Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-16


tH and en- terp r isin e
9Th x> Ga town of Seedville, in
* the State of Ohio, was
cSEMMS pientifully poste d
II .ts&&fAH with bills bearing the
II eyyna above announcement,
II HSef%SHtH lavishly printed in all
II EN 1.-The hues of the rain
NJ - "a bow. How the man
a ~ * ET ager of the Seedvllle
NS&&S18assx8AST Academy of Music
SNSH$% ever succeeded in Sc
a. s SIS; {: &c; e: e:
iton was a matter of much speculation and
wonder to all but Seedville citizens; but
then Seedville always was smart for small
place and managed to keep abreast OF the
great cities of the country In every thing,
from natural gas to natural actors. And II
the lively manager was enabled to furnish
high-class entertainment for the play-goers
of Seedville, the said play-goers were not
mean enough to pass by the opportunity
with unappreciative Indifference. They read
the show-bills, bought their tickets and on
every evening thronged the seats OF the
really pretty theater.
The piece was what is technically known as
high-class comedy, but it was comedy IN
which was displayed a good deal OF the
tragedy of mental suffering, of misunder-
standings, Of cross purposes and bitterness
Of heart: though, from the fact that all the
pain and sorrow was finally turned into glad
ness and joy through the instrumentality of
little child, men termed it comedy.
The drama gave the principal actor,
Charles Cheriton, fine opportunity for
displaying his power of acting, and many
time had this man moved great audiences
almost to tears in his representations of the
deep passions of human nature.
On the particular evening which con-
Germs our story, Cheriton was at his best.
With the rare modulations Of his deep, far
reaching voice, with his expressive feat
ures and gesticuIations he swayed the feel
ings of the throng before him as the
autumn winds bend the topmost boughs Of
the forest trees.
Toward the end Of the second act the
large audience noticed that the actor did
not do his part justice, and not during the
rest of the evening did he rise to his usual
standard of excelleney. No one knew the
cause, for, in the intense interest felt in the
play, no one had perceived little wee baby
figure steal quietly down the extreme left
dISiS lfiS NO Oue Uub SI6IIJOu.
He was in the midst Of his delivery of some
most pathetic lines and his eyes were raised
upward, so that they rested precisely on
the balcony aisle to the left Of the stage.
He saw the tiny but graceful form Of
child-a little girl-not five years old, clad
in quaint, but rich and dainty, dress of
black velvet with ruffled sleeves and white
lace edging at the wrists and neck: he
noticed the broad brimmed hat trimmed
with narrow but exquisite wreath of
simple meadow daisies, and above all he
beheld, beneath the hat, the cluster of sun
NY, golden hair and the clear blue eyes Of
the childish, angel face.
The baby, with baby grace and abandon,
stole softly down to the balcony rail, upon
which she rested her little arms, and with
her chin nesting in her dimpled hands
Cike one of Raphaelis cherubs) silently
watched the play. Cheriton felt absolutely
certain that the baby was the child Of
well, woman he once knew. He was posi-
tive Of it, and would have backed his opin-
ion with every thing he possessed.
He was no longer in the Seedville Acad-
envy of Music. Mechanically he proceeded
with his part in the performance, but he
saw none of the people before him, save the
baby-and even the baby only served TO re-
mind him OF another face, long since lost to
him-wbile his thoughts and memory were
Rfar off in q city of the sunny South.
he remembered how in the City Of Mex
leo, exactly six years before, he had loved
with mad and irresistible passion just
such fair sweet face as WIS the baby's in
the balcony; he recellected the faultless
form, the natural grace of movement and
action and the bewltching smile; he called
TO mind the sunny hair and the quaint
dresses of velvet and old lace-yss, it all /.
Came back to him with the baby leaning
there over the balcony rail. How he tried .
TO forget it all, on the stage and of! How
he had sought 10 bury it far out of his .
sight and memory! He had Travelled East,