, 1885-10-25
MIR. TOOKS' PROMISE.


life of busy men. among beams and raft
crs and pulley ropes, so thick thai il gave
one the chokes just to look at them
Mr.. looks lived there in this theatrical
cloudland, though he did not call II his
home. lie was there before daylight in
the morning. and never left at night. II he
did leave al all. until the great light in
the hall across the way had ceased 10 il
illuminate the surroundings. Mr.. looks
went out with that light and
came in again before the blush
of morn so that his life seemed TO
spend itself In one eternal darkness. as
vast as II was black. and N black as it
was %sorrowfuL There was only one hap
piness In Tooks life. and that was a prom
ise: yet that promise danced ever before
him like n will o thc-wisp. casting Joyful
rays along the stretching yislas of black
ness looks hoped some day to make a
-hit. - Just what ii was 10 make a "hit"
looks hardly knew. II always came with
a great clapping of hands and stamping
of feet aud hurrahs and cat-cnlls, and such
a general busting about that every one
seemed filled with n pleasurable excite
ment; and that -.hit" was talked of away
up there in Mr.. looks dark loft for days
and weeks to come,
Just how lie was TO make this -hit"
was another enigma that looks mind had
never taken TO as In a death grip but that
Il would be made the promise wNs al
ways there, and looks saw himself out
before those fiaring. mystifying footlights,
for this Mr. looks was in a theatrical
way. and he heard the great storm OF
clashing palms. he saw that vast sea Of
upturned faces. just as he had seen them
through the peep-hole In the curtain many
and many a time. though they had
not seen Mr.. looks; and in the
srraaf gflaupp which Iollhvypd ha
could hear himself thanking the
owners Of these samc joyful faces
for having made happy and bright his
whole future existence. Ill thanked them
for having thus dragged him up. or rather
down by the neck. as It we're, from his
awful obscurity for having Strengthened
out his little shriveled right leg-for what
was a shriveled right leg upon maj who
had made so famous a "hitg"-and his
eyes sparkled until they shone like mcte
ors through the dusky surroundings. and
a laugh ventured to gurgle out of his
facial %orifice, SO sharp. so clear, and withal
so positive. that Snip. the long bodied.
short.legged little terrier that kept watch
over the chalk lines and porte canyons.
actually barked with joyous surprise. Snip
was a discreet dog. and only barked upon
great occasions, II he ever barked at all
To hear looks laugh was to say that
one had lived more than u decade. for.
although a smile frequently ventured TO
steal quietly up or down looks w%rinkled.
careworn face. n laugh must be Of the
boldest sort to even echo In his %neighbor-
hood. looks did laugh. however. though
the little row of gas Jets just at his back
burned steadily on. not needing the IN.
usual interruption. AS a careful artist
for ii was as an artist hat Mr.. looks was
known on the house bills he painted
slowly. dreaming betimes. while away of
through that canvas. primed and re.
prImed and thickened with its many
colored coa,s as it was, looks
eyes followed the promise; and his
ears heard. besides the sweet
sounds of that MISUNDERSTANDING
applause. the CHEEKY laugh of u
little child who loved Papa looks, grim
and grizzled and sad and sallow as he
was. who saw In his little shriveled right
leg the proportions of Adonis. who
thought his shock, grizzled hair n halo Of
glory; and to whom his sallow, sad face
was a beacon light of JOY,
Others had made "hits. and looks
knew he must some day. though. as said
before, Just how he had never thought to
ask himself. After all. the "hit" was not
so much to looks 1t was only vi he
cared for. vi was the little g~olden,haired
cherub Took saw through his canvas
bound dream. looks always saw Vi
lowering about somewhere when thai sky
larking promise brought the shit" around
to dangle under his nose. The hit in real.
ity was for vi. and not for looks at all
1t was a monument he was going to build
for her, that she might some day lay his
withered body under when the tired spirit
had forsaken so miserable a frame, and
bringing the neighbors around say: We'll,
he wal called out It's writ there on the
stone.
That was the promise Of looks life.
and the darkness was bright TO him as he
painted on in the miserable gloom, not
seeing that the great light in the hall
across the way had gone glimmering al
most an hour ago.
This light was the signal for Mr.. looks
to lay down his tools and quit. The dark
ness of yesterday had blended into the
Rrkness of to-day, and with the
deepening shadows looks departed.
Throne-chairs and other stage properties
stood about him fairly crying to be gilded.
The sky on that broad expanse of muslin
had barely been made TO merge In with
the distant landscape, n the drying
edges threatened destruction TO the beauty
Of the entire picture; but when that light
went looks went. though the glue pot
bhbbiNh WIN dAooHHOAAhhAthNf aAA ~
palette groaned to be relieved Of Its burden
of color.
There's more flats to prime gin
mornin,'" called out Sullie. Mr.. looks
assistant-for looks had long since risen
TO the dignity of employing an assistant;
but the sallow little man needed him
not, for the process of disrobing had
begun. looks wardrobe was. like
looks himself. unique. His face, a
mixed yellow and gray as to complexion.
was shaded from above by a heavy,
visored cap of silk, black as the surround
ing gloom About his reck was a com
forter of many folds and divers colors, nm
inseparable part almost Of the man. while
n dark colored short coat hung from his
shoulders. and heavy breecbes. long and
loose. encased his lower limbs. A red
sash Of fantastic shape was bound several
times about his waist giving Mr.. looks
the air of n pirate king of some diminutive
sort and as he clamberod about among
the ropes and 1y-rails he was In constant
danger Of being mistaken by even the
most prosaic Of his fellows rs a sad sea
dog. But looks was nothing Of the sort
looks was. as the few, and among them
Sullie his assistant. chose to call him, a
scenic artist. but, as the many perfectly
understood. he was stage. carpenter. prop
erty. man. artist, scene -shifter. and every
thing In general about a dimly lighted.
poorly-equipped, and badly-managed little
theatre. the manage Of which had not
scrupled to write opera house" over the
door. Here was where looks was going
10 make his hit, " and to this end he had
toiled for years,
Down from the flies he had scrambled
and across the silent stage he wendell his
way. The door was open. and as Mr..
looks stepped from the inner TO the
outer darkness. the wood wings pictured
with the images Of mighty oaks, seemed
to bow their heads In silent admiration Of
the sorrowing little man
CoLIo IN HoRsEs.- Chamberlain
Collie. Cholera and Diarrhoea Remedy is a
certain cura for colic in horses Many