The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-07-14


of the colored light effects and Mr..
White could not be found. cts very
funny" said the back door man. 81
saw White standing out in the rain over
an hour ago and called him in. What's
more, saw him come in; but haven't
seen him since. He couldn't have gone
out, for haven't left the door for mo-
ment." Rush felt guilty flush steal up
to his cheeks, but as it would not help
matters for him to explain that was he,
and not the gas man, who had been
called to enter the academy, he said
nothing. 1t being impossible to try the
colored lights without Mr.. White, Nine.
Lanner said that she would expect to
meet them all the next morning at 8.
Leoni and her mother got ready for the
street. and Rush asked if he might not
accompany them to their door, as it was
rather late for unprotected women to be
out
They smiled at the idea of the lateness
OF the hour; it was then not more than
half past 10, and often they had gone
home alone as late as / o'clock; but if
Mr.. Hurlstone was going in their direc-
ton they would be pleased to have his
company. They lived in East Tenth
street, which was quite convenient for
him. The rain had ceased, and the moon
was shining brightly, as the three stepped
out into Fourteenth street Rush thought
of the one he had seen coming through
mat doorway the night before, as he
gave his arm to Signora Celia. The con-
versation turned from the stars of heaven
to the stars of the stage, as they walked
down to East Tenth street; and when
they reached the modest house where
the ballet dancer and her mother lived,
Signora Celia insisted that he should
come in.
I'VE always have little supper after
the theatre" said she, land it would
please US very much to have you eat a
bit of bread and drink a glass of wine
with us. Giuseppe will be glad to see
you, too; he sees very little company,
poor man."
Leoni added her invitation. Rush
looked at her handsome eyes, glistening
in the moonlight, and accepted. Sig
nora Cella's night key admitted them,
and they were soon in a comfortably
furnished room in the second story. A
liable spread with a snowy cloth stood in
/ the middle of the floor, and, by the mel
low light of an oil lamp, Rush saw that
it was set for the late supper of which
al people connected with the stage are
so fond, and which is really necessary to
their health, as they can eat very little
before the performance. After the per-
Torrance is over their minds are at rest,
and they can sit down quietly and enjoy
a tolerably hearty meal A stick of
French bread, cut of that delightful
Italian sausage, salami, and bottle of
Chianti wine stood upon the table. Rush
noticed this at a glance, and at the same
time he saw large man, with face
showing signs of great suffering, propped
up with pillows in big chair by the fire.
Leoni ran lightly across the room, kissed
the invalid's hand and laid it gently upon
her brown curls, as though its touch car
ried blessing with it.
The man leaned over and kissed her on
the forehead, saying something in Italian
that Rush did not hear, and would not
have understood if he had. Then Leoni
arose and introduced Rush to her father.
This poor sufferer was the famous cannon
ball tosser. He had tossed one ball too
many, for the last time he appeared in
public the biggest and heaviest one hit
him on a tender point of the spine, and
this had been his condition ever since.
He would never get well; he knew it;
and the knowledge added to his suffer-
ing. "Here sit, a great, useless hulk,
dependent on my poor little Lisa for sup
port, was the burden of his thoughts.
IF l could only work l could bear the
pain; but Unjust sit here calmly as may,
with mind and body both on the rack"
There had been more or less of the animal
in Cella's appearance when he was a
young man, but he was ALWAYS hand
some, and, now that suffering had refined
his face and whitened his hair, he was
really aristocratic looking. He shook
Rush cordially by the hand, but he said
only a few words, as his English was
very imperfect.
Signora Celia disappeared in another
room and left Leoni to entertain Rush.
In few moments she returned with a
bowl of smoking soup and golden hued
omelet. They wheeled the ex-cannon
ball tosser up TO the table. He opened
the bottle deXterOusly, took the oil out
of the neck with a little wad of cotton.
and then all drank the health of the
guest. So merry a meal Rush had sell
dom sat down to. The old man was not
Ia as much pain as usual and he told
some amusing anecdotes of his athletic
days. Leoni was al excitement, owing
to the new ballet, and good humor
reigned. When the clock struck 10 Rush
babe his kind entertainers good night,
and thanked them for one of the pleas
ATTEST evenings of his life. It was all SO
unconventional; Leoni was so beautiful
and had so much common sense. and he
was astonished at the refinement of the
family.
He had always imagined that ballet
dancers were rather ignorant lot, and
fast withal; yet here was a girl who.
while she appeared before the public in
skirts above her knees and earned a
larger salary than her companions be-
cause she could kick her legs higher.was
yet as modest and refined by nature as
most ladies, though the associations of
her life made her freer in her manner
with strangers than if she had been born
in more exclusive circles. There was
coarse about either of her pa
rents, though her father had been a pro-