The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-11-13

L
think he would have noticed it if / had
dropped down on him l 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 a jiffy. There
was couple in box-a young man
anu 4 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 child.
"Of course, [ said nothing. but I
watched him. and noticed when his
turn came he seemed backward. and |
thought he had mind to shirk. But
he went on and performed his part as
usual. He was nearly through when |
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 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 hard time bring
ing her to, and l didn't know what
happened outside. But learned after
ward that Snowy funked bad all of
sudden and cut his part dead short.
This set me a-thinking. But the
next night | had food enough for re-
Election. 1t was clear, moonlight night
and took stroll. Now, I'm not
sentimental mortal, but [ do admire
nature, and once | was out of the town
l get 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 chirp of the katy
dds. | 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 q
man and woman who were standing by
a 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 |
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 they do but take
to crying, both of them.
/ kept on watching them, and after
awhile they kissed each other tenderly,
and the man went away. It was then
that l first became aware of a curious
feeling that had been coming over me
"a feeling that / was not alone. We
have all such feeling sometimes, you
know, and then, as at all such times,
L found | was right. There was a
man standing among some bushes
just above me, and looking at the
other going down the road. / 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
face as he did have, to be sure! Talk
OF disliguring face with 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
at. 1t was black with passion. The
eyes were staring, the lips were pressed
together, the teeth were clenched
Hate, savage and unrelenting murder
Gus if need be--was in that look. [ al
most shuddered as witnessed it. and
felt deal more comfortable when [
heard footsteps crouching among the
dry leaves and gradually receding.
''Then | started home On the bor-
der of the town who should I 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. | didn't pretend to notice it,
but all OF sudden, as looked at him,
| got 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. | was manager of the company
and didn't want to have any scandals
about my ears. So | thought it nv
duty to inquire into the odd things I
had seen. But | didn't learn much.
The girl who tainted in the box was the
daughter of rich but cranky old fell
low, who had driven his only son away
some time before out of whim, and
the young man was the son of a neigh
bora young fellow in the Naval Acad-
emy-and gallant lad, too, although
he had temper like Satan.
"Well, the week went by and | saw
nothing more of Snowy except when
| met him on the stage. Our last night
In the town came, and it seemed that
we were going to close with packed
house. remember now every seat was
full and had just got done counting
the receipts, and was going back behind
the scenes to see if everything was all
right, when who should [ stumble on in
the corridor but the young fellow from
the Naval Academy He didn't look
much better than when had seen him
that night out in the bushes He was
pale as death, and there was a wicked
glitter in his eyes as he walked up and
down, now and then peeping in through
the door at the audience and the per
formers. | remember noticing, too
that he lounged a good deal about a lit
tie closet where a gas meter was, and
the door of which was ajar It did not
strike me at the time, but / often
thought of it afterwards.
"Well, the performance went on. and
soon 'Snowy's' turn came. He went
out in his tights and finery, mounted
up to the trapeze and was as clever as
usual in his feats. had slipped to the
front of the house again. and was look
ing in at him when my eyes suddenly
fell on box. 1t was the same | had
seen there before the young woman
who had tainted there with the naval
chap. looked around for him, but he
was nowhere to be seen.
"Just then Snowy got up to the
perch on the gallery. from which he
took the flying swing to little trapeze
above the stage. 1t was a perilous
feat, and there wasn't breath to be
heard in the house, as he prepared for
it. Every eye was watching him.
saw him in all his glittering spangles
posing himself, grasping tie bar be-
tween his fists and then launching out.
He sprang. There was whizz in
the air, and then, like flash, the house
was IN darkness. Every lioht had oone