The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-03-26
The Actor and the Author.

The performance was over. the lp-
mense audience had retired; the doors
If the theater had closed, but Felix De
Montmichel remained sitting on th.
steps. where he had dropped heavily.
with his elbow. resting upou has knees
aud his aching head bowed upon bis
clenched hands.
That night he had acted a. never be-
fore-had gained the widest applause
had carried the audience with him in
depicting the sorrows Of deserted hus-
band, i'll new play by On unknown
author. as only the highest genius could
do: and on the morrow Paris would
ring with his fame.
In the mastery of delineating passion.
in enthralling even the most volatile. be
hal realized this would be. ard risen
superior to self. to physical pain AMI
mental anxiety. Now they came back
to him with renewed power, aud the
darkest Of all tempters was whisperirg
in his ear Of suicide; and if. . few days
later. the Seine cast up CHASTITY corpse,
il would be but the natural result OF
tue INFAMOUS plOmptiuks
Notre Da:ie. with its heavy, iron
tongue. had proclaimed the hour Of
midnight before he arose and walked.
as with the unsteady steps of drunken
man, from the scene Of his recent
triumph. All the plAudiis Paris could
shower were as nothing to him, burn
ing rs be was under the sting Of Il
mighty wrong.
"Once more, only once more. and
then" he muttsred; and never had be
upon the stage rivslec the deep, the
intense pathos Of those words. And in
them was contained the condensation of
a pitiful tragedy, the wrecking of hu-
man heart, the blasting of hearthstone.
the desecration OF h.nor.
Resolve with such men is immediate
execution. He raised his head proudly
defiant, shook back the long black hair
with leonine motion. dashed his hand
across his eyes to remove even the sus-
picion Of moisture. and walked away IS
one trampling fate under foot and defy
ing ITS sternest DEGREES
Half an bour brought him to the
house he called home-had called home
but would do so no longer. As if de-
mon driven. he ascended the stairs,
burst open door and entered a room
with never a CLEAN OF light, He hast
lily procured Que. and looking anxiously
around, called
"Heloise ~
There was DO answer Womans gar
ments were scattered around. as If a
selection had hastily been made-as IT
some one had fled with little warning
! aud in fear of detection. He opened a
| drawer where the Jewels he had given
"his Heloise." his wife. and loved to see
her adorned with. had been kept. 1t
was empty, and the blackest Oh frowrs
settled upon his brow. and the deepest
of curses was borne upon his lips.
30 mon Dieu. avec mon dernier sou-
pin J'invoque to vengeance :"
Though bitter curse, it was uttered
more as the despairing cry Of lost soul
had in it more Of sadness than Of ma
! lice.
A miniature lay upon the table. 1t
was that Of q woman young IN years
and beautiful as poets dream. the
I hair golden brown. the eyes
Of that peculiar blue that deepen
! with emotion into violet. The head
NIGH, well have been taken as u model;
the nose, the oval of brow and cheeks,
the threat. were peri ,.ion; and the
swelling lines of the bust gave promise
! of glorious form.
Long and lovingly was the gaze of
the nan fixed upon it. He raised it
towards his lips. as if to kiss it
paused-his face became almost that OF
a demon. and. dashing it TO the floor,
he ground the skillful work of the ar
tis,, the radian, spgel-face into dust
beneath his heel. and again his lips
gave utterance to the revengeful agony
that was consuming heart and brain ;
/ "Iafdme Mudt soit rotre rae :"
The part be had studied caught his
eye. lie took it up fiercely-was about
to tear it to pieces. But after glance
hc laid il down with a sneer.
Some other tool may love to rack bis
brains over it, IS have done-may toll
for fame to find every heart-blossom
withsr and mildew-may put faith In
womaui May the curses of hell fall as
red lightning upon him who tempted
upon her who listened Oh, that |
but knew the man would pierce hm
10 the heart would tear his heart out
aud srample it under MY foot. rs have
done that beautiful demon face"
The great bell Of Notrc Dame, the
most pouderous and deep-toned of all
tha, swung in its dismal turrsts. again
shook the air with the notes of its mas
sive tongue. and recalled him somewhat
10 himself.
"iieiasi 1t is strange. strange, he
mut,ered. and even mere wildly than
before, "that the play of las. night was
founded on just such a tragedy IN hui
man life--a wronGed and deserted hus'
band"
The though, maddened and drove
him to distraction lie drew = dagger
from his breast, fel, its point. and, find
,nc il dali. fang il from him with dis
gust. \ bottle and glasses were stand
iny near aud he eagerly elutohef them
~Ahsinthe' II Is drink Tor the
ismned-a drink "f the Devils owr
hrewing-ias, the drink for aad
heart and brain
4 sol,le, drained. lac glanced ones
more aroGnd. seized i cloak. threw q
aho., him So as 10 conceal hA form
drew his hat over his eyes. dashed irof
. the hated apartment int" the darkness