The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-01-29
Leorardir' De - b. on the stage. bow

sES rlght and lett.
~He shares his success with her and
not with me-" cried Fleur de Marie, as
she closed the door Of her dressiug-ro
and threw herself into 3 chair, while fan
and flowers dropped to the ground.
Il see how it is, He loves me no longer
II Is useless-nay. il is breaking my heart
to go on like this. There is no hope for
me now, because she has won him. How
cruel she Isl Could she not be content
with half London at her feeti She does
not care for anyone save herself-and l
have only this one to love I will 60
right away! l cannot endure to see him
daily, 10 sing with him nightly. and be no
more 10 him than the dancing girl in the
ballet. 1 viii 60 right away All this
fretting viii injure my voice. and then I
shall starve. ] cannot see another. and
one so unworthy. spoil Gabriel's life. blight
his fame as she will. assuredly she will.
How cruel she il! but oh. wish Gabriel
might come hack to me as in those dear
old days. What has fame given me after
ALI Only a hesrtache and a few flowers :"
and with these thoughts Mysie o'Farren
gathered her wraps about her, aud swept
down the steps TO her brougham, which
was waiting in the midst Of crowd to
bear her TO her home.
The afternoon was drawing TO a close.
It was barely four o'clock, but the streets
were dark, and the LAMPS were lighted.
At one Of the lower front windows Of
house in Warrington crescent sat a wo-
man in black silk dress. with a face
most disconsolate.
Certainly the outlook was dreary, and
the room in which she found herself Was
weird with the hickering. fitful freight
She rose from her seat behind the cur
tain, when the sounds Of singing in the
street arrested her atteution-she drew
up the blind and peered out into the
street. She only saw a dirty, gaily-
dressed pair of beggars standing by the
pavement. both little Savoyar,is, brown
and handsome. Their vocaIisation was
so atrocious that the listener mechanical
ly put her finger TO her ear and WINGED
but still she remained where she stool,
FOR something in the sight of those two
ragged, screaming children recalled old
days to her. She opened the window aud
cast cut hsndfaI Of coppers 10 them.
The boy crossed the street. hat in
hand. and the girl helped him to gather
them up, bowing and gesticulating their
thanks to the giver. Then the watcher
saw them put their duslly heads together,
and count their earnings with smiling
faces.
'Ah. how happy they are. dirty, des-
pissed, homeless, often penniless, but how
happy! Just as l was once"
She drew down the blind once more. As
she did So the servant entered. hoaIiu- "A
salver covered with I,ile of letters.
Poor little Mysie O'Farr"W Loss than
five years ago she was only n strSy street
singer, and now each post brought peti-
tions from half the opera directors in Eu-
rope and America, begging her TO give
them if only couple Of nights, with
promises Of fabulous remuneration.
She now took up the heap Of letters
weArily- Suddenly she started. as her
eyes fell on a bold, untidy handwriting.
scrswled across foreign envelope, which
bore the post-mark Bombay
"Ah!" she exclaimed. 'he has not for
gotten. fancied he would. But no; this
is the very day, September 20th. he said
he would write"
She opened the letter, and hurriedly
read its contents; it was not long. but
/ characteristic.
"HoTEI- BoNBAT. August Is
Il have waited patiently and IN silence,
through the year. Novr, ask you once more
and for the last time, for would not weary
woman: WI you he my wifes | love you
better than myself; I prize your happiness
more than my own. l never have seen any
ono at all like YOU before. " yCu decide 10
put your hand IN mine. snd trust your heart ~
my Keeping, ! shall try and deserve the conf
dcnce. know have come too late tu win
your first love. but believe you care for me
| II you arc unhappy, IL fame fails 10 satisfy
you, II you have any affection Tor me. come
! am ready to receive you. under any consider
alton. have home out here NJ for . Priu-
health, you shall return 10, and reside in Eng
land only ask You to tc my wife. All the
rest viii follow 1 love you enough for two,
and know ] can make YOU happy. OF course
"CUTHBERT NEwEN.''
"What a strange letter." thought Mysie
with laugh, more like a business
trasaction than a proposal. What shall
be my replyi Shall answer it in per
son7 Shall quit the stage while yet I
am popular, and 60 out to India aud mar
ry this mani Have strength sufficient
TO stiie amIitionl Should be happy.
or, at least, content as his wifei II
could only lie sure! / long to get away
out Of Gabriers presence. I cannot bear
to see him always by the side Of that wo-
man. Perhaps. if ] were absent from him,
+ IL never saw his face or heard his voice,
/ might forget him. He never viii love
me again that l know / win have &
; long think over IL alr'-aud an hour
passed. At last she drew her writing
table towards her. and wrote as follows !:
'S8 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. MAZDA Vale
"MY DEAR CaT-TAIS \ NEwEN.-I received your
: letter. As you know well. have lille TO offer
Won in the way Of romantic love lHt fes-l \
,Irr i'm -,,,,r so,I,,fv m yoI mini, I I'm 1rsbe
I ynaI happy with this affection. avn ready to-
T marry Won any time after the coming christ
and n leave the Relieve
.'MYs1E O'FArREuI.''
When this note was addressed and
sealed. the writer paused for a moment.
and then. once more dipping her pen into
the ink, began:
NY DEAR MR. BREvEr,-Nou have always
I been such q true friend 10 mo that feel Won
/ ought 60 be tho first "a hear uf my final DO
/ cision- You advised some lime ago ia
leave the stage for awhile. and IN gO svay for
I a change. Y on know I wus frettinE, and felt
sure il ~"uid lnlurC my voice Well. am
/ going aWsy TO lDdh- and am icuN lug the
stage-only not fOr . while, hut sltuucthcr
have Promised TO marry CAPTAIN Cuihpert
great goodness 10 me, remain. L hope always.
"MrsIE o'FARRr11.''
AS she finished this letter she glanced
thoughtfully at the open sheet before her.
How strange that the whole course Of
life can be changed by dozen strokes
of the pen" she Thought ~1f tear uu
these papers 1 still shall remain th Fleur
de MaIie-if put them into the post. s
few months more win make me Mrs
/ Newen."
And she did put them into the post
with her own haulS. ou the following day
When the next season came round the
world wondered what had become Of their
favoI-ite. Fleur de Marie. till the fame ol
her beauty, as the wife of CtIthbert New
en-. came over the sea with baich oi