Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-02

1nat settled IL. Without lurlnef aGt
closed with the offer, and fortnight
later saw me installed as dramatic crit,
of The Bullseye, with the title of thai
publication inscribed on my cards under
meath that of The BIunderer. The plan o.
operation proceeded to act upon was this
| had long had wholesome contempt fol
that class of dramatic critics forever hang
ing round stage doors and hotel bars, and
drinking with managers and actors, so
resolved to set an example in the opposite
direction by keeping religiously alooi
from all association with the profession
with one exception. This was Lizzie, who
insisted on receiving her little paragraph
of two or three lines regularly every week,
and with whom spent each Sunday after
noon and evening at her fathers place in
| Twickenham, whittier he had retired to
spend the rest of his days, free from the
| smoke of Aldgate and the cares Of the gro
! Gerry business. There had once been some
talk of Mr.. Loydall, huge, beetle
browed, hoarse-voiced tragedian, who
played heavy lead to Lizzie's juveniles at
the Olympian, but he soon found out that
he had no chance with me, and after one
or two tussles retired from the battle, leav-
ing me to walk over the course at my leis-
ure.
Gas you will guess, matters were pretty
well settled between Lizzie and me, and
We obtained old Rayburn's consent to our
marriage whenever the Blunderer's man.
agement should recognize my merits suf-
ficiently to advance my salary, and enable
me to take Lizzie away from the stage
The Bdlseye, contrary to everybody's ex-
pectations- everybody, that is, outside the
office-showed signs of becoming pro-
nounced success. My dramatic criticisms
were soon one of the leading features of
the journal. l had always had notion
that the whitening, sarcastic style of writ
ing was best suited to me, and this was the
line / took, with such effect that at times
it became difficult to find out whether l
had been praising or Stating piece or an
actor. Some people were unkind enough
to say that they would prefer the latter
process TO the former. Needless TO say
that, as the power and influence of the
paper increased, | soon became an object
of hatred and dread to the whole profess
sion. This only tickled my vanity the
the more, and would strut along Fleet
street and the Strand of a morning meeting
the scowls of passing pros with stare of
supercilious indifference
Zone night, entering my club at the
usual hour, just before starting for the
Lorne Theater, where new piece, entitled
'For Life or Death" was to be produced
that evening, ! found a telegram lying for
me in the rack. 1t was from Lizzie's
mother, telling me that Lizzie had been
seized with dangerous illness that very
morning, and begging that would proceed
to the house at once. For moment was
in serious dilemma. At all hazards /
must see Lizzie that night, yet it was i'm
perative that / should attend the first
nights show at the Lorne, having for that
special occasion undertaken The Blnuderer's
notice in place of the regular man, who
was absent through indisposition.
"Then an idea struck me as | caught
sight of Scrubby, the dramatic critic of
The Scorcher, at the other end of the room,
already preparing to leave. Scrubby was
a reliable man, knew, and the best avail
able for the purpose l had in my mind
Crossing over to where he was, | showed
him the telee ram, and explained my diff
ficulty.
"'Nothing easier, my boy he exclaimed,
clapping me on the back. Trust to me-
Pm going down to the show and will leave
you programme here, marked with my
notes, on my way to the office. If you're
back here by half-past 10, you'll find it
waiting. Then you can scribble your
notices for the two papers from my notes,
and send them in the usual way
Warmly shaking him by the hand,
accepted his offer, and FASTENED away to
Twickenham. When l reached the house
| found my darling already delirious in
the first stages of high fever, and call
ing for me. | remained by her side hold
ing her hand in mine and soothing her as
best | could until she had fallen off into a
ftful doze. Then | stole quietly away,
whispering to Mrs. Rayburn that | would
return as soon as my business in town was
concluded.
"When got back to the club found as |
expected, the programme lying in the rack,
inside an envelope addressed to me. Scrub
by's analysis of the production, play and
acting, was distinctly unfavorable, his
marginal notes having such bitterly
have been very bad indeed; and so / fol-
lowed suit with good interest, cutting up
everything and everybody concerned in
the most unmerciful manner. The notices
written, put them in separate envelopes,
the one addressed to the Blunderer, the
other the to BuiLseye, and sent them to the
offices by the club messenger. This done.
| went back to Twickenham.
Returning to town the following morn
ing, almost the first person | met was
Charlie Eastwood. | made to speak to
him, when to my utter bewilderment, he
stopped me short with a motion of his
hand, looked me fell in the face, and
slowly drew copy of that mornings
BuiLseye from his pocket. Opening it, he
pointed to my criticism of the production
of For Life or Death at the Lorne
Theater, and held it up close to my eyes,
then, deliberately turning his back upon
me, passed ON without uttering syllable
| stared after him in a kind of daze as he
rapidly disappeared. What on earth could
he mean? What could he be driving at.
In all my experience of him | had never
Known him to act so strangely. Could he
be going off his head or was going off
mine, or what?
'lf wanted on explanation | had not
long to wait for one. As | entered the
Office the hall-keeper handed me letter,
the superscription Of which | recognized
as that of the editor | opened the letter
with an unaccountable trembling at the
finger-tips. What | found inside was a
check for three months salary, with Il
notification to the effect that in conse-
quence of my great success in having that
morning made The Biunderer the laughing
stock of all London, the proprietors con-
sidered it due recognition of my talents
that | should not enter the Office again
For explanation ] was referred to the in
closed cuttings from that days daily news
papers. | lifted one of the slips from out
of the envelope, and what then met my
eye caused me to stagger back speechless
and GREATNESS against the wall, for there
| in that brief announcement of the post
ponement at the last moment of For Life
or DEATH saw the evidence of the hor-
rible treachery of which ] had been vic
tim. The evidence of my own ruin, utter
and irremediable, stared me in the face |
had actually written detailed report and
criticism of an audience which had never
assembled, of actors who had never APP
peared, of piece which had never been
produced
"What need is there for me to tell you
I L. Il.