Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-01-07
That night Bessie Darling took the

That night Bessie Darling took the
town by storm.
The play was ended.
The curtain rang down on heart
that little reckoned the floral offerings
or the loud applause that called her
before the green scene; for as she re-
turned to the prompter's box news
reached Bessie that her mother was
dead.
The recitation was terrible. The
poor girl was stricken down herself,
and when the mother was buried by
the kindly members of the company,
the daughter was neal y Il fit subject
to occupy the same resting place.
Time passed on, and slowly the
young girl recovered. Each day dur
ing the interval the invalid found a
fresh bouquet upon the table Of her
bed. At first she refused to look at
them, thinking that they were but
new opportunities from him whom
she so utterly detested. But this was
not the case as she shortly found
The timely lesson to the young llber-
tine had proved favorable to her and
useful to him He never troubled
Bessie gain. Therefore the flowers
were not from HIM.
"Who can it be?" she asked the
nurse; but she professed ignorance,
and stated that the bouquets were
left on the doorstep early every morn
ing.
Finally Bessie was able to attend
to duty once more. What pleasure
it was to meet the kind greetings of
her friends, as she appeared at the
first rehearsal. Each member of the
company strove to outdo the other in
little attentions. One brought her
seat near the wings; another drew
her shawl closer around her shoulders,
fearing that she would catch cold
Poor Jacken, the dwarfed call boy,
insisted on bringing her a little warm
wine (his panacea tor every trouble)
The manager greeted her, and told
her that her fortune was assured; he
was about to produce a new sensa-
tional drama, in which she was cast
as the heroine. In fact, her cup Of
Joy seemed full to the brim. (No re-
lation that to Jacken's panacea, for
that had been disposed of with many
thanks, at which the poor fellows
face turned red to the tops of his
ponderous ears.
The day of the rehearsal of the new
play arrived. In the last scene ell
ing effect was to be produced, where
the heroine was thrown from precl-
pice by the VILLAIN OF the piece. In
railing she lodges in pine tree,
while he, losing his balance, topples
from the cliff, and is slain.
"I'll try that tree myself first, Miss
Bessie" suggested the call-boy, 'to
see that it is secure. Mr.. Jones, will
you 90 through the business with
me-"
"Certainly; although l don't think
that you make charming substitute
for the heroine" laughed the heavy
man.
SO up the scatfold!ng they vent
The struggle ensued. The orchestra
gave the chord, and with a heavy
lunge the dwarf fell in the abyss.
a shrek ensued from the ladies,
and the strong men sickened. The
villain paused III horror, for the tree
had broken, and poor Jacken fell
through the trap with harsh thud.
Friends FASTENED to his aid, and
he was borne to the stage stunned
and bleeding. The doctor of the
theatre, who was present, shook his
head.
ellis spine is brokcn,'' he said, "hu
man aid cannot save him."
go, don't say SOP moaned Bessie,
who was wipping the blood from a
deep wound i'll the poor boys head.
The closed eyes opened and Il hap
py light lit their vision.
"It'> all over. Miss Bessie" he mur-
"and | don't know but what |
am glad Of it."
"Poor boy, poor boy," she said,
smoothing back his curling hair.
"Mother used to do that, and her
touch was no gentler than yours. O,
| am so glad!'
Bessie's tears ratified down upon
the upturned face.
"Don't cry," he said, "lt's better as
it is. You never could have loved
me as have loved you, and | am
more shapeless now than | should
have been had | lived. Would you
kiss me once-for the flowers | left
you when l feared you, too, must
die?
Bessie pressed a kiss on the lips of
the dying boy, and with that last
benson the wandering spirit sought
its God.