The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-04-10

she said to him. You 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 a smile to Raymond )
face.
Not exactly" he replied. "Iwrite
for the newspapers
do your said the child, eagerly.
s. How clever you must be, And il was
you who wrote that about me. Thank
you ever 50 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 well, the child faltered.
Only-only I'm little tired and-my
head aches. Hurry, mamma" as the
cail-boy appeared at the door; and,
turning to Raymond, he held out his
little hand. q" Good bye" he said.
Its time for me TO 90 on
Little Tot FASTENED with his mother
! through the dark and gloomy passage
| leading TO the stage. and stood at a wing
waiting for his cue. His mother sta
toned her-cIi 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
I they parted. - He looked half i'll 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?" criel the manager, with alarm.
hope not hope not. 1t might affe t
business, YOU know, if he didn't appear.
lie is the strongest card on the bill this
week.
Raymond curled his lip slightly at the
others hear lessness, and walked OIL.
Somehow Little Tot Interested him
strangely. 1t might have been that he
REGARDED the tiny favorite Of the foot
lights with plying tenderness, for the
sake of his own children.
The next night he returned to the Va
rietirs to find the fears he entertained
realized. The manager met him with a
note in his hand.
Read it," he said, with a scowl upon
his face.
thus aGiured, Raymond took it, and
! glanced huUriedly at the contents. II
/ was to the effect that Little Dot wa,
/ dangerously low with the scarlet fever,
and, rs a consequence, could not per
/ form the rest of the week.
The words he read brought up a vivit
| recollection of the two babes who haC
lain in the terrible grasp of the scarlet
fiend until only the great mOther-lOv,
had won them back to life. A lumT
1 took possession of his throat.
\
81 wouldn't have had it happen fol
a hundred dollars" grumbled the man
aver. 1T places me in deuce of
fix. It's almost impossible to put any
one on in his place at such short no
tice."
You're in hard lines,' said Ray
mond, coldly.
Something impelled him before h,
went to the newspapeT-otliCe that nigh
to seek the sccOnd-class hotel where tn,
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 sen
up to the sick room with his card an,
a request to know how the little fellow
was
Presently the answer came-nO bet
ter, Would he go up? Mrs. Whitel
would like to see him.
RAYMOND followed the boy up-stair
and softly entered the darkened room
The mother, with the marks of weaUi
ness about her eyes, came from tn
window where she had been standin
and led the way to the bed.
He was taken i'll last night on hi
way back from the thcatcr," She viii,
percd, in a hoarSe, strained tone. ~
thought it was nothing but a cold an
and did not call i'm a doctor. But h
grew so much worse in the night that
had to send for one, and he says it
scarlet fever in its most malignaT
form. lie has been delirious nearly a
the time. The doctor did not tell m
so, and yct-pm sure he'll never &C
well again. She gave n bitter sob, bU
her eyes were dry-her tears had bee
! exhausted long ago. "Oh, why dOesn
he come, why doesn't he Gomez
She resumed her place by the wiz
dow, looking vacautly out at the wild
black night. Raymond remained b
the bedside and gazed compassionate
down at the small face marked wit
liyid spots. Near him stood a stan
+ upon which his fragrant offering an
several walls of medicine were placed
Suddenly the little sufferer opene
his eyes with faint moan. For me
ment they rested upon Raymond an
then YEARLY closed again.
, ''Dadn' the parched lips formed.
His mother approached the bed nois,
les,ly and bent anNiouslv over him.
y es, Dot" she said, soothingl,
che will soon be here soon be her,
, You won't have long 10 wait now, ia,
/, ling;' and looking up at Raymond, 81
, continued, in a choking voice, II
; wants to see his father. l have sent f
him, but-but dom know whether I
will come. He drank and-and "
pared GOi forgive me, have bee
= to blame, too. Oh, do you think thu
! he will Gomez
Raymond looked at his watch. TT
time lacked a few minutes of eleven.
, Yes. | am sure he viii, - he sal,
pitvinglv. He is at the Globe, I thinl
I The performance is scarcely over n
mater how heavy an actors grief ma
, be- he is obliged to disguise it som
) times and play his part. Yes, he wi
come, without doubt
Y Slowly the minutes dragged b,
e Finally faint knock was heard at ii
t door. She went and softly opened
i A man entered on tiptoe.
5 Thank Heaven, YOU are here
i laStiN she said.
. Il could not come before" he u
T. tered. hoarSelV. How Is he-better?
- She mournfully shook her head /
n went, and looked down at his chill
- His haggard face told of the viole
grief that was raging in his breast.
t RAYMOND turned to go. He deem,
Y the scene too sacred for his preSenc
But the mother grasPed him by &
|. arm, giving him a wild, imploril
q look