Thomas County cat., 1885-11-26

singers till you couldn't rest But l
noticed that with the Yanks down
there the athletic feats took best so l
made it APPOINT to enlarge that part of
the entertainment This was how
Snowy came to get into my company.
l made him an offer. He accepted it
and was engaged for the season.
You can imagine that in going the
rounds of these duh country towns the
players are thrown a good deal to-
gether and learn mostly everything
about one another: Sometimes they
do; sometimes they don't. Anyway.
no one ever learned much about
Snowy He generally sneaked away
as soon as the performance was over,
and we saw little of him tin he was
wanted again. 1t was. therefore, bit
of surprise to me to find him loating
about the house when we struck one
little town where we were booked for a
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 go
out as little as he could.
Zone night l was standing up in the
flies looking things over, when who
should l See slipping over to one of the
wings but Snowy and h. all in a
trembie with excitement What's up,
l wonder:?' said I, watching him all the
time. Well, he slid up alongside the
drop, and peeped outside, and there he
stood like statue, so absorbed dom t
think he would have noticed it if | 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 Il jiffy. There
was couple in box-a young man
and a lady-and clearly as fond of each
other rs 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 child.
"Of course l said nothing. but l
watched him. and l noticed when his
turn came he seemed backward. and l
thought he had mind to shirk. But
he went on and performed his part as
usual. He was nearly through when I
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 a glass Of water
kneeling on the floor was the young
man had noticed. and at his feet the
young woman was lying, apparently
stone dead We had a hard time bring
ing her to, and l didn't know what
happened outside. But learned after
ward that Snowy funked bad all of a
sudden and cut his part dead short.
"This set me a-thinking. But the
next night had food enough for re-
tlect;on. 1t was Gear. moonlight night.
and took a stroll. Now. I'm not a
sentimental mortal. but | do admire
nature, and once was out of the town
| G, t up among some trees on a little
mound, and there | stretched myself,
with the bright SKY over me. There
was not sound but the croaking of
the frogs and the chirD of the katy
dds. l don't know how long l lay
there, but all of sudden | sat up and
looked down at the road. There were
voices there. and they belonged to a
man and woman who were standing by
gate. and hugging each other for
dear life. | was amazed at first and
thought it was an ordinary rustic love
making. But from their gestures l
saw that something above the common
was going On. The woman seemed to
be pleading and the man fighting her
off, AT last what did the; 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 / was not alone. We
have all such feeling sonnet mes, you
know, and then, rs at all such times,
l found l was right. There was q
man standing among some bushes
just above me. and looking at the
other going down the roai. | was in
the shadow and he did not notice me,
but the moonlight was full upon his
face, and | knew at once the young
man had seen in the box. And such
a face as he did have, to be sure! Talk
of disfiguring face with blow. or by
an accident, or with vitriol Thew re
all bad enough. But if You want to see
4 terror look at the face disfgured by
jealousy, and there you'll have 1t. That
was what allied the face was looking
at 1t was black with passion. The
eyes were staring, the lips were pre- ssed
together, the teeth were clenched.
Hate, savage and unrelent;ng-murder-
Gus if need De--was in tha: look al
most shuddered as l witnessed it. and
felt deal more comfortable when |
heard footsteps crouching among the
dry leaves and gradually receding.
Then l started home. On the bor-
der of the town who should | meet
slouching along but Snowy! stopped
to speak to him. and as he turned up
his face with start the moonlight fell
upon it, and there were his eyes as red
as You please, and the big tears shining
in them. l didn't pretend to notice it,
but all of sudden. as looked at him,
l got curious shock. The figure. the
walk-I couldn't be mistaken in them
belonged to the man who had parted
with the girl.
You may well believe was inter-
ested. was manager of the company
and didn't want to have any scandals
about my ears. So l thought it my
duty to inquire into the odd things /