Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-21
MR.. TOUkS' PROMISE.


Que the cbollts Just To look ut them.
NIr looks lived there in this theatrical
cloud land though he did not call it his
home He was there before daylight in
the morning. and never lcit at night. If be
did ieavS at all, until The great light in
the hall across the way had ceased to il
Illuminate the surrouhding IS Nr To"k~
went out with tina. light and
came in again before the blush
of morn. 50 that his life seamel to
sreud itself in one eternal darkness. IA
vast AS it was black. and as black n II
was sorrowfuL There was only one hap
uinc>s in Tooks life. and that was prom
ise vet that promise danced ever before
him like a will @ the wIsp, casting loyfut
rays along the stretching visas Of black
ness Tooks hoped some day 10 make n
hit. Just what it was TO make a hit"
Tooks hardly knew IL always came with
a great cTapping of hands and stamping
OF feet and hurrahs and cat calls. and such
a general bustling about that every one
seemed filled with pleasurabie excite.
ment. and that hit - WAS talked Of away
up there in Mr. Tooks' dark loft for days
and weeks to come
Just how he WAS to make this hit
was another enigma that IOOhS mind lad
never taken to as in a death grip. but 'hal
it would be made the promise WAS al.
WAYS there. and looks saw himself out
before those tiaring. mystifying footilghts.
for this Mr. Tooks was in theatrical
way. and he heard the great storm OF
clashng palms. he saw that vast sea OF
upturned faces. just as he had seen them
throu b the peep hole in the curtain many
and many time. though they had
not seen Mr. Tooks; and in the
great silence which followed he
could hear himself thanking the
for having made happy and bright his
whole future existence. lie thanked them
for having thus dragged him up. or rather
down by the neck. a. il were. from his
awful obscurity, for having Ntraghtened
out his little shTiveled right leg-fOr what
was a shriveIcd right leg upon man who
had made SO famous hit. and his
eyes sparkled until they shone like mete
ors through the dusky surroundings, and
laugh ventured Ia gurgie out of log
facial oritiCe. so sharp. 50 clear. and wlthal
So positive. that snip. the long bodied.
short legged lite terrier that kept watch
over the chalk lines and porte CrayOns.
actualls barked with joyous surprise. snip
was a discreet dog, and only barked upon
great occasions. IL he ever barked at all
To hear looks laugh was TO say that
one had lived more than de ade for.
although smile frequently ventured 10
steal quietly up or down looks wrinkled.
careworn taCe. a laugh must be of the
boldest sort to even echo in his neighbOr.
hood. ToOks did laugh, however. though
the little row of gas cts Just at his back
burned steadily on. not needing the un.
usual interruption. As a careful artist
for il was as an artist that Mr.. TOOkS was
known on The house bills he painted
slowly. dreaming betimes. while away off
through that canvas. primed and re.
prlmcd and thickencd with its many
colored coa's as it was. looks
eyes followed the promise. and his
ears heard, besides the sweet
applause, the cheery laugh of q
little child who loved Papa looks. grim
and grilzled 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 halo of
glory: and to whom his sallow, sad face
was beacon light of yoy.
Others had made hits. and looks
knew he must some day. though, as said
before, lust how he had never thought 10
ask himself. After all the hit was not
SO much TO TookS Ii was only vi he
cared for. ' i was the little golden haired
cherub Took saw through his canvas
bound dream looks ALWAYS saw Vi
lowering about somewhere when that sky
larkiDg promise brought the hit 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 >he might some day lay his
withered body under when the tired spirit
had forsaken so miserable frame. and
bringing the neighbors around say Well,
he was called out Its writ there on the
stone.
That was the promise of TOoks life,
and the darkness was bright to him as he
painted on in the miserable gloom, not
Oeeing 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. Tooks
TO lay down his tools and quit The dark
ness of yesterday had blended into the
darkness of to day, and with the
deepening shadows TOOks departed
Throne chairs and other stage properties
stood about him fairly crying TO be gilded
The sky on that broad eNpanse of muslin
had barely been made 10 merge in with
the distant landscape, and the drying
edges threatened destru tion 10 the beauty
of the entire picture but when that light
went looks went though the glue pot
bubUled with disappointment aud the
palette groaned TO be relic ed of its burden
OF color.
There's more flats to prime gin
mornin," called out Sullie MT Tooks
a,sistant-for looks had long since risen
TO the dignity of employing an assistant;
but the saIlow 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 neck was u com
fOrler of many folds and divers cOlors, an
inseparable part almost Of the man, while
dark colored short coat hung from his
shoulders. and heavy breeCbes. long and
loose encased his lower limbs. red
sash of fantastic shape was bound several
times about his waist, giving Nr. looks
the air of a pirate kin of some dimir utive
sort, and as he clambered about anon :
the ropes and tlv rails he was in constant
danger Of being mistaken by even the
most prOsaic of his fellows as a sad sea
cog. 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 manager of which had not
scrupled to write opera house" over the
door Here was where looks was going
TO 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 wended his
way. The door was open, and as Mr..