The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-03-24
and genius brought to such pass -

now 10 DC Oh use, Dut DufOcucO Will |"
heavy sense of the necessity for doing
something. A man may be brimful of
conceit, and may write bad verses, and
yet have good heart. He walked
home and dressed for dinner, and dined
moodily with people who laughed at
him for being moody. Then he went,
at late hour, to the ,theater, and there
encountered Lorrimer. He had some
thing of struggle with himself before
he could take the manager into confi-
dence; but at length he did it, swear
ing him to secrecy. Lorrimer heard
him through with an expression of face
bordering on the distracted.
If don't find out something about
this by and BY" said the manager, Il
shall 90 mad. Come here, into the
box-otfice. Look at this advertisement
in the Times. Where are we? oh,
here it is. Read that"
The poet read: :
"Miss Churchill is requested to clafrn
her private fortune at the hands Of
Messrs. Lowe & Carter, of Clements
Inn.-A. T.
Now" said Lorrimer, when Ronald
Marsh looked wonderingly up at him.
"what the Moses is it all about? These
people, Lowe & Carter, were the Jaw
yers who paid me my claim against
Miss Churchill. She had money then,
Or the means of getting money, Or she
couldn't have left the stage and have
paid my claim. Now, here she is in
financial difficulties, running to the
northumberland I'll swear she's
lady, born and bred-and all the while
she's asked in the newspapers to 60
and claim her private fortune! Because
you know it's as plain as the nose on
your face that it's the same woman"
"Who said -Tregarthcn was dead'"
said the poet. These are his initials"
IL said he was dead" said Lorrimer.
"She told ME so.'' He was quite per.
shaded she had done so. ut must be
the same woman. Anyway, I'll tell
you what | can do. 1 can 90 and see
the lawyers and tell 'em her address.
We have done business together all
ready. Since saw this advertisement
Eve had the curiosity to turn over the
file Of the Times, and | find that it's
been published every day for nearly
four months. l wish could persuade
her to come back to the boards Tn.
less her private fortune is precious
big one. I'd guarantee to double it for
her. She's perfect gold mine. There
never was such Rosatind, and I don't
believe there will ever be such another"
The sense Of romance and mystery
which seemed to grow up about Mrs.
Tregarthen helped to keep her in
Ronald Marsh's mind, and he began to
haunt the street she lived in, and, dur
ing the hours of darkness, to prowl
about its neighborbood, until the po-
lice set watchful eyes upon him and
booked him in their own minds as q
person with an unlawful purpose.
Lorrimer wrote to the lawyers. ask.
ing if the Miss Churchill advertised was
identical with the Miss Churchill in
whose behalf they had done business
aforet me. Receiving an answer in the
affirmative, he supplied them with her
address, and waited to hear more. No
news reached him until the poet turned
up one evening, with greatly disturbed
aspect, and announced that Mrs. Ire.
garthen and the little girl who lived
with her had left the boarding house,
and had taken new lodgings in street
oft the Trottenham Court Road.--that
both she and the child were poorly and
scantily dressed, and that the house in
which she now lived was fit only for
the occupation of the very poor. I.or.
| rimer went to the LAWYERS, begging to
be enlightened. They, in9uiring
courteously into his right to claim en-.
lightenment and finding it to be non.
existent, respectfully declined to salts.
fy him. He retreated. and had new
conferences with the poet who was
melodramatically gloomy, and let fall
deadly hints about villainy and betrayal,
and the wild justice of revenge, per.
picking Lorrimer still more. At last
spurred by his lofty hopes Of the
actress possible future and his own,
and moved at least in part by the
promptiDgs of good-nature, and hauled
toward ISOLATION of the mystery by
very cable Of curiosity, he leaped impa-
tiently into a hackney carriage, and set
out in search of Mrs. Tregarthen. He
had her address from the poet.
"Sun-blistered paint. years old, upon
the door; thick wells of dust upon the
windows; a mere well of an area, with
rusted ratings round it; doorsteps
cracked and sunken at the center"
"She might have had a mansion in
Park-lane by this time" thought Lor-
rimer, as he scanned the place. "and
yet she lives here. What was her prt-
yate fortune, ! wonder-the last curse
of a dying mother-;n-law? 1t looks
like it.
When he tugsed at the bell-pull a
long piece Of rusted iron came out from
the door-post with reluctant creak.
He pushed it back again, and tapped
the blistered door with his gloved
knuckles. A slatternly woman came
into the well of an area, wiping her
hands upon dirty apron. and, having
inspected him, went leisurely into the
house again, and after a pause, which
seemed long to his Impotence, opened
the front door an inch or two, and re-
garded him afresh in unpromising 81.
lence.
'Good-morning," said Lorrimer,
with smooth politeness. "You have a
lady staying here, ma'am. I believe,
and l should be extremely obliged if
might be allowed to see her. We are
old friends, and | have been informed
that she is in some Distress" Lori
mer was gorgeous as to his attire. and
his manner was almost monarchical.
AS he spoke he drew a half-crown from
his waislcoat pocket, anG holding it
delieately between his finger and thumb,
like duke performing a uJavfuI con.