Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-11-06

hears" said Mrs. Leeds, losing 81 cn'nt
of the eggs she was breaking into a china
bowl. IN Ecr CONSERVATION. And Seple-
willie does beat all for gossip
"X'oll, you can ask her yourself, aud
see if she dares deny it, y said Abby Jane,
exultantly. Here she comes now, Ask
her-only ask herr'
And Eliza came into the kitchen with
the spice box in her hand. Mr.. Nillars
followed close behind, tanning himself
with a straw hat.
81 have come from the men in the hay
field.n said he. "They want another jug
of cool ginger and water, with plenty OF
molasses stirred in, Aunt Leeds. Good
morning, Miss Clark / hope the deacon
is quite well this morning.
Abby Jane turned pink, and smiled
her most seductive smile.
"Oh, quite So" she simpered. " only
came Oh"
SIS il true, Elizag' Mrs. Leeds asked,
sharply. Have you been deceiving mes
Are YOU play actress all this timc''
Eliza's large eyes turned slowly first to
one and then to another of the little
group. She did not blush-it was not
her way-but the color ebbed slowly
away from her cream, pale cheek.
~ have been deceiving no one" said
she. ~ am not an actress now. ! have
been one. But I did not like the life, so
Ileft it. II any one had asked me should
have told them long ago"
Mr.. Nillars came forward and stood mt
the girls side, as he saw his aunt shrink
away.
'swen," he said, seven taking it all
for granted, where's the harm''
"Charles! Charles!' cried Mrs Leeds,
putting up her hands with gesture OF
warning. Remember poor AviceH'
sIt is because l remember her that I
speak thus" said Mr.. Nillars, calmly.
{" had an elder sister once" he added,
turning TO Abby Jane Clark, "who ran
away from home and became an actress.
She had talents far above the average,
but nv parents were old-fashioned, and
their ideas ran in narrow grooves. They
disapproved of the stage, so Avice left her
Whether she is dead OF living we know
not, but wherever she is, am sure that
she cannot but be good and true and
pure"
Abby James eyes fell under his calm
glance. She was little sorry now that
she hnd chosen to come hither and bear
the news herself.
Somehow, Mr.. villars had taken il in
a different spirit from what she had an
ticipated. And Eliza's soft, languidly
modulated voice broke on the constrained
silence like drops OF silver dew.
~ have been an actress, and perhaps
should still be on the STAGE she said,
''had it not been for circumstances My
father dealt in stage properties and was
brought up to the business, but still l
never liked it. But one cannot easily
step out of the path where ones feet have
been placed, especially If one is woman.
"However, the turning point came at
last. Our leading lady fell sick Of a con-
tagious fever, in lonely village where
we had stopped to play one night The
manager packed up everything in panic
and bade us all be ready to go. told
him could not leave Mrs. Montague
alone. He said that IL left the company
thus I should never return to it,
"Well, what could / dos The stage
was my living, 1t was true, but our lead
ing lady had no friends. 1t would have
been inhuman to desert her so, so stayed
behind and took care of her. She died,
poor thing, and it swallowed up all my
earnings to bhry her decently.
.'Then / tried here and there to earn
my living ms best could. / was not al
ways successful. More than once have
been hungry and homeless: but heaven
be praised. I have always found friends
before the worst came to the worst. Now
you know all, she concluded, quietly,
leaning up against the door, where the
swinging scarlet beans made fantastic
background for her face.
Mr.. Villars had advanced a step or two
toward Eliza as she spoke; his gaze had
grown intent.
"This-leading lady Of whom you men
tion," said he, with an effort.
"Do you remember her name' Her
real name, I means'
''They called her Katharine Montague
on the bills, said Eliza If she had any
other name, she never told me what il
was. / say II, because-because- Oh.
Mr.. Villars, never quite understood il
before, but there is look in your eyes
that reminds me of her. l have been
startled by the familiar expression many
a time. but never could convince my
self where the link Of association be-
longed And-and I still keep little
photograph of her that found in her Bible
after she was dead. kept them both.
Wait, and will bring them to you"
Mr.. Villars gazed at the picture in 81
lence. Mrs. Leeds uttered little cry Of
recognition.
''Heaven be good to us!' she walled;
"it is our Avice, sure enough"
The sequence of this little life idyl is
simple enough ANY one may guess IL
Charles Villars married Eliza. And even
the most fastidious ''sisters" Of her hus.
bands flock can utter no word Of re.
proach against the minister's wife, al
though she makes no secret OF the fact
that she was once an actress.
And poor Abby Jane Clark is chewing
the bitter husks Of disappointment, for
even Mr.. Trudkins has gone back to
Packerton without declaring himself.
''There is no dependence to be put upon
men," says Abby Jane, disconsolately.-
Helen Forrest Graves In Boston Times.
n ~ c.