Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-09-30
ed with bushes as she said,
lifting her blue eyes reverently.
ct oaxv vo,r 1aet nioht

ed WIFI pluSuo5 dS nuo 5uiu !,
lifting her blue eyes reverently.
''I saw you last night.
"Well, what did you think Of
me?' asked the woman, smiling
II thought oh, I thought that
to bc as gifted and as great as
you, ! would sacrifce-almost
life itself. "
"And perhaps honor /"
The woman's eyes glittered.
Her voice was very low, and
sounded as il it came from be-
tween closed teeth. "Who are
your she asked. a moment after.
my name is Alice Graham. l
am only country girl, but ] feel
there is that within me would
raise me to greatness. / have a
talent for the stage. / c4n recite
for you if you wish it. Oh,
madame, you have influence,
your position is great; your name
is written among the stars will
you let me come where you are?
Will you find me some humble
place where / can learn to be
like you?"
ssLike me-to be like me
Poor child, are you mad9'
Alice looked at her, startled by
the hollow ring in her voice.
II say, you are mad2 Come,
now, you want me to be your
friend. | will be the best friend
ever you had. Oh, you are SO
like what / was! Heaven keep
you from becoming what | am
You shrink from me. That is US
/ would have it. Keep as far
from me as you can-you are too
pure to touch me. Listen: My
father was a clergymaii--a quiet,
holy. devoted man. Perhaps he
sometimes forgot he had a child
but he loved me. l was addicted
to the habit OF reading and mem
orising plays. Night after night
| sat up, devouring the tragedies
Of Shakespeare, until at last the
passion became so overpowering
that / determined to seek the
city and enter upon the threatri-
cal profession. | had no mother
to wound; she was dead. My
beauty attracted instant attention.
Success turned my head -fattery
ruined me. To-day lam a moth
er and no wife; and we'll for me if
my son does not curse the name
of the mother who bore him."
Alice was weeping.
"You are young and beautiful.
When you ask TO come here You
cannot dream ~of the perils that
may beset you. Like me, you
may live to cry out, i am lost!'
Like me, you may hear that your
father has gone broken hearted
to the grave; that the man who
loved you, and whom you loved
ii there be sSlch lis the hus-
band Of a harcs \wife. You may
weep for the iceless love you
threw frofs e poio 2 " a life of care,
Of hardl soS y'ss e. Of hateful sts.
splendork p place thild, l didn't
mean to isrtI i,na; An, an, cry; but I do
say, thatlI the would / die
to-morroT Te 2rlng back my
innocent yossl home, young
girl; and VII are tempted
to be great, ~ u the star
you saw last night, blaziDg with
q false luster. and remember how
to-day you have seen the setting
Of every fair star OF hope in one
human bosom .
"Alice went from the madame's
palace home heavily : hearted.
Life and its aims seemed changed
| to her, as she turned her face
homeward. la,4l~~
"Oh. fatherl oh, Louis rshe
cried, softly, Il could not have
lost you both. God help me
henceforth to be content"
SO she returned to the old par
sonage, and Louis-who had ex-
pected that she would find a home
in the city heard she had come
back. and hastened, feet foo ed.
to the dear old gray house.
Together they stood again in
the porch, and ibis time there
were sweet caressing voices and
the perfume Of the roses waited
by them and kiss was giver
and returned-the precious kiss
of betrothal.