The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-12-25

that overshadowed his upper lip like
a penthouse.
"Oh, ma, how very eenteel he is!'
said Abby Jane, all in a fiutter of adj
miration. W.
"A very nice young man, indeed"
responded the deacon's wife.
And the very next week Abby Jane
came down to the Leeds farm house.
"Have you heard this news about
your Eliza" she asked of thefarmer's
wife in a mysterious whisper.
"Eh?" said Mrs. Leeds.
Shes nothing but a play actress!!"
said Abbey Jane, nodding her head
until the stuffed blue bird on her nat
quivered as if it were alive. "Mr. AL
phonso Trudkins saw her himself in
the Great New York Combination
Troupe. She was acting q woman
who was married to aCuban, andlost
her pockethandkerchief and was af-
terward choked with the pillows off
the best bed. Desdemonia her name
was, / think"
"NNell, and suppose she was?" said
Mrs. Leeds, who vas too good IL Cen
eral to let the enemy see what havoc
had been carried into her camp.
"What them"
"NNhat then!' echoed Abby Jane,
Well, / do declare, Mrs. Leeds, | am
surprised"
al don't believe a word OF it.'' said
Mrs. Leeds, defiantly.
aRp+ NJ. T,,,ll.;,c saw ba. with bic
own eyes, cried Abbey Jane, flushing
scarlet with Indignation. He knew
her the minute he looked at heryes-
terday in church. Elizabeth Ellesmere
her name was, he says, III the adver-
tisements, and she danced a dance
with a yellow scarf and a lot of roses,
between the pieces, making herself out
to be a Spanish mandoline player.
It's enough to make ones hair stand
on end to hear Mr.. Trudkins tell
about it."
at don't do to believe all one
hears" said Mrs. Leeds losing all
count of the eggs she was breaking in
to a china bowl, in her CONSERVATION.
"And %Stapleville does beat all for gos-
sip"
"Well, you can ask heryourself, and
see ii she dares deny it," said Abby
Jane, exultantly. "Here she comes
now. Ask her-only ask herr"
with the ~spice-box in her hand. Mr..
Villars followed close behind, tanning
himself with a straw hat.
81 have come from the men in the
bayfield," said he. s'They want an
other Jug OF cool ginger and water,
with plenty OF molasses stirred in,
Aunt Leeds. Good morning, Miss
Clark! Hope the deacon is quite we'll
this morning."
Abby Jane turned pink, and smiled
her most seductive smile.
ooh. quite 500 she simpered. a.
only came on"
as 1t true, Eliza" Mrs. Leeds
asked, sharply. "Have you been de-
ceiving me? Are you a play-actress
all this time9:"
ELIAS large eyes turned slowly first
to one, then to another of the little
group. She did not blush-it was not
her way-but the color ebbed slowly
away from her cream-pale cheek,
~ have been deceiving nobody"
said she. ~ am not an actress now.
| have been me-. But l did not like
the life, and so l left it. Ii any one
had asked me, | should have told
them about it long ago"
Mr.. Nillars came forward and stood
at the girls side, as he saw his aunt
shrink away.
"Well," he said "even taking it all
for granted, where is the harm?'
"Charles. Charlesl. cried Mrs. Leeds,
putting up her hands with a ges-
ture OF warning. Remember poor
Alice!!"
cit is because | remember her that
t,speak thus" said Mr.. Villars, calmly.
II had an elder sister once" he added,
turning to Abby Jane Clark, "who ran
away from home and became an ac-
trass. She had talents far above the
average, but my parents were old
innarrow grooves. They disapproved
Of the stage, SO Alice left us. Whether
she is dead or living we know not, but
wherever she is, | am sure that she
can not but be good and true and
pure"
Abby James eyes fell under his calm
glance. She was a little sorry that
she had chosen to come hither and
bear the news herself.
Somehow, Mr.. Villars had taken it
in a different spirit from what she had
anticipated. And ELIAS soft, Ian,
Suldly-modulated voice broke on the
constrained silence like drops ofsilve1
dew.
n have been an actress, and per,
haps / should still have been on the
stage" she said, s'had it not been fol
circumstances. My father dealt in
stage properties, and | was brought
up to the business. but still | never
liked it. But one can not easily ster
out OF the path where ones feet have
been placed, especially if one is a WON
an.
"However, the turning point came
at last. Our leading lady fell sick o
a contagiousfever, in a lonely village
where we had stopped to play ONT
night. The manager packed up every
thing in a panic, and bad us all to BIZ
ready to go. told him | could not
leave Mrs. Montague alone. He sait
that if 1 left the company thus,
should never return to it,"
DWELL, what could / do? The stag,
was my living, it is true, but our lead
ing lady had no friends. 1t would
have been inhuman to desert her, so
stayed behind and took are of her
She died, poor thing. and it swallow
ed up all my earnings to bury he,
decently.
"And then I tried here and there tt
earn my living as best | could. wa
not always successful. More thar
once have been hungry and home