The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-03-17

to be in readiness for the servants
coming. Lodging-house maids are not
more observant or sympathetic than
their neighbors, as rule, but even by
the light OF the one pale candle on tho
table Mrs. Tregarthen's face had SO
much trouble and terror in it that the
girl, when she entered with Lorrimer's
card, caught fright, and begged to
know what was the matter.
Nothing" said the poor creature,
with her eyes wide open and her face
as white as the lace about her throat
us that for me?"
She stretched out her hand for the
card, and when she had read the name
upon it she dropped it with a little
moan of escape and disappointment,
and one or two half-hysterical tears
ran down her cheeks. The servant
hustled about the room and got her a
glass of water, after much unnecessary
clatter. Lorrimer, waiting in the room
below, had underlined notions of cav
airy skirmish floating through his
mind. A moment later the servant, a
petticoated avalanche, precipitated her
self downstairs.
THE lady can't see you. sir. She's
took quite ILL.,"
''Indeed'' said Lorrimer, politely re-
grettul. Nothing serious, l trust?"
Il amt so sure o. that returned
the maid. "She's like ghost, and
she can't scarcely sit in her chair, sir:
Lorrimer opened his eyes with I'M
feigncd fear. He saw thousands OF
pounds in Mrs. Tregarthen, and being
a sanguine man, as theatrical managers
nearly always are, he had already ar
ranged terms with the lady, and had her
enthusiastically trumpeted, and con-
Quoted her first performance with pro.
digious eclat. At the very moment
when the cavalry skirmish began over
head he had been returning thanks for
piece of plate publicly presented to
him Gin recognition Of his having made
a fortune out of her) by the celebrated
actress herself. The servant was really
frightened, and looked so, and Lori.
mer himself caught the infection.
"Back as soon as possible" he MUIR
INJURED. Gone for a doctor" And he
shot from the room to save his thou
sands and the lady who was to make
them.
He had noticed in the course of his
peregrinations to and fro before the
house that doctor lived next door,
and he rang startling peal at the
medico's bell. The professional gentle
man ran wildly into the clearinghouse
without his hat, and was ushered into
the presence of lady who received
him with perfect self-possession, and
assured him that she had no need for
his services. He was not to be got rid
of, however, until he had felt her pulse,
and asked question or two, and pre-
scribed tonic.
Before Lorrimer called next day the
servant had told Mrs. Tregarthen Of the
interest he had displayed. The actress
remembered the manager kindly, but
she had no mind to renew their old &C
quaintance. She sent word down to
him, in answer to his inquiries, that she
was very much better, and was very
much obliged to him for his kind in
quiries. Some people would have ac-
cepted this as an intimation of polite
dismissal, but Lorrimer was not one of
them. That's right" he said cheer
fully. "I'm glad to hear it. Just say
I should like to see her-will your
if it's quite convenient to her. If it isn't,
ask when I can call again.
''Show MIR. Lorrimer into the visitors
room," she said, in answer to this mes
sage. 1t might be well, she thought,
to get Mr.. Lolrimer over at once. If it
were impossible to avoid recognition,
it was still possible to let those who
recognized her know that she desired
privacy, and it was not likely that all
who had known her would care to
make pursuit Of her.
A stage-manager who could feel any
sense of gaucherie in approaching an
actress must have had the practice oil
his profession wasted upon him. With
Lorrimer any sign of dignitied reserve
which expressed itself without the pro-
nounced standoffishness of stage att.
tude and gesture was lost. He had
played many parts in his time, and to
him the saying Of the melancholy
Jacques was literal-all the world was
a stage. He took out the confidential
family-adviser stop, and addressed Mrs.
Tregarthen in tones of genial sympathy.
"You left us, madam, in somewhat
sudden and unconventional way, but it
was impossible for that or anything
else to mitigate the pleasure and adj
vantage of having known you. You
have our profoundest sympathy in the
calamity which has brought you back
to us, but that is tempered by the hope
that you may ultimately discover that
the profession, of which you might
have been the brightest ornament, has
still an attraction for you, and that its
triumphs offer consolation not to be
despised."
This was spoken with the Dir natural
to q master of the art of conversation.
Lorrimer was one of those people who
take their theories SO to heart that they
make facts of them. His theory was
that Mr.. Tregarthen was widow, and
in reduced circumstances. He was
quite certain that she left the stage to
be married, and was equally sure that
she would now return to it.
"Do you mean," she asked, "that
shall 60 back to the stage, Mr. Lori
mer?" He spread his hands abroad.
and bowed, with sweeping gesture OF
assent. ''No, shall never 60 back to
the stage"
The wrinkles of his smile remained
for second or two, but the light went
out of his eyes at once, and the
wrinkles faded slowly after it.
Not go back to the stage,
MADAME" he cried. "Waste the superb
talents God has given you on the mere