The Ottawa free trader., 1885-11-21
AN ACTORS STORY.
Related by JOHN COLEMAN.
CHAPTER XIV.

ONLY A TRAMP.
Night was falling ut the Gairioch Head
when a conveyancs drove up and stopped at
the hall door The driver got down and
began to bring forsh suniry boxes and to
load the cart with them By and by a
woman came out of the house and got into
the wagon. Then they turned towards the
city. Suddenly tn, horse came to full
stop. 1t was now quite DARK, and the
carter, who had "drappe in his 60, en-
deavored to urge the an mal onward, but in
vain. The sagacious brute tromblei vio-
lently, whinnieI loudly, reared back on his
launches, apd finally concluded not to
bulge another foot. Obviously there was
nothing for IL but for Duncan MacTavish to
get down and s,e what wa' the matter. In
getting down he smash,i his lantern, and
the light went out See, hs cCulin't-feel
he did. In a moment he called out to tho
woman in the carS
"Eh. Jeanniei Here's mon leeins a but
deed. No wonder JOCK wouldna budse
He was aye gey, 'cuts boast. Come down
and gi'e a hond, woman. We'll ma leave
Christen to dee while there's wee bit
squeak for his life"
They lifted tho man into the cart, ami
Jeannie supported the poor creatures head
on her lap. little dreaming for whom she did
that Christian Office but when the light fell
on his pallid face at DR.. Miller's door, ani
she saw who it was all the blood in her heart
stood still, but sh, didn't come of faint
ing race-besileS, she bad something els, TO
do just then.
'fWhat. whatr she exclaimed. 'the mis-
tres was aye richt' He sna deal after
a'-the puir. bonnie laddie Doctor, doc
tor, come butt the moo" she screami like
a madwoman When she told ii ,ller who
the broken-down wayfarer was he instantly
had poor Curly brought in and put i'll the
best bel in the house. Restorative' wers
employed, but it was long before conscious.
ness superveaei.
On his return from Stratlmine' Wille
found a message from the doc or, request
ing him to call imm ,diatsiy at Breadalbane
terrace. JEANNE came rushing to the door
to meot him, crying bitterly, and exclaim-
ing:
''We hae fun hm-we hae fun him! but.
Oh. puir ladde, how changell Thank God,
nv bonnie dearie didna live to SEQ it! 1t
would hae broken ths heirt o hs"--a it has
mineI'
Before Willie had time to speak she had
room, where his poor friend lay shivering
in fitfu feverod sleep. G'eat ho'lows
were in his cheeks and beneath his closed
eyes. A profusion of long, curly snow
white hair soream,l over his brow aud
round his thin, worn neck. Cool Heaven!
Could it be possible that this faded wreck
was all that was lott Of the once bright,
winsoms Curlyf
4 - l. T,,ni la irInl that
soon n, ID Jnald let the asylum at Kew tho
poor fellow set forth on foot for the north.
Drenchel with rain, AMI half starving ne
fell down faiuting in th3 streets of Bir-
minrbam. He was taken up by the police,
and charged with being druni. fortu'
zsn.s, ths Gspscx, ~ ~ Intelligent
pian, who i,nmsdiatsly sent Tor o,<t.1, IN
who's, certificate Curly was remO,el to tho
pauper lunatic asylum.
After a 80 journ of some months he was
discharged. Thanks to his kind physi ican,
he was assi,tel ON by the mail as far as
Newca leon Tyne. From thence the man.
ager of the theatre sont him by coach to
Edinburgh On inquiry there he found that
Willie had gone 10 Aberdeen weeks befora
Not a human being in his native city rocog-
nizsl in the shabby, broken down, prsma
the Midlothian Volunteers He was almost
glad that it was So and he SUNK ous OF
Edinburgh as daylight fell, resuming his
weary march northward,; nor did h halt
till no found resting place in friendly
barn by the waysi le which sheltered him
until daybreak He had some two or tir9e
shillngs still loft, which kept him from abb
solute starvation Fortunately the weather
a., h,, h., Ia ,,t in, hnpng ttnl
bayrickS, or, inde d. wherever no could find
shelter At length h, reached Aberdeen
When he inquired at the theatre for Willie
he was told that he was STAYING at Galroch
house.
R'Garloch house! he excl claimei. That
u where she lives. Oh, nol IL can't be
that's impo 'sbla'
He re ,oIvel to write TO Jameson at once
but his mpatinnce would not allow him to
wait. H. woul go imme lately. Then
his pr do stepped in-he did not wish her TO
SEQ HIM thus changed and worn-thus
ragged AM wretch'd. There could be no
harm anyhow in going near the placo-in
looking upon the spot which ensarinel all
he held most DEAR SO he walked towards
the Gairloch Head
There stood the house aud the garden,
exactly as he had left them two years ago
nothing seem changed except himself. Yes
she must he changed too, else sho would
not have sent him that cruel reminder of
his weakness and degradation. Yet, per
haps, on the other hand, she meant to re-
lease him from the shameful compact in.o
which he hal been coerced -perhap, she
- ''but alas!' he thought, "she doubtless
remains young and beautiful as ever, while
-
At this moment TAIL spare man left tho
house, AMI came rapidly to the spot
where Curly sat. The poor wretch could
contain his impatieuce no longer 30 ho
sccostei tho stranger
II beg pardon, sir, said he but is Mr..
Jamie 5On soil staying at the uou,o yJnl,rp
'Mr. Jameson Is not staying at the
house, replied Mr.. MacCawley GiTlens, for
Il was hs, "nOr has he stayed there since
~ day Of tn. funeral
''Ess tunerall What funeral! Whose
lunerali
Miss Flora MacAlliSter'sn
Flora MacAlllsterr
"Ay-sh, was buried three days ago
And 30 the limb OF the law passed on.
Curly stood looking at his retreating
figure till il ia lei altogether into tho mist
Of evening; then, without sigh or sound,
he dropped like stone on the highway,
where Duncan Macravsh and Jelnnis Mac
Pherson found him lying sons hours later.