The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-04-11
The next nioht found him AZ the Va

was with his mother waiting to go
on"
cts the gentleman who was kind
enough to write that notice about you,
she said to him. .'Yol must thank him
for it.
'Oh, it was you, was it?" he said,
turning his big blue eyes up at Ray
mond. you're an editor, ain t you?"
The awe with which he asked this
question brought smile to Raymond's
face.
"Not exactly" he replied. "Iwrite
for the newspapers. "
"Do you?'' said the child, eagerly.
9 How clever you must be- And it was
You who wrote that about me. Thank
you ever SO much. You are very, very
good
He placed his hand to his forehead
and held it there a moment. Raymond
noticed it and looked grave.
"Are you quite well?" he asked,
kindly.
"Quite WE'LL" the child faltered.
Only-only I'm little tired and my
head aches. Hurry, mamma" as the
call-boy appeared at the door; and.
turning to Raymond, he held out his
little hand. Goodbye" he said.
"It's time for me to go on.
Little Dot fastened with his mother
through the dark and gloomy passage
leading to the stage, and stood at wing
waiting for his cue. His mother sta
toned herself near by to assist him in
making his changes.
Raymond and the manager sought
the front of the house.
THAT youngster is going to be Sick
said the journalist, with conviction, as
they parted. He looked half ill now.
It's too bad that such a weak, delicate
child should have to be out nights in
such bitter weather.
"Eh, what was that? Sick, did you
say?" cried the manager, with alarm.
l hope mott hope not. 1t might affect
business, you know, if he didn't appear.
He is the strongest card on the bill this
week.
Raymond curled his lip slightly at the
others hear lessness, and walked off,
Somehow Little Dot interested him
strangely. 1t might have been that he
regarded the tiny favorite of the foot
hShOS WIN P1tJ ing OOhNCAnCoO1 All VhV
sake of his own children.
The next night he returned to the Va
rieties to find the fears he entertained
realized. The manager met him with
note in his hand.
sRead il" he said, with scowl upon
his face.
Thus aGiured, Raymond took it, and
glanced hurriedly at the contents. 1t
was to the eject that Little Dot was
dangerously low with the scarlet fever,
and, as q consequence, could not per-
form the rest of the week.
The words he read brought up vivid
recollection of the two babes who had
lain in the terrible grasp of the scarlet
! fiend until only the great mother-love
| had won them back to life. A lump
took possession Of his throat.
"Poor Little Dot,n he murmured.
Il wouldn't have had it happen for
a hundred dollars,'' grumbled the man
ager. sit places me in a deuce of a
fix. It's almost impossible to put any
one on in his place at such short no.
tice.n
you're in hard hnes,'' said Ray
mond, coldly.
Something impelled him before he
went to the newspaper-office that night
! TO seek the second-class hotel where the
child and his mother were stopping.
Passing a florists on his way, he pur-
chased a bunch of the creamy, full
blown roses that were temptingly dis
/ played in the window. These he sent
up to the sick room with his card and
a request to know how the little fellow
was.
Presently the answer came--no bet
ter. Would he go upp Mrs. Whitley
would like to see him.
Raymond followed the boy upstairs
and softly entered the darkened room.
The mother, with the marks of weari-
ness about her eyes, came from the
window where she had been standing
and led the way to the bed.
HE was taken i'll last night on his
way back from the theater," she whis-
j pered, in a hoarse, strained tone. Il
thought it was nothing but cold and
and did not call in DOCTOR But he
grew so much worse in the night that [
had to send for one, and he saws it's
scarlet fever in its most malignant
form He has been delirious nearly all
the time. The doctor did not tell me
so, and yet-Tm sure he'll never get
well again" She gave bitter sob, but
her eyes were dry-her tears had been
exhausted long ago. "Oh, why doesn't
he come, why doesn't he Gomez"
She resumed her place by the win
dow, looking yacantly out at the wild,
back night. Raymond remained by
the bedside and gazed compassionately
down at the small face marked with
liyid spots. Near him stood stand
upon which his fragrant offering and
several walls of medicine were placed.
Suddenly the little sufferer opened
his eyes with faint moan. For mo-
ment they rested upon Raymond and
then YEARLY closed again.
''Dad!' the parcbed lips formed.
His mother approached the bed noise
lessly and bent anxiously over him.
''les, Dot.n she said, soothingly,
che will soon be here-soon be here.
you won't have long to wait now, dar-
ling and looking up at Raymond, she
con inued, in choking voice, che
4 L
him, but-but don't know whether he
will come. He drank and-and we
! pared. God forgive me, I have been
10 blame, too. Oh, do you think that
he will Gomez
Raymond looked at his watch. The
time lacked a few minutes of eleven.
Eyes, am sure he WILL" he said,
| pityingly. ';He is at the Globe, think.
The performance is scarcely over. No
mat ter how heavy an actors grief may
be, he is obliged to disguise it some
times and play his part Yes, he will
come, without doubt.
Slowly the minutes dragged by.
Finally faint knock was heard at the
door. She went and softly opened it.
A man entered on tiptoe.
Thank Heaven, you are here at
lastn she said
i could not come before, he ut
tered. hoarsely. "How is he-betterpn
She mournfully shook her head. He
went, and looked down at his child
His haggard face told of the violent
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