wei!
| have "a rehearsal, eh, JulietT
And SO it came to pass that the whole
| country was invited to celebrate ErIe's
birthday, and every one was on the Qut
Vi0e respecting it. A dozen OF the love
hest girls and best looking men had been
given parts in the tragedy, While those
! left out i'll the cold had been planning
lovely costumes-for it was to be afauey
dress affair
Well. the long looked for day came at
last. Gathryn, who WAS in the library
standing before the wide pier glass,
erieu:
! "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou,
RomeoY Deny-7
"Now, | protest" said her youthful
cousin, coming in the door, ~ do protest
against that emphatic 'drt.' The sense
ol the thing, Miss Gathryn, the sense OF
the thing IS that Juliet is wondering
what the dickens her lover has to be
lust what he is-that is, a Romeo and a
Montague-just as you might wonuer
why the deuce have TO be- Romeo in
stead Of"
t stop, you pest! See if catch your
meaning. 'Romeo, Romeo, aoheret0re art
thou R0meo@ Is that Detteiy'
'lnliultely. And, now, farewell. The
| rehearsal is set ior o'clock. You'll be
, readyv
'sDress rehearsal?'
"ro be sure; aud last" aud Erie went
of with his little book under one
t arm and bundle OF fancy dress clothes
, under the other.
1t was the hot noon of midsummer
day; but Gathryn, feeling no heat or
languor, dipped her fair tace down be-
{ tween the creamy leaves OF her part"
and vent over, for perhaps the nun
dredth time, the parrot-llke lesson of
committing her speeches for over an
hour. Then with Il nasty motion she
tumbled the book down upon the floor
and rushed up to her room. There was
Ger costume, all ready, and her Aunts
lttle lldiu uolulns spne me Oienn Jew
: els aloit and regarding them with ad
miring eyes.
"Get me into these things as soon as
you possibly. can. Tumble all my hair
up any way and pin IT. with this silver
5 iarrow-there! Let that long tress hang
: over this shoulder-Py' unuerstand?"
''Oati, naddenoiselle, oaii SO sharment
ees NEE cher meesl Dere; NEST ce pas
belle2'
g ''rres belle, belle, belle! Now puff up
this funny caterpillar-looking shoulder
trimming and buckle on this downy fan
with This long golden chain-there
In, fifteen minutes more Gathryn
Glenn was hurrying to her place upon
g The stage at the end of the drawing
a room. Uncle Glenn had just gone on as
n Capulet; so Gathryn peeped out tossee
who was in the room. Not "a soul, save
Aunt Glenn and her crippled nephew
: aud dsomebody away over in a dark cor
q ner-a somebody she could not make
, out. .Itseemed easy enough TO step out
there and rant and rave before Aunt
Glenn and poor crippled fourth-cousin in
. Lewis; but to-mght!
fl Then came on the ballroom scene,
' The masquers poured upon the stage To