The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-08-06

you have influence with him, as he has
ever spoken OF you so highly. =
Clement promised, but in his heart
there came the first bitter thought he
had ever had against his friend, and he
muttered, as be walked back TO his
room:
IF he throws his life away it is not
my fault; and then Kate Davenant may
learn to love me.
To win admiration from Miss Dave
nant. Clement Hastings worked with
redoubled energy, and. with the half
dozen plays he had written, went from
manager to manager, begging to read
them what he knew would make their
fortune and his own, should they put
It on the stage. 81
= But the managers thought differently
after hearing several acts of each play
read, and declined them, with the adj
vice to the writer that, if he perse-
vered, in time he might bring out
drama that would make q bit.
''In time / shall be an old man; but
these fellows are fools. cyclists, who
alone think they know what will suit
the public; but will try again, for I
must write something brilliant to find
favor in the eyes of Kate, for she actu-
ally yawned behind her fan when I
read to her last night my learned ar
ticle upon the Immortality of the
Brute Creation am afraid my style
may be little too heavy and enter
ing his rooms Clement found there a
box that had arrived from India. add
dressed to him.
1t was from Horace Mervyn, and con-
tanned lot of Indian curiosities, few
specimens of native arms, and roll of
manuscript.
'.Well, what is thisp'' And Clement
took up the package of paper and
looked at it. sE7lci j.-ls
what! play, and written by Hor-
acep Why, the man is crazy to think
that he can write, for how he ever
passed through Woolwich, I cannot
understand -ohi here is his letter.
and opening it he read:
GHoRABAD, Sept, IS.
t'MY DEAR OLD CLEM.-I send you herewith
few souvenirs that may be acceptable, as they
Kate writes me that Won call often, and she
likes you immensely; but don't fall In love
with her, Glenn, for you know she is my bright,
;sYou have doubtless seen accounts of our
write Good-bye, and good llck to you. :
"p s.-Just received orders 70 move love- upon 1,e
the hill tribes, and expect o hot time, but hope
to win my captd1ucy-
by the way, have employed my leisure
hours n scribblng, and, just to please Kate,
have written a play, though she knows moth
ing about 1t, and have kept it rs a dead Sc
cret from my brother oficcrs, not being will
ing to be laughed at as a pedantie fool. now
send 1t to you, and its title is The Vagabond.'
tsOf course you can at glance decide upon
its merits, if it has any. and bring it out for
me. Tf 1t has only dement's, which I believe,
make cigar-lighters of it, and as you love me,
do not tell Kate. Goodbye again.-HoRACE.'
s'Well. here goes for the first cigar
lighted with his nonsense" and the
title page was rolled up and held in
the blaze; but as Clement Hastings sat
musing and smoking, his eye fell upon
the opening words of ''The Vaga-
bond,a and something in them caused
him to read farther.
And, as each page was read, he con-
tinued on, until at last he dropped the
MS. and said, angrify:
''Why didn't think of this? It viii
go as certain as / sit here-if I let a
manager see it, which | viii take good
care not to do, rs Kate Davenant shall
never know that he can do what I can
not.''
He was half-tempted to destroy it,
but refrained from so doing, and locked
it UP after a moments thought.
The next t6iav, as he read his morn
ing paper and ate his breakfast, his
eyes fell upon the telegraphic head
Massacre of troops in India-sever-
oil officers and number OF soldiers
slaini'
Eagerly he read what followed. and
it told him that among the dead left on
the field was the gallant Lieut.. Hor-
ace Mervvn, r. Fl. A, who sacrificed
his life to save wounded corporal +"
s'Poor, poor Horacei Just like him to
do such a deedr' said Clement, his
heart touched by the loss of his friend;
but his better nature soon vanished,
for he sprang to his feet with flushed
face, and cried:
ttNow is Kate Davenant mine-aye.
and more, The Vagabond is mine /"
Six weeks after, Clement Hastings
arose at sunrise, and eagerly seized the
half dozen papers he had ordered left
at his rooms, and read the criticisms
upon 'sThe Vagabond,' presented for
the first time the night before"
my fortune is made, for they laud
it to the Skies cried the literary thief,
and he spoke the truth, for his name
was upon everyone's lips, as having
written the most successful play ever
produced, and one that could bring a
tear and a laugh together, being fun
of the most touching pathos and the
raciest humor. Fp
= And Kate Davenant, whose eyes had
grown red since the day of that Indian
massacre, smiled upon the young au-
thor kindly, and offered her warmest
congratulations; nay more, as time
went BY, and the fame of Clement
Hastings increased, she promised him
her hand, for her father willingly gave
his consent when he found that Gle
ment was no longer an impecunious
young scribbler.
Having made a success, OF course
Clement Hastings writings were in
demand, and, with the aid of a Boz
hemian. who had brains but no money,
he wrote several other plays that also
took well, and for which he paid the
real author enough to keep him from
starving for few months
With comfortable bank account,
and royalty upon his plays. Gle
ment Hastings was living in fine style,
and had bought and furnished small
residence in which he was to install his
bride in another month.
Seated in his sumptuous home one
evening, making notes for new play.
the servant suddenly ushered in visi-
tor. and with cry of horror Clement
| Hastings started back, for Horace Mer-