The Indianapolis journal., 1883-06-21
LOTrA'S LOVER.
Reasons Why She Has Never Married-The
Interfering Sirs. Crabtree.

Reasons Why She Has Never Married-The
Interfering sIrs. Crabtree.
Philadelphia Times.
| For many years an interested public-it
would not be proper to say for how many
has assumed the privileges of guardianship
over Miss Lotta Crabtree, the sprightly little
actress. 1t has seemed as if the newspapers
have never lost an opportunity to make for
the lady an advantageous match in almost
every city in which she has ever played.
According to reports she has been half
ensnared in Cupid's moose almost as many
| times as there are years to her life; but just
as the eventful day was near at hand she was
aroused from her dream of love by some aW-
full discovery, and with a Characteristic
wriggle she set herself free and left behind
her roken-hearted lover. The standard
cause for the separations was tine base, mer-
cenary insinuation that the possible husband
loved her not entirely for herself alone This
has been the regulation plot with a change
| of characters in nearly every city.
There is story now in circulation, which
comes from New York, purportng to give
the reason why Lotta has been so sad for the
last ten years. 1t represents her as still pin
ing for her first love, young gentleman
OF this city, to whom she was engaged in
1873 and whose parents opposed the alliance.
But he is said to have loved her too we'll to
give her up, and with childish confidence
IN human nature quite original with herself
and not inherited from the main trunk of
the family, she gave him entire charge of her
finances. Temptation was too strong for the
young man, and one night, while she was
playing in Niblo's Garden, in New York, he
| took $4,000 of her money and gambled it
away. That broke off the match. The dis
consulate lover went to drink, died and was
buried in this city.
The romancers have it now that every
time the little actress comes to Philadel phia
nd Ha at
the grave of him to whom her affections
were first plighted. The only objection to
this narrative is that there is too much fiction
in it. The young man referred TO was Bolton
Hulme, of this city, who fell in love with
Lolita and followed her to Europe. His fam
lily did not object to his acquaintance with
her. but they rather encouraged it, SO his in
innate friends say. Nor did he take thirteen
thousand dollars of her money for gambling;
he took but six thousand, and all of that
amount was returned to Lolita. She has
visited his grave but once since his DEATH
and that was soon after his burial She was
accompanied then by three of her lady ac-
quaintances. Whether they were really
engaged or not probably no one
knew accurately except themselves Two
years ago she was reported to be engaged to
A. Haler Gross, of this city, but that en-
gagement was broken also by her, if there
was any serious engagement at all. She was
once much infatuated with Harry Bradley,
who was her leading man for several years.
but when ne closed his last season in her
company she seemed to forget him entirely,
and his intimate friends say he mourns over
her coquetry to this day.
Then Clemant Bainbridge, another one of
her actors, was bewitched by her, and mat
ters began to look as though she might be-
come Mrs. cambridge before that season was
over. He is popular gentleman, of excep-
tionally handsome face and figure, but even
l.. IL
to win the consent of Mrs Crabtree, who is
reported to have made a remarkably quick
trip from Troy to Albany, just in
time to interrupt what she heard was to
be quiet little ceremony during
her absence. Lottas latest sutor was
the very awkward young man, who
wore uncomfortably high collars banged his
hair and tried very hard to fill the place of a
leading actor in her company during the
past season. She met him in London, where
he was well known in high social circles as
an amateur actor. He was wealthy-owned
large estates in Ireland-and prided himself
on high pedigree. And beneath all his
dudishness he was rather. a good fellow.
Lolita liked him, anyhow, it is said, and
when her English leading man disappointed
her at the last moment she engaged this
young gentleman to come to the United
States as a member of her company on trial.
He brought the pretty name of Cecil Raine
along with him. She became violently fond
of him, it is whispered, but a few weeks
back they had quarrel, and he was removed
from the cast in New York for a week. They
were to have gone to Europe together. But
Lotta left on the City of Berlin two weeks
ago. Cecil waited until last Wednesday, when
he went to Southampton on the Elbe. Lolita
has gone to Dieppe.
But those who know the little actress best
say that there was one man to whom she was
truly and tenderly attached. He met her in
the earlier days of her stage life, when she
was struggling hard against discouragements
to reach the position she has since attained
He taught her quaint bits of stage business;
he never tired of helping her to improve diff
ficult scenes; no one sang her duets with
more care or better success than he. His
brain and his hands were always ready to aid
her. His favors won their way deep into her
heart. She was seen to be brighter and mer-
rier when he was by her side, and her adieus
to him when her engagements at the Arch
were over were always fearful. But" said
the old actor who recited the most of these
facts to the reporter yesterday, poor Bob
Craig married another woman. His picture
hangs there over the nantel, under that of
Edwin Adams, with the bit of Grape around
it. He was the man for Lotta and I'll bet
she thinks so, too, to this day."
NINE-TOED ALICE.