Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-04-11

looked very detected as we babe each
other farewell.
81 hope you will be able to make some
thing Of it, old fellow" Isaid, in as cheer.
| full tone as could assume.
ut doesn't matter much now whether
succeed or fail, )" he answered gloomily.
"Oh, that's all nonsense!" / replied,
| trying to make the best of a bad matter.
| 81 shall expect to hear you are doing
| splendid business"
Week after week 1 scanned the Era to
! discover the whereabouts of Thornton
| and Lizzie, but in vain. They had no
| doubt changed their names on accepting
| fresh engagements. From Emerson ]
| did hear occasionally; but his letters con-
tanned no cheering news. LiZzie's faith
lessness seemed to have changed lis very
nature: he even lost all love and enthusi.
asm for his profession.
Il never go upon the boards but what
| fancy can see her." he wrote. "No
| matter what character | am playing, my
| thoughts are for ever reverting to the
| past. Mr.. Moss puts up with me as well
as he can; but I'm much mistaken if
! am not a sore trial to the poor old fellow.
! Should you hear of any engagements as
| 'heavles and seconds you mightlet me
! know. Perhaps if I made change the
| past would not always be so wildly be-
! fore me. Anyhow, [ would rather be
| where need not take the lead, for l real
| ~ am no longer equal to it"
! A month or two after | received this
letter our own ''heavy man" was leaving.
| half hesitated about letting Emerson
| know of the gap in our numbers, think
! ing it would, perhaps, be- greater change
! for him to enter fresh company alto
| gether than act again with me. Event
ually, however, I decided to write to him;
and I was afterwards very pleased had
| done s.. for he was quite ready to take
advantage of my suggestion. Matters
! were soon satisfactorily arranged with
MIR. Watson, our manager, and the date
| fixed on which Emerson was to join US.
1t was now nearly year since we had
met; and, as I hurried down to the rail.
way station to welcome my old friend,
wondered if / should find him much
changed. Although I had tried to pre-
| pare myself for the worst, / could hardly
repress an exclamation of establishment
as Emerson alighted on the platform. He
was thin, wan, haggard-the very shadow
of his former self, thought, as we shook
| hands warmly.
"You had better have your luggage
sent up. We rehearse in half an hour,
SO there is no time to lose," said
E'Tm to play Richmond, am not? OF
course you take the lead? Halo, man,
what have you done to your arm?"
"You may well ask! l was clever
enough to snap the bone in two last night.
Ny foot slipped as I was going home; and
the mischief was done before | could say
Jack Robinson
Just then 1 was almost grateful for my
unfortunate accident, as it gave us some
thing to talk about at a moment when
we might otherwise have both felt lit
tie awkward.
Chow the deuce are you to play with
your arms in splints?" asked Emerson.
''That's just the bother of it! Mr..
Watson telegraphed to some one he
knows--Allison, [ believe the fellows
name is-imploring him to come and
play Richard III. this evening. He has
wired back, saying he will be down by
five o'clock if he can manage to get his
own place filed. hope he will put in
an appearance, or else I shall have to
manage the best way [ can. Anyhow,
we must rehearse without him; SO | beg
you to be tender with my game arm in
the combat. By-the-way, you don't look
over-strong for that yourself"
ooh, l shall be able to manage enough
shouldn't much care if it proved to be
my last combat"
"If you talk like that, old chap, shall
feel it my bounden duty to read you a
lecture on being morbid"
When we reached the theatre in the
evening, was much relieved to hear that
Allison had arrived, and was then in his
dressing-room.
''Well, we needn't have hurried down
So" I observed to Emerson, for, as Rich
mond, he was not to appear until the last
act.
GAS far as that goes, there was no need
for you to have put in an appearance at
ALL What do you intend to do now? Go
back!"
'No; I think I may as well stay here. "
every well, then. Come to my dress
ing-room and have a smoke"
Il can't say I'm sorry to have a night
Or two off, remarked, as 1 lighted a
cigar Il wonder what the new man
will be like? It's rather rough on YOU
both not to have rehearsed together"
'Oh, dare say we shall manage to
pull through somehow l feel more UP
to the mark tonight than I have felt
since l lost my poor little Lily"
Thinking it would do Emerson good to
unburden his mind, encouraged him to
speak freely Of his sorrow. He seemed
to have quite forgotten Lizzie the griev-
ious wrong she had done him; but, when
ever he alluded to Thornton, there was
an expression Of bitter hatred on his face.
Remembering that / had hitherto spoken
of Lizzie's husband with perhaps little
too much severity, I tried to put in good
word for him; but Emerson would have
none of it.
"The fellow is mean sneaking cad, VI
he declared, angrily. ST will not seek
him; but, if ever he crosses my path, ]
will be revenged."
Then our conversation drifted into
more pleasant channels, and we talked
of our school-days, laughing healti over
our boyish pranks.
sWhy, my dear Clifford" exclaimed
Emerson, looking at his watch, 81 de-
clare have left myself only just time
enough to dress! How quickly the even
ing has passed, to be sure"
Having rendered Emerson all the as
sistance Icould, went down to the stage.
There, talking to Mr.. Watson, was the
new Richard III He turned az I up
preached; and, to my CONSERVATION,
saw that the man who had taken my
place was none other than Richard Thorn
ton.
/ had Just sufficient presence of mind
to turn my back before he had time to
recognize me. AS I did so, Emerson
came to the wings dressed as Richmond;
and the two men recognized each other
instantly. They stood face to face like
statues, speeches. and pale, the betrayeT
and betrayed.
The silence was at length broken by
Mr. Watson, who evidently noticed that
| fboro y1-ac cor,o or inoy y1vrono