The Hazlehurst signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1883-1885, 1885-11-12

orchestra, battered tables and chairs.
aud feel again the dull. heavy pain /
felt that night Even waltz music Is
sometimes sad. and that tune meant to
mark the time for flying feet only told
over and over to me little burden OF
sorrow and despair. At the next table
two men were seated and when l DO.
came conscious of what they were say
ing. l was interested Immediately.
One of these, n tall, dark fellow was
in great trouble of some sort aud l
heard him say: Il tell you II can't be
done, his place must be filled These
words caught me. Hadn't | been look
ing for place to ill all these weary
weeks? A place not filed was indeed a
rarity.
".lt's all very well to say the other
man replied. But it's easier said than
done. You can't find voice like his at
a moments notice, and you want good
dancer, too
81 couldn't stand II any longer. nut
got up and walked over to them. III
there was one thing ! could do 1t was
sing, and many night when my good
mother thought was swcetly sleeping.
/ had been entertaining the boys with n
song and dance. l guess they were as
glad to run across mo rs was to run
across them. and after good deal OF
talk went back to my lodgings en-
gagged as song and dance artist of Chris
tvs Minstrels. and bound 20 start with
them in two days
81 wrote to my mother that | had
found n good situation and would DO so
busy she need not expect TO hear from
me for some time. and made the one
friend 4 had found in New York promise
to mail any letters sent to him, and in
day or so we were OF.
Ministries were new thing in those
days you remember. Don't YOU call to
mind Tom Hudson, who sang old Ken.
lucky Home and Uncle Ned? You
have your present companion in your
eye rs lie appeared before the public.
What life we led! Hurying from one
town to another. rs Jolly party Of
young fellows as you would wish to find.
They don't know anything about fun
in these day. | often tell Tom so, and
he looks at me with n wise air rs il to
say: "Much you know about it, Gov
ernor.' But dinners at Dclmonico's
and the Brunswick lack the flavor OF
those old Bohemian suppers after the
performance was over, and we iokcd.
laughed and sang until the dawn pccpcd
into the windows
"All went well. | was success in q
modest way. and was laying by little
every week, when suddenly | learned
that Thursday of the next week we
were to give performance in my own
home. You can imagine my feelings.
Such catastrophe had never occurred
to me. To avoid it was impossible;
sing must. and dance. too, right be-
fore the eyes Of my own towns-peoplc.
who had known me rs Johnny Rivers
ever since frolickcd about, a little
yellow-haired shaver, by my mothers
side.
1--WE got in, luckily, late in the after
noon, and |. feigning headache, went
to my own room. The hotcl-keeper
was new man in the place, so l was
safe there, and | managed to reach the
hall where we played safely.
Promptly at eight o'clock the cur
tain arose. disclosing us seated in sol
emn semi-circlc, and during the over
ture had chance 10 look beyond the
dazzling line of lights at the well-re-
membered faces. There was Squire
Rogers and his wife. and Heavens! yes
there was Lucy-my Lucy-and by
her side sat handsome young man.
1.-The excitement l had gone through
skulking about my native place had be.
gun to tell on me by this time. and in-
tensiiied my despair on seeing my
sweetheart with another man. The
programme was endless. il seemed to
me. and finally | heard, rs in n dream,
the interlocutor say: MIR. Hudson,
we hasn't heard from you dis night
give Us song and went to the front
of the stage.
"Ah Lucy! little did you know. as
you sat there dimpling and smiling
what sad, heavy heart beat under the
waistcoat of the slim young fellow who
sang Uncle Ned and danced break
down that night. 1t was new song
then; and it brought down the mouse.
Such noise as they made. can hear
them now call Hudson. encorcr and
had to sing again. BY this time felt
pretty safe. No one recognized me un-
der my coat of lampblack. and the little
mustache had cultivated changed my
expression. don't know how dared,
but instead of repeating nv song CON-
menced the ever sweet Then You'll
Remember Me- Excitement and love
gave new force to my voice, and be-
fore ! had finished you could have
heard a pin drop in the crowded house,
and one pair of eyes had sad. troubled
expression, and thought / saw tear
glisten on Lucy's long lashes. 1t was
near the end of the programme and the
entertainment was soon over l hur.
riedly slipped into my overcoat and fol-
lowed the crowd down the street. There
was no moon. but by the dim starlight 1
could distinguish Lucy and her young