The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-23

''Darlingp he says, ."I aupeal to
you for the last time, and impl6re you
to. listen to me Do not, beseech you,
let the alteration of another - That s
me-" Disney says, between his COM
pressed lips. y" blind you to the undy-
ing love 1 offer On yon are conferred
all my hopes of future happinessl Do
not sentence me to lifelong despair, but
say Won will be mine p
Disney waits with maddening impa-
thence and beating heart for her reply.
1t comes very nervously f:om Doro-
I.thy's pretty lips.
Her head IS bent modestly, and her
hands lie passiyely In Ponsonby's.
How can L answer your She says,
in distinct but wavering accents. ''And
yet why should / not unburden mJ
mind? Truth islalsyays best Ny heart
has long been in your keeping, and 1t
you wish it, it is yours.
1t is too muchl Sick at heart, Disney
turns away, not caring to listen to words
evidently not meant for him to hear
| The dreadful awakening has eomel All
| his dreams of bliss have been shattered
by this sudden and painfully unexpected
blow; and Dorothy, his love, whom he
has believed as true as the Angles, is
nothing more In his eyes now than a
| practiced fiirt and heartless woman of
/ the worldl
z His first thought is to return to the
city; his next to remain. Has he not
heard somewhere "second thoughts are
/ best?" Yes; he viii remain, and see it
4 out to the bitter end; and when this
| lpathsome play has come to an end, he
! vill tell her what he thinks OF her, and
how she has wilfully broken his heart
and ruined his lifel
/ I At dinner he is compelled 70 meet
her; but. everybody being present, his
\ exceedingly cold greeting passes un-
| noticed by all, except by Dorothy her
self. She can not mistake the change
IN his whole demeanor. Where Is the
| tender pressure Of her hand TO which
| she has been accustomed? Why did
| he come at all if he is still filed with
bitter thoughts? There is some faint
| comfort in the remembrance that she
! did not ask him to return.
But what has become of the s'press-
ing business?'' Why has he come back
in such hot haste?
| He carefully avoids her all the even
| ing; end next morning at breakfast is, If
possible, more markedly cold and dis
tant toward her. - -
She is saddened and disheartened; but
pride con es to her rescue. She decides
lin herself that she will show him how
little she has taken to heart his c0ldness
sand indifference.
II Never before, perhaps, as during this
Ilinterminable day has Miss Bohun APP
peared so gay, so bright, so fullof life
and spirits and yet in the solitude of
her own room while dressing for this
luckless play, she sheds many bitter
tear.
At o'clock the curtain rises The
guests settle themselves in their seats
and prepare for anything.
Miss Rodney arrayed IN a very Quix-
otto costume, fresh from Worth, appears
before the audience, simperiDg and grim
acing, and doing her utmost to initiate
a real live Countess, while in reality she
only succeeds in resembling very In
ferior soubret.
While Miss Falkiner, from the Hall,
who is in private life her intimate friend,
now makes a poor pretense at waiting
upon her as confidential maid, an1 rem
ders herself utterly ridiculous by giving
herself sufficient airs for half a dozen
Countesses.
Both are distinct failure. Everybody
tries to applaud, but disparaging remarks
fall lightly on the air.
The faint applause brings to life two
hardy veterans, who for some time past
have given themselves gratis to the open
arms of Morpheus, and have contents
edly reclined therein.
81 think Miss Rodney has a better
chance of getting off than the girl. In
green" sleepily drawls Number One.
''Do you?" replies Number Two.
'sWell, I'm not much of a judge about
that sort of thing; but my opinion Is
neither will get off before the other.
You see.. my dear fellow, when women ne
are born with talent for acting Ike
those two--=two tyros, they don't get
easily settled in life" -
Then the curtain, draws up for the
second time, and somebody comes slowly
onto the stage = somebody who sets
Cyril's pulses swiftly throbbing.
1t is Dorothy. She is very pale, and
her eyes are little languid: but she Is
just degree lovelier than she ever was
before. -
Disney hardly hears how the play
progresses. Nota syllable makes itself
known to him he can only tell himself
how lovely she is looking, and that she
ia as false as fair.
Her eyes are on the ground but sud
denly some words strike upon his ear
I words that bring back to him scene
fraught with grief and anger lie starts,
and lifts his head; and for the tirst time
eagerly regards the players.
Ponsonboy is on his knees before her.
He is holding her hands. His whole at
titude is as it was that fatal afternoon
| in the conservatory. He is again pour
ing forth his soul in words of extraya-
! CANT passion.
And then Dorothys voice rises, clear
| but sad. and devoid of the warmth that
had characterized it during the re-
| hearsal
my heart has long been IN your
keeping, and if you wish 1t, it is yours. !"
AS she finishes her speech she raises
her eyes and fixes them steadily, and
with keenest reproach, on Disney, who
returns her gaze, his eyes full of con-
triton. 1890 aH
Then the scene changes, and Miss
Bohun makes her exit, amid applaud
.ings, loud and deep.
The curtain Drops so. may almost
say, dos Disney How bitterly he now
repenfs hiss unpardoliable jealousy.
Where shall he hide himself from Doro-
thys justIy reproachful gaze?
Notfiag be can ever do win make her
forgive him, of that he feels assured !;
and as he calls to mind the happy days
that have been, "Remembrance sits
upon him like ban. !" He feels "They
should beware who charges lay In love. !"
Yet in spites of his despair, he deter
termines to make an effort to regain his
lost position
He will go to her. Rising suddenly,
he follows her to the green-room, where
he knows she must be.
She is there, and alone.
Dorothy r he says, entreatingly.
She turns with start.
Can you spare me few moments ?"
Cant you wait until the morning, or
is it matter. of life or death ?" she
speaks coldly-
THAT your answer shall decide.
sMy answer ?"