West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-12-04

no one ever learned much about
Snowy He generally sneaked away
as soon as the performance was over,
and we saw little of him till he was
wanted again. It was. therefore. a bit
OF a surprise to me 10 find him loaiing
about the house when we struck one
little town where we were booked for n
weeks run Snowy was all the time
behind the scenes, whether his turn
was over or not. In fact, he seemed to
be trying TO keep under cover and 20
out as little as he could.
lone night / was standing up i'm the
flies looking things over. when who
should l sec slipping over TO one Of the
wings but Snowy and he all in n
trcmble with excitement What up,
l wonder?' said 1. watching him all the
time. Well. he slid up alongside the
drop. and peeped outside, and there he
stood like II statue, so absorbed | don't
think he would have noticed Il il / had
dropped down on him. / don't know
If you'd think it mean Of me or not, but
l got down and took stock OF the audi
ence TO see what interested the man so
much. ! saw it all in n jifry. There
was n couple in n box-a young man
and n lady-and clearly as fond of each
other as they dared to show. 1t was
this couple Snowy had been watch
ing. and when | got behind the scenes
again. there he was still, and. Jupiter,
blamed if he wasn't crying like n child.
COZ course, i said nothing, but /
watched him, and | noticed when his
turn anne he seemed backward. and /
thought he had a mind to shirk. But
he went on and performed his part as
| nsnal Hn ,aarl,r th-o, -. n
heard a hubbub in the house and went
out in the corridor. The door of one
OF the boxes was open, and a boy was
hurrying into it with n glass Of water.
Knceling on the floor was the young
man L had noticed. and at his feet the
young oma was lying, apparently
stone dead. We had a hard time bring
ing her to. and | didn't know what
happened outside. But | learned after
ward that Snowy funked bad all of n
sudden and cut his part dead short.
This set me a-thinking. But the
next night had food enough for re-
fiection. 1t was a clear, moonlight night.
and | took "a stroll. Now. I'm not a
sentimental mortal, but / do admire
nature. and once | was of the town
l got up among some trees on a little
mound, and there | stretched myself.
with the bright sky over me. There
was not a sound but the croaking of
the frogs and the chirp of the katy
dds. | don't know how long | Law
there, but all of n sudden | sat ND and
looked down at the road. There were
voices there. and they belonged to a
man and woman who were standing by
a gate, and hugging each other for
dear life. L was amazed at first and
thought it was an ordinary rustic love
making. But from thei; gestures L
saw that something above the common
was going on. The woman seemed to
be pleading and the man fighting her
of. AT last what did they do but take
to crying, both of them.
II kept on watching them, and after
awhile they kissed each other tenderly,
and the man went away. 1t was then
that first became aware of a curious
feeling that had been coming over me
"a feeling that i was not alone. We
have all such a feeling sometimes, you
know. and then. as at all such times.
found was right. There was a
man standing among some bushes
Just above me, and looking at the
other going down the road. / was i'm
the shadow and he did not notice me,
but the moonlight was full upon his
face, and L knew at once the young
man l had seen in the box. And such
"A face as he did have, to be surel Talk
OF disiiguring a face with n blow. or by
an accident, or with vitriol! THEY'RE
all bad enough. But if you want to see
a terror look at the face disfigured by
jealousy, and there you'll have 1t. That
was what allied the face | was looking
] nj II Uoa hlonE NTH -,.-;-. TlC
eyes were staring, the lips were pressed
together, the teeth were clenched.
Hate, savage and unrelenting-murder-
ous if need bc-was in that iooA. / al
most shuddered as / witnessed il. and
felt n deal more comfortable when 1
heard footsteps c~rouching among the
dry leaves and gradually receding.
Then | started home. On the Dor
der OF the town who should | meet
%slouching along but Snowy Istopped
to speak to him, and as he turned up
his face with a start the moonlight fell
upon it, and there were his eyes as red
as you please. and the big tears shining
in them. 1 didn't pretend to notice il.
but all of a sudden, as | looked at him.
l got a curious shock. The figure. the
walk couldn't be mistaken in them
belonged TO the man who had parted
with the girl.
"You may well believe / was inter
ested. i was manager of the company
and j didn't want to have any scandals
about my ears. So / thought IL INV
duty TO inquire into the odd things /
had seen. But l didn't learn much.
The girl who tainted in the box was the
daughter Of a rich but cranky old fell
low. who had driven his only son away
some time before out of n whim. and
the young man was the son OF a neigh
bora young fellow in the Naval Acad-
envy and a gallant lad, too. although
he had a temper like Satan.
''Well, the week went by and / saw
nothing more of Snowy except when
] met him on the stage. Our last nipht
in the town came, and it seemed that
we were going TO close with a packed
house. remember now every seat was
full and had just got done count np
the receipts. and was going back behind
the scenes 10 see if everything was all
right, when who should / stumble on i'm
the corridor but the young fellow from
the Naval Academy. He didn't look
much better than when ] had seen him
that night out i'm the bushes. He wac
pale as 4 atb, and there was q wicked
j Glitter 10. bic rrrr- "a. -. --.HI.-N 81