The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1885-12-19

w uJ0S2OW NY LIdAu
N.I \NT% leaving our lug
NJ .x].Df~ gage there was
- ~N ~ not much of it) to
y BE- sent sfter us
while we walkei on to Paisley, where Pike
had friend in the local rageiian, Mr.:
Jamieson-popularly known as LANG
Willie''-who would he ''good' for SOY.
ereign Alas! when we got to Paisley, we
found Lang Willie" was ''lnder the
weather" himself-and the expected SOW
ereign dwindled down to Eve shillings-
which was the entire amount of his nights
share for acting "Bertram," in the gloomy
but powerful tragedy of that name.
When the play was over Mr.. Jameson
took US to his lodgings, gave US hearty
welcome and hot supper, after which I
sat and listened while the veterans acted
their young encounters DER again" Amidst
their pleasant "reminiscences Pike happened
to wention the name of "Curly." At the
sound Jameson became sad and silent.
After while Pike inquired:
"Where is he the moor
God knows!' replied the other. "l've
not seen him for month or more He aye
bursts out when the anniversary of that
awful time comes round. He generally
stays away for a month or six weeks, and
comes back without a word, and resumes
his life where he left off. just as If nothing
had happened. Poor Curly! Poor Flora!
But there; what is it Mistress teth
saysl--
Things without all remedy
Should be without regard; what's done is
done.'
SO sup up and clear out7that is, il you mean
to 60 to Kilmarnock tomorrow. Goodbye,
young gentleman hope you'll be luckier
than this weather. beaten old villain and
myself. Stick to the text; study night
and day; and, who knows you may take
the world by storm one Of these days"
'!rll try" said.
''Good lad! Good lad! Remember, there's
no such word as fail Goodbye, Pike; good
luck to you at Kilmarnock."
And so we took our leave O: Lang Will
lie, and sought our humble hostelry, where
ten minutes later I lay fast asleep, not even
dreaming Of thu influence that accidental
encounter with Mr.. Jameson and another
yet to come were to have on my future des.
tiny.
Next morning, after we had paid our
score, we had only eighteen pence left; but
what u money when you have youth,
health, strength and ambition! Thank
Godl I had all these; a. for my com.
panion, poor fellow, he had had so many
rubs of fortune that he was equal to any
fate. BY the way. his name was not .sPike''
at all: he had merely arrived at that
sobrlquet from his marvellous voracity. and
his extraordinary facial resemblance to the
pike fish. He had fulfilled one short engage.
ment in Edinburgh or Glasgow some thirty
years before Imet him, but all the interreg.
mum had been passed vagabondizing about
in halls AMI barns in the small towns Of
Scotland. He was always in debt, always
in difficulty, but somehow or other he always
kept aaoat, always kept light heart, and
always had u pleasant word for every BODY.
Although it was in the month of May, the
snow was on the ground; fortunately for Us
it had been frozen into a fine crisp con.
sistency. Tho sun flushed the horizon with
a tender violet, lighting the hilltops with
fire, and making the distant road, which lay
before us. alive with rubies and emeraltis
and other precious stones, set in great
masses of gold and silver. OF course, when
we came up with them our magic Jewels
enthusiastically not quite vanished, they had
only gone II little further off; and so we fol.
Lowell in their track, just as the people fol-
low in the pursuit of pleasure in Noel
Paton's picture. 1t was, indeed lovely
morning, and the young blood ran riot in
my veins while the birds chirped and sang
to lis from every hedge. was in love with
my art. and the present ordeal seemed to
mo ths trough brake through which great
ness must pass" l hattered myself that /
was another Edmund Kean in embyro--be.
sides, was not about to open at the Theatre
Royal, kilmarnock, in Romeo: (Alas! this
Theatre Royal turned out to be a blrn over
stabicN was Romeo already. l must
confess my mind was sOrely exercised as to
my future Juliet, Miss Madeline Montmo.
rency. Was she short or tall, slim or stout.
dark or fair: Il may as well state at once
that she turned out to be old enough for NV
mother. and wore false "front," SO think
it was callcd.) was to have guinea a
week and a benefit all the receipts, after
the shares and stock debt were taken nm.
So, building these castles III the air,
trottei along, full of the delightful antici.
pations Of youth and hope; while, us for
Pike, he was as jelly as usual About mid.
day we stopped ut farmhouse Il little out
OF the main road, where he negotiated a
lunch of oatcake and milk for sixpence out
Of our little store. When We had done
ample Justice to our frugal repast hs took a
pull at his pipe, and then We resumed our
journey. beguiling the time with snatches
Of song and theatrical "reminiscences. Of
which he had an abundance. incidentally
lie mentioned the name of Curly: then he
stopped and changed the subject This re.
mind Il me OF the hitch in the conversation
on the preceding night, SO ventured to in.
quir, who and what Curly" was. After
some hesitation Pike told me the story | am
about to relate-a story remarkable enough
under any circumstances, but renderel still
more re,markablc 10y al incident which
actually occurred during its narration. Hal
it not been for this strange coincidence the
narrative would not have needed this in.
duction