The Republican., 1889-04-06

IA,
Scrubby's analysis OF the production, play
and acting, was distinctly unfavorable, his
marginal notes having such bitterly acrid
flavor that l concluded it mustal have been
very bad indeed and so l followed suit with
good interest cutting up everything and
everybody concerned in the most unmerci-
full manner. The notices written, | nut
them Into separate envelopes, the one ad-
dressed to The Blunderer, the other to The
Bullseye, and sent them to the offices by the
club messenger. This done, l went back to
Twickcnham.
Returning to the town the following
morning, almost the first person | met was
Charlie Eastwood. made to speak TO him
when, TO my utter bewilderment he stopped
me short with motion of his hand, looked
me full in the face, and slowly drew copy
of that MORNINGS Bullscye 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 a syl-
liable. ! stared after him in kind OF daze
as he rapidly disappeared l. What on earth
could he mean: What could he be driving
at! In all my experience of him adneyef
be going off his head, or was l going of
mine, or whats &
''If wanted an explanation had notlong
to wait for one AS ! entered the office,the
halI-keeper handed me letter, the suAr
scripton of which recognized as that'f the
editor. l opened the letter with an ApaA
countable trembling at the finger 1tipsl1 ,salfl
found inside was check for three n, Nfhs
with to
that in consequence of my greet success in
having that morning made ghe Blunderer
the laughing stock of all Loldon, the pro-
prietors considered it due recognition Of my
talents that l should not enter the office
again. For explanation was referred to
the enclosed cuttings fron that days daily
newspapers. lifted on, Of the slips from
out of the envelope answhat then met my
eyes caused me to stagscr back speechless
and breathless againstthe wall, for there in
that brief announcemrnt of the postpone
ment at the last mopent of For Life or
Death saw the evience of the horrible
treachery of which Ihad been a victim The
evidence of my own ruin, utter and ire
mcdiable, stared me- in the face. had actu-
ally written detailed report and criticism
of an audience which had never assembled,
of actors who hat never appeared, OF
piece which had rever been produced.
x
'IYhat need i; there for me to tell you
more, when youca guess the rest for your
| self? You donr want to hear that and the
| papers with which / had been connected
came the by-word and scoff of England, and
| that the Bullseye in particular never sur
vived the shock. Nor do YOU need to be told
| that the few hundred enemies whom had
contrived to raise around me by exceeding
| smartness turned the story in all ways so as
| to tell to my disadvantage, or that ny jour
| ralistic career, which meant my livelihood,
| was practically at an end, If you can under
stand the charitable eyes with which an ed.
| itor would beap to look upon that kind OF
| mistake Whatever ] tried, wherever /
vent to London or the provinces, it was
| always the same-the black shadow pursued
me and closed every door in my face. Liz
| zie of all the world, was the only one who
| clung to me in my trouble, and insisted on
| carving out her promise and marrying me
| in the teeth of her parents, who threw her
off when they found her bent on alying
| herself to pauper. She struggled on my
| side for two years, comforting and sustain.
| ing me in our bitteresJ adversely with her
| love and faith until one day she died ijss3efis
arms and the light of my life wentsSL
Then, having nothing else in the world to
cling to, l clung to the drink the while it
dragged me down, down, down to what
| am.
Zone thing more have to mention" said
the sandwich man, as he rose from his seat
and proceeded to hang the boards over his
! shoulders again; ''it was one day some
months after the events described that
met Scrubby. Il can't for the life of me un-
derstand how you came to fall into thatter-
rible blunder,' he said, especially after
the note left for you, telling how we had
all gone down to the theater on a wild-goose
chase, only to find that the piece was post
poned until the following week.
"Note! Left for me by your l calculated.
"Yes!- No! now come to think of it,
didn't leave the note. l wanted to go down
to the Parthenon to see the new burlesque,
but gave it to man who said he would be
passing the club and would hand it in. Let
me see. All! have it now--you know him
Loydall, the Olympian heavy lead."-S
| Smith in Outline